CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

Yes everyone GO SEE THIS MOVIE RIGHT NOW. Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno. Oh and yes the trailer is kind of dumb due to the narrator XD) is an incredible and amazing Spanish movie playing in some theaters now. It premiered in Cannes in 2006, and has a 96% rating on rotten tomatoes. (It was 100%, till some jerk said it was a bad movie)

It has a lot of stuff in it: Fantasy/Fairy-Tales, War-Drama, Gunfights, and some cool creatures. It's got some elements of horror and stuff (It's rated R by the way) but let me say, it certainly is incredible, touching, and powerful.

I saw a trailer for it recently and it looked pretty cool, though I didn't realize it was to dark until I read the review on pluggedinonline.com (http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0003044.cfm). I will probably wait until it comes out on DVD but I do intend to watch it. An interesting combination of a variety of elements...

I must say that the plugged-in reviewer didn't quite fully understand the underlaying messages of the film. I won't say anymore unless you ask.

I'd be happy to learn more, so long as there are no spoilers. I hate knowing the important plot twists before I watch a movie, but I'd be interested in the underlying messages. Say on...?

Warning: Spoilers XD Read at your own risk!
[spoiler]To me, the film was about escapism. The main character wanted to escape from her realistic life, so it is totally possible all this was simply made up in her head. That part kind of depressed me in a way, and was touching and emotional for me. And with the violence that plugged-in talked down upon. I felt it was highly necessary and in a way, different (and good) from most Hollywood mainstream cinema. Foreign movies run on different standards compared to Hollywood. The violence kind of showed the real brutality and the cruelity of certain individuals. It doesn't hold back. It's real.[/spoiler]

My brother watched this yesterday and also told me that it was incredible. He did say it was pretty messed up as far as the violence was concerned (like, some guy getting his face beaten to a pulp with a bottle or something, and the camera doesn't shy away), but he also said that the ending was amazing, and it made up for all of the disturbing stuff in the end. I'd like to know the story, but I do think this is one that I'll be keeping a safe distance from when it comes to actually watching it. XD;

I couldn't resist so I read the spoiler. Oh well... XD

PluggedInOnline.com is usually quite tough on any violence, even if the violence is portrayed as being evil. Personally, I can handle viewing violence more easily than most other objectionable content so I'll probably watch the movie regardless of its R rating.

I'd see this, but it's not in any theatres near here.

[quote="Radical Dreamer"]My brother watched this yesterday and also told me that it was incredible. He did say it was pretty messed up as far as the violence was concerned (like, some guy getting his face beaten to a pulp with a bottle or something, and the camera doesn't shy away), but he also said that the ending was amazing, and it made up for all of the disturbing stuff in the end. I'd like to know the story, but I do think this is one that I'll be keeping a safe distance from when it comes to actually watching it. XD]
Oh yeah. A lot of the violence pretty sweet actually, due to some nifty CGI effects. The most noticable one would be:
[spoiler]When the captain's cheek gets slashed, and you see the cut from his mouth to his cheek, thus creating like... an extra-wide mouth XD Later he sutures it back together.[/spoiler]
And the bottle thing surprised me as well. But I thought it was well-crafted. I totally didn't see it coming.

I actually head (from an ANN Answerman thingie) that some person was comparing this to Spirited Away. Heh, from knowing the bare-basic plot of the movie, it's sort of like saying that ANY show with a sign of a "kamikakushi" (spiriting away in another world) would be similar. It's a Japanese myth, and even RahXephon had one in it^^ Nothing unique to Ghibli/Miyazaki...

Surprised that it was rated R actually (watch it be PG-14 in Canada here, cause we're so linient with our ratings :/ Heck, I think I saw that BORAT was PG-14 >_<) But, now I know it's only from violence. Does like like an intriguing film... My friend wants to go see it when it comeso ut, so I'll possibly go with her ("comes out" aka "we're a poor town and have a single-movie theatre... still!") I guessing that it has no similarity whatsoever to the old movie simply titled "Labyrinth"? Never did see that^^ I just know a manga was recently based off it...

