Review: Pan’s Labyrinth

UK release date: 24th November

In a superlative companion piece to 2001’s The Devil’s Backbone, director Guillermo del Toro uses his extraordinarily rich and detailed visual style to weave entrancing metaphorical fantasy horror through political allegory with stunning brilliance.

In 1944, in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) seeks refuge in a mysterious maze to escape the harsh realities of her life. There, satyr Pan (Doug Jones) sets her three perilous tasks. These mirror her soul-destroying existence and help her to cope with the perversions of innocence that fascism represents in this dark fable for adults.

Superbly acted (Sergi Lopez terrifies as the wicked stepfather who is one of Franco’s torturers), vividly beautiful (the fairy-tale landscapes are exquisite), and uniquely imaginative (a magical and sinister buffet sequence is astonishing), del Toro’s mesmerising phantasmagoria packs a real emotional punch. Coupled with Javier Navarrete’s glorious score, this grim spin on Alice in Wonderland is del Toro’s finest work to date.

Radio Times rating:

*****

UK cinema certificate 15
Running time 119mins

Review by Alan Jones

News: Doug Jones

The name may not be familiar, and neither’s the face, Doug Jones seeming to specialise in roles that involve vast amounts of make-up. In this week’s Pan’s Labyrinth he’s covered in latex as the decidedly odd-looking Faun, and in director Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy he was again hidden under rubber as the blue fish-like Abe – a role to which he will be returning for Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, as well as doing vocal duties for the character on the animated TV movies Hellboy: Sword of Storms and Hellboy: Blood and Iron.

Away from del Toro, Jones’ next big movie role will be in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer – as the titualar metalic wave-rider himself. Although, of course, as any true comics buff knows, the Silver Surfer doesn’t ride waves, but is instead the herald of the god-like, planet-eating alien Galactus, zipping about the universe on his surfboard looking for fresh globes for his master’s lunch. Which is, of course, far more sensible than someone made of metal trying to stay afloat on the sea…