Pan's Labyrinth

Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is probably one of the busiest men in Hollywood, and for good reason; he's a storyteller with a work ethic and vision like no other. That vision isn't always looking to something that serves his projects for the better, though. Back in 2006 is when del Toro unleashed his best work, a fairy tale with a violent edge titled "Pan's Labyrinth." After so many home releases of the Academy Award-winning foreign drama, it has finally arrived on 4K Blu-ray from Warner Bros. in what is sure to be the definitive edition of the film. The project was initially shot on 35mm and finished at 2K, so what you'll see in this new transfer is a discernible but not revelatory upgrade from the Criterion Collection Blu-ray of the film released in 2016.

It's 1944-era Spain, a time when fascists had taken over the country and the rebels took refuge in the forest but never stopped trying to overthrow the new regime. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her ailing pregnant mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) are sent to live in the forest with a ruthless captain of the Spanish army named Vidal (Sergi L�pez), so that the captain can raise Carmen's male son in his image. The captain and his cadre of men are stationed in the forest to drive out the rebels. Little do they know that the rebels have spies infiltrating their ranks. This is the story of Ofelia, who is sent to accomplish three gruesome tasks to prove that she's of royal blood.

"Pan's Labyrinth" still stands as Guillermo del Toro's best work, and it's really odd to see him revisit certain motifs in his lesser films like "The Shape of Water." The former is like watching a comic book unfold in real time, from the way he cuts between sequences to Captain Vidal and all his scene-chewing glory. It's established early on that the film is one of heroes and villains. Ofelia is a girl caught between that clash and rightfully seeks relief from her dour situation. It's just that the more magical aspects of the film are still rooted in horror. Horror of prophecies that need to be fulfilled and a world that will always be shrouded in darkness. Guillermo del Toro very gracefully walks the line between fantasy and reality, then marries the two to create something intoxicating. His other attempts at doing the same thing have yet to reach the same success.

The new 4K transfer of "Pan's Labyrinth" does look stunning, don't get me wrong. It's just in the finite details you'll find beauty. Much of the film takes place in darkness, so the deep and well-saturated blacks here are the real star of the transfer. As for the special features, it looks like the featurettes produced for a prior Blu-ray have just been transferred over. So, if you do choose to buy this edition, know that the one huge difference is the addition of a 4K Blu-ray. Special features include:

� Audio commentary by Guillermo del Toro
� Video prologue by Guillermo del Toro
� The Power of Myth
� The Faun and the Fairies
� The Color and the Shape
� The Director's Notebook

"Pan's Labyrinth"
Warner Bros. 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray and Digital
$41.99
https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/pans-labyrinth/