Pan's Labyrinth

One of the greatest of all fantasy films.

Visually stunning, it meshes haunting images with a complex multilevel story about the enchantment of youth.

A swift and accessible entertainment, blunt in its power and exquisite in its effects.

A swift and accessible entertainment, blunt in its power and exquisite in its effects.

Literally and figuratively marvelous, a rich, daring mix of fantasy and politics.

Del Toro never coddles the audience. He means us to leave Pan's Labyrinth shaken to our souls. He succeeds.

With this film, del Toro seems to have created his manifesto, a tour de force of cautionary zeal, humanism and magic. At this writing, Pan's Labyrinth is the best-reviewed film of 2006 listed on the movie review Web site Metacritic.com, and for a reason: It's just that great.

This is the breakthrough work of one of world cinema's most visionary artists.

Like any great myth, Pan's Labyrinth encodes its messages through displays of magic. And like any good fairy tale, it is also embroidered with threads of death and loss.

With this film, del Toro seems to have created his manifesto, a tour de force of cautionary zeal, humanism and magic. At this writing, Pan's Labyrinth is the best-reviewed film of 2006 listed on the movie review Web site Metacritic.com, and for a reason: It's just that great.