Layrinth of Priorities

Pan’s Labyrinth is like the American Olympic hockey team; it goes home with a silver medal when it was so close to taking the gold. Don’t get me wrong, a silver medal movie is still a must see. The movie is intriguing and entertaining at once, featuring a dual storyline and many powerful characters. Despite this, it is a lack of precedence that has caused this movie to be “just good” when it could have been “amazing”.

The tale takes place in the middle of a Spanish civil war. The viewers join Ofelia, a young girl who travels to a military base with her pregnant mother. Her stepfather, a coldhearted captain who cares only for his unborn son, treats her with contempt. As her mother’s health fades, Ofelia meets a faun who assigns her a series of challenges she must complete to earn her place as princess of the underworld. The princes-to-be sneaks about completing her tasks, while a second plotline follows the battle between guerilla rebels and the soldiers at the base. Both storylines have strong characters and interesting conflicts, but the schizophrenic bouncing between the two hampers the overall effect. The result of a movie with two excellent yet isolated plots is a single piece that does neither part justice.

Most of the acting in Pan’s Labyrinth was fantastic. Sergi Lopez as Captain Vidal was unmistakably evil and was a terribly easy character to hate. It was just as easy to sympathize with Mercedes, played by Maribel Verdu, and the rebels she supported. Even the strange pale man and faun, both acted by Doug Jones, were incredibly convincing. The one actor who sticks out in my mind as having been unconvincing an unimpressive was none other than Ivana Baquero, the actress who played Ofelia. Throughout the movie she fulfilled her role with a startling lack of emotion, while being outshone by every other actor she bumped into. Additionally, whenever an animated fairy greets Ofelia, she always seems to be looking past it rather than at it. It seems a great lapse in judgment that the most important actor in the movie was also the one who leaves the worst impression.

The production itself was little short of spectacular. The use of color to portray mood was particularly effective, as color disappears the further into the story you get. The mythical creatures were entirely believable, strange as they may have been. The designs were well thought out and authentic. Of particular splendor were the room with the pale man, and the room in the center of the labyrinth. Special effects created Ofelia’s fantastical storyline with great confidence. Music was fairly subdued and I felt it was not used as effectively as the color changes from scene to scene. In this section I have no complaints. Guillermo del Toro did a fantastic job creating a beautifully terrifying world.


Pan’s Labyrinth brings together a fantastical plot and a realistic war. It makes an excellent addition to any dark fantasy collection, as its central themes revolve around the meaning of death. It is a shame that the dual storylines were almost unconnected, because it is that and poor acting of Ofelia that keep this flick from taking home the gold. Nevertheless this movie is a powerful dark fantasy that is both great to watch and thought provoking, and I would recommend this silver medalist wholeheartedly to any lover of fantasy, action, and/or adventure.