Pan's Labyrinth

One of the latest things I got through NetFlix was a movie called Pan's Labyrinth. I don't remembering hearing much about it when it came out into the theaters, only that I thought it looked interesting. I think it wan several awards. As you can read (if you follow the above link) it is a fairy tale for adults. The description on the NetFlix sleeve was a little bit off. It said something to the effect that it was about a little girl in WWII times needing to rely on her imagination to excape the ugliness of her life. If that is the case, it is a really sad film. It was really interesting to watch though. Basically, the girl's mother married a prick of a Spanish military capitan who is in charge of eliminating Spanish freedom fighters. This guy is a real asshole. I don't know how much I want to get into the details of the movie, because it really was quite interesting. It kind of reminded me of Lady in the Water. At least that kind of feel. Basically, you learn at the beginning of the movie that a child of the Underworld leaves (goes to Earth) and becomes lost and forgets what she is. Her father has portals opened to the world in hopes that she will be reborn and return to him. Sounds, weird, right? Anyway, she finds the portal in the Labyrinth and has to complete three tasks before she can open it and return home. If you don't like fantasy-type movies, skip this one. There are fairies, monsters, and a pan (up right walking goat lookin' thing). There is also some pretty brutal violence, so this is not a film for kids. I had to turn away once. Oh, and my biggest concern before watching the movie: it is in Spanish. So, if you hate reading sub-titles, skip this film. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this movie. It has a sad ending if you don't buy into the 'princess of the underworld' aspect but a happy ending if you do buy into it. It certainly isn't a movie for everyone, but I recommend it if you like Grimm Fairy tales. I'm not talking about the Disney fru-fru sugar coated versions with mice and birds makeing a dress for Cinderella. I mean the original versions where Cinderella's evil step mother had her eyes pecked out by birds at the end. I think I will probably watch it again. I give it 3 and a half start (out of 4).