Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Kudos to Guillermo del Toro for the creative and artistic vision behind Pan's Labyrinth. The imagination behind the creatures and special effects is fantastic (literally). Here is serious fantasy -- Lemony Snicket or Harry Potter without the schmaltz. In fact, it's served straight up, alongside realism, through a heaping dose of fascism as seen in the brutal zealotry of Sergi Lopez. Ivana Baquero is wonderful and tragic as the 11-year-old would-be princess. All the acting is quite good and the real world is blended seamlessly with the fantasy realm. After many struggles, things don't turn out well (mostly) by the end in our world but they turn out for the best in the girl's longed-for realm. How real or interwoven the two worlds truly are, however, is never answered -- and I, for one, would dearly like to know. 5 stars.