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I have to put in my two cents because I just walked in from seeing a late, late showing of this, and there aren't nearly enough glowing reviews in here (but there are a lot). This is one dark and twisted fantasy movie. As a fairy tale, it's one of the most disturbing I've ever seen. It's Saw, the Shining, and Mother Goose mashed up in a stew. I walked away with a strange feeling of elation and sickness. The violence in this film is meant to look extremely realistic, and it works amazingly well to capture the horror of war. I am still scratching my head at how they accomplished some of the more gore laden scenes. Death, torture, and sadistic murders are thrown in your face quite regularly. Which is why the contrast of Ofelia's fantasy world works so well. Quite honestly, I was almost slipping into the "hurry up and get back to the fantasy quest" mode, as Del Toro portions out her tale in small, bite sized pieces. You constantly want more of the darkened underworld, tiring of the abject horror and brutality of our own world. The underworld is described as a land of no pain or lies. The ending leaves you with an odd feeling that you've been led down a rather mournful and meandering pathway and you uneasily realize you aren't quite sure which destination you've arrived at. Hell or heaven. It's up to the viewer to decide. The writing is tight, the actors are great, and Ofelia's father is one of the most despicible characters since Rob Roy's British nemesis. Pros: Brutal, butterfly-inducing violence, with the contrasting darkness below and the darkness we live in. The mood was fantastic, and the special effects and make up were mind blowingly realistic at times. Cons: I wanted more fantasy and less real world, simply because I wanted to see just how deep the labyrinth went. I found myself not caring as much about the humans as I did the inhabitants of the Underworld. Final score: 5 See this as soon as you can. ZenMaster fucked around with this message at 09:57 on Jan 16, 2007 |
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Jan 16, 2007 09:54
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 14:10 |
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