Oh it was without a doubt, much better than Spirited Away.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That film was so good. Not once did I Iook away from the screen. I was completely absorbed, so absorbed I could feel the tension coming from each of the characters. Also really good underlying message.
I just read plugginonline's reviews. Man they are picky! The violence had to be shown, it was needed to show how evil and overdomineering the captain is. The movie is not for the squemish crowd, my friend who is a girl who I am very much in love with burried her head in my shoulder during some parts, but she absolutely loved it! If you liked this then I reccomend his other film Devil's backbone, which while very good is in my opinion not as good as this film! This film should win best picture at the oscars or best foriegn film.

narutofreak wrote:Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That film was so good. Not once did I Iook away from the screen. I was completely absorbed, so absorbed I could feel the tension coming from each of the characters. Also really good underlying message.
I just read plugginonline's reviews. Man they are picky! The violence had to be shown, it was needed to show how evil and overdomineering the captain is. The movie is not for the squemish crowd, my friend who is a girl who I am very much in love with burried her head in my shoulder during some parts, but she absolutely loved it! If you liked this then I reccomend his other film Devil's backbone, which while very good is in my opinion not as good as this film! This film should win best picture at the oscars or best foriegn film.

Pfttt forget Oscars. This film premiered in Cannes film festival. CANNES!

Mr. SmartyPants wrote:Pfttt forget Oscars. This film premiered in Cannes film festival. CANNES!

I stopped trusting the Oscars when "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" won for best original song in a movie. >_>

I've been waiting to see this movie for about a year and a half and I still havent been able to see it yet cause no theatres are showing it around here I actually thought this movie was gonna be one of those movies noone knows about but Im glad its getting recognized... and I'm glad to hear its amazing cause my expectations are extreamly high!

Oh and the oscars have been a joke since... Beautiful Mind wo... nvm, before that... since Shakespear in Love won over Saving Private Ryan. SIL best picture, *rassberry*...

Academy Awards though. Those I tend to find agreeable.

From the ads that they have been showing on tv I take it that it is set sometime during WWII.

Well, if it's only selective theatres it's being shown it, looks like I'll have to give it a rent :/ We only have a 1-screen theatre in this town, so only 2 movies a week plays... OCCASIONALLY 3... :/ So yeah, we just don't get everything in^^

None of the three theaters in my city pick up any non-mainstream films, such as Pan's Labyrinth. It is irritating to go to a theater and only have slapstick, special effects, and summer hits available. I guess I'll be waiting a few months for this one on dvd.

Tenshi no Ai wrote:Well, if it's only selective theatres it's being shown it, looks like I'll have to give it a rent :/ We only have a 1-screen theatre in this town, so only 2 movies a week plays... OCCASIONALLY 3... :/ So yeah, we just don't get everything in^^

Yeah, well... we have 25 or so theatres with many screens at each one. NONE of them are carrying this. That's really sad.

I just saw it today, and I thought it was pretty good, but I wished there had been more fantasy scenes in it. The scenes that were there were AWESOME and pretty creepy (loved the scene with the "pale man") but they were so short.

I read PluggedIn's review of the film first and I think they really over-exagerated about the violence. They made it sound like it was a gorefest and that it was "reveling" in the violence. they called it a "Saw-meets-Narnia-like" movie. It's not nearly as violent as Saw. I actually felt it was rather restrained at times; it did show some stuff fully (the bottle thing for one) but their were other parts where they could have shown MUCH more if they had wanted to but didn't. (the amputation scene would be a good example)

I want to see this badly. It looks awesome but I'll wait to rent the DVD (going to the cinema is hugely expensive here).
It's rated MA15+ here for Strong Violence.

Rocketshipper wrote:I just saw it today, and I thought it was pretty good, but I wished there had been more fantasy scenes in it.

I disagree.
[spoiler]The movie isn't supposed to be a Fantasy movie itself. It's about Olefia attempting to escape reality through her own made-up fairy-tale world. If you look carefully, there are many parallels between real life occurrences with her own fantastical ones. Thats why I felt that the amount of Fantasy in it was perfect. Not too much fantasy, but there was a good amount.[/spoiler]

they called it a "Saw-meets-Narnia-like" movie.

Except it's not as bad as Saw, and certainly a lot better than Narnia. XD

I have wanted to see this for so long... I love this kind of stuff. Me and my friends are so stoked to see it and I think it will start playing in Lafayette next Friday. If not I'll have to wait till I go home because I know it's playing there.

Not to mention the actor who plays Pan, Doug Jones, went to my highschool.

This is the best movie I've seen in the past 12 months!

