Everyone's a critic: 'Pan's Labyrinth'

Four stars (out of four)

"Pan's Labyrinth" is a foreign film with subtitles set in 1944 Spain. It opens with young Ofelia and her mother on a journey to join Ofelia's new stepfather, a ruthless military captain, at his post in the woods of Spain, where he is battling rebel fighters.

Lonely and distraught, Ofelia discovers an old maze in the nearby woods. She creates her own fairy-tale world where she is the long lost princess of the underworld and the labyrinth holds the portal for her return. In order to become immortal and return to her kingdom, she must complete three tasks.

This movie is brilliantly done. Although centered on the child Ofelia, it is a fairy tale for adults. This movie is vividly brutal and gruesome. It is not for young children. Avid fans of role playing and fantasy games will be delighted with the film.

The film successfully entwines the real world with Ofelia's fantasy land. The attention to detail and characterizations are excellent. I am not usually a big fan of these types of movies, but I have to say it grabbed my attention from the start and held it.

-- Brenda Euler

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Four stars (out of four)

Not a typical movie I would go see, but an impressive one.

Unsure of what the movie was about before going to see it, I wasn't sure what I was in store for.

It was a fantasy world thought up by a young girl in despair after moving so far away and meeting her awful stepfather.

She is left to imagine she is a lost princess and that she must perform things that only she can read about in this magical book that was given to her by a magical creature.

"Pan's Labyrinth" is not for the young audience, I might add.

It is a foreign film and you must read the subtitles. I would like to see it again and maybe not have to pay so much attention to the subtitles and be able to awe over this brilliant movie. A great adult fantasy. I give this movie four stars and will be more open-minded from now on to these types of movies.

-- Tiana Hughes