Pan's Labyrinth, Is It Really Wonderful?

yeah you should. Don't be put off by the subtitles. I'm no world cinema buff and I thought it was brilliant.

I watched it on film 4 a while back. I expect it'll be on there again before long.
 
Pan's Labyrinth is a very good litmus test. If someone doesn't like it you KNOW they have no real taste in films at all! Seriously, it's a FANTASTIC film, even if it is in Spanish with subtitles, and it's also too much for kiRAB - for a short time I was wondering why it had been given the 15 rating, then...well, just watch it! Just not with little kiRAB, unless you want them to see people being killed in fairly realistic ways (it's by no means a violent film though).

The Faun (the film's correct title is 'The Labyrinth of the Faun', the name 'Pan' is never used) and the other creatures are the best makeup and costume effects I have seen this side of Lord of the Rings (good job del Toro is doing The Hobbit then!). And the story is moving, brilliant, exciting and sad all at once. Personally I think the ending is one of the best I've EVER seen and gets me every time.
 
It wasn't what I expected. It has some very unexpected and brutal shocks and the imagery is just amazing. I would definitely recommend it.

The thing about many foreign language films is that, unlike Hollywood, they're not trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator and rake in millions.

Just look at all the Japanese/Korean horror movies that Hollywood has been remaking over the last few years. They like to play safe and be assured of a hit movie whereas film makers in other countries just do their own thing.
 
yeah, i absolutely love this film, I was a bit skeptical at first because of it being a foreign film but within minutes you forget that you're even reading as you become so involved in the story.

Because of this film, i've watched a fair few other foreign films so it's opened my eyes lol.
 
For me, Pan's Labyrinth falls short of being a great film because of its musical score, which does nothing for me. (Likewise with Del Toro's other work; I hope The Hobbit uses Jackson's judgement for the music, because TLOTR had a good score.)

However, it's still a good film and worth watching.

I've not seen Hell Boy 2, but from what I remember of Hell Boy 1 it was very different in tone. Although both are about interplay between the fantastic and the mundane.
 
No one makes a movie to lose money. European or Asian films can afford to be more experimental, or at least not so obviously overtly commercial, simply because the budgets are so much lower, and are all but guaranteed to be covered by even moderate TV and DVD worldwide sales. Standard Hollywood fair can't afford this luxury and have to make it big to generate the huge DVD sales needed to make the profits necessary for the next expensive product coming down the line.

RegarRAB

Mark
 
Ok I have finally seen it. the Blu ray arrived from Lovefilm today and I watched it straight away. yes I enjoyed it. Not what you expect at all. Different to Hellboy 2 which i saw on Monday. It didnt bother me that it was subtitled and this was probably only about the third subtitled film I have ever seen. Quite a fascinating and absorbing film and it looked brilliant on Blu ray. So is it "wonderful"? Not quite but it is a good film!
 
Oh my, J62, you'd better run for the hills after saying it isn't 'wonderful', big mistake. :D I'm with you on that one, it was a well made film but no masterpiece IMO.
There are some great foreign language films out there though. Heres some of my favorites, off the top of my head:

Delicatessen
Battle Royale
anything by Kurosawa
anything by Almodovar
 
Pan's Labyrinth is one of the best films I've ever seen in my life. It's a beautiful film with fantastic direction, cinematography and acting. It really sucks you in and kept me transfixed throughout. I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen. I don't think I've ever been so moved by a film.
 
It's a fab film, but don't rush out and buy the Del Toro box set.

Much as I loved PL, I also got Cronos and it is nowhere near as good - now that IS a budget film!

Have to agree with a lot of the comments on here

Oldboy / Sympathy for Lady Vengeance / Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (Park)
In the Mood for Love / 2046 (Wong)
Ichi the Killer / Audition (Miike)
Battle Royale (Fukasaku)
Hana Bi / Brother / Kikujiro / Zatoichi (Kitano)
Amelie / Delicatessen / A Very Long Engagement (Jeunet)

foreign films are great!
 
Come on - that one's hardly "from" del Toro, as he niether wrote nor directed it - he was just one of the four producers.

It's still a great film, mind, but when it was billed as "Guillermo del Toro presents..." it was one of the most cynical advertising ploys in years, attempting (successfully) to get the film publicised on the back of Pan's Labyrinth despite Del Toro having virtually no creative input into the film.
 
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