Third Time Around: Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Released December 29, 2006

I went into this film the first time with high hopes and expectations, after hearing that it was pretty much the greatest thing ever. I saw it in theatres in mid-January, and was not necessarily let down but rather slightly underwhelmed. It was certainly fascinating, but only to a point - there was something missing. There were certain elements I really liked, such as the opening shot of the film, but overall I needed just a bit more. The second viewing, about a month and a half ago, did not change my mind at all. I am still intrigued but have found that it was a bit too bizarre without enough to tie it together. I do not want to say too much so as to allow people who have not seen it to go into it without any knowledge of the film's plot. On a third viewing, I feel exactly the same way. I liked it, but wanted to like it more. It was fascinating, but need just a bit more to be totally captivating.

B