Mr. SmartyPants wrote:Warning: Spoilers XD Read at your own risk!
[spoiler]To me, the film was about escapism. The main character wanted to escape from her realistic life, so it is totally possible all this was simply made up in her head. That part kind of depressed me in a way, and was touching and emotional for me. And with the violence that plugged-in talked down upon. I felt it was highly necessary and in a way, different (and good) from most Hollywood mainstream cinema. Foreign movies run on different standards compared to Hollywood. The violence kind of showed the real brutality and the cruelity of certain individuals. It doesn't hold back. It's real.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]
I'm not sure that your theory is quite airtight enough for me to accept, just yet.
1.) The book turned crimson 'before' the girl knew that her mother was bleeding. If it were just her imagination, how does that work out?
2.) Mere seconds after throwing the root into the fire was when her mother became sicker. Another aspect where timing would be difficult to attribute to imagination.
3.) If the magic chalk didn't really exist, how on earth did she escape the guarded room? Those guards didn't seem like the type to neglect an order... And where would she have found chalk at a military outpost, anyway?

Personally, I think that the movie itself was meant to be viewed as a "Fairy Tale". But I really don't care enough about being right to argue for more than a single post. [/spoiler]

I haven't seen this, nor have I heard of it, but it does sound wonderful. I will have to look into it XD

MSP wrote:certainly a lot better than Narnia. XD

As for this, though I have not seen the movie yet, I shall have to disagree. Narnia is by far an awesome movie PLUS it's Christian XD Nothing is better than that XD

Nami wrote:As for this, though I have not seen the movie yet, I shall have to disagree. Narnia is by far an awesome movie PLUS it's Christian XD Nothing is better than that XD

Well, I think he means on an artistic-philosophical scale. XD This movie is ceeerrtainly NOT geared towards children or a younger audience as Narnia was, and it seems to have some incredibly deep and hidden symbolic themes. Not that Narnia didn't have deep themes or symbolism, because it did, but this movie just puts them on a different level, it seems. 'Course, I suppose "which one do you like better" brings it down to being a matter of opinion, so whatever. XD

kryptech wrote:PluggedInOnline.com is usually quite tough on any violence, even if the violence is portrayed as being evil.

God help them if a movie is made about the book of Judges... Two words: "Twelve Pieces"

I was really interested until the thing I read in an interview about the faceless man supposing to represent the Church... I'm tired of having my beliefs assaulted in everything I enjoy... I know I'm not Catholic, but I'm still a Christian... And an attack on the Catholic church will likely be, indirectly or directly, an attack on my beliefs... I still plan on watching it, it's just... Tainted...

Bobtheduck wrote:God help them if a movie is made about the book of Judges... Two words: "Twelve Pieces"

I was really interested until the thing I read in an interview about the faceless man supposing to represent the Church... I'm tired of having my beliefs assaulted in everything I enjoy... I know I'm not Catholic, but I'm still a Christian... And an attack on the Catholic church will likely be, indirectly or directly, an attack on my beliefs... I still plan on watching it, it's just... Tainted...

After researching a little bit about the Pale man. It is said that he REPRESENTED the church (In a way) however there is no attack on Organized Religion. Upon viewing it myself, I will affirm that while the Pale-Man (The faceless guy) may represent the Church, it does not "attack" it like you claimed.

And Nami, XD Narnia is like.... not as good. XD Just because it's Christian doesn't mean it's better. Christian movies aren't particularly my favorite genre anyway. They tend to be boring. Plus, Pan's Labyrinth got way better reviews than Narnia. =p

Anyway Lionheart, you have some good points. Though I can't say they are absolute points.
[spoiler]What majorly disappointed me was that the director said himself that the fairy tale was supposed to be real. Which means the audience can't take it to their own interpretation. That annoys me, and to me it's a sign of amateurism. And that doesn't really make sense because the director is quite famous and an amazing director.

Nevertheless, some points as to why I think (or thought rather, I'm doing my best to ignore the director XD) that it was fake were the following:

1. The queen at the end looked like her actual mother.
2. When Olefia dies, the scene goes back to her dead body.
3. The captain couldn't see the Faun. (But of course, the Faun is a mystical creature, and could hide himself from other people)

Anyway. I feel the movie has so much more meaning if it were ambiguous.[/spoiler]

Have seen it twice now, would see it again if I have the opportunity.

[Spoiler]The reality/fantasy angle reminds me of an '80s film, "Kiss of the Spider Woman", but there the two main characters suffer something of a role reversal concerning their views of what is real and what is fantastic.

I thought the ending -- whether it was reality or fantasy -- was ambiguous. You could see it either way; granted there were coincidences -- but don't we see what we want to see? I'd like to think the 'fantasy' was 'real' -- but I can see the argument on the other side as well.[/Spoiler]