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Pan's Labyrinth Reaction! (Patreon)

Published:
2025-07-27 17:45:19
Imported:
2026-06
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Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Full Reaction You can either stream the Full reaction below using the embedded video player, otherwise you can click the 'Download' button which will take you directly to Google Drive, enabling you to save the video to your computer instead. You must provide your own footage to watch alongside the full reactions.

Comments

Joe Crammond

brilliant, been super excited to see this reaction, Pan's Labyrinth is a marvel to behold, love it when reactors watch this one

Thomas Corp

Hear you on the sweltering heat as Illinois has had its share of severe heat this year. Dreadful for both of us, Jess. As to the movie. Rather vividly remember when this came out nineteen years ago. Never saw it then and only saw it years later. Not even sure if it was available to see where I live, now I think about it. Everybody talked about it. It is perhaps too low on my list of favorites of 2006, but the praise is justified. The bits and pieces of knowledge of the film that you said you possessed going into, that was my assessment as well upon my first viewing. You speak accurate of it’s not strictly speaking the most original story, yet Guillermo del Toro creates a very unique world, and the whole thing is anchored well by Ivana Baquero being rather impressive as Ofelia. As is always the case with these types of stories, there is the question of are the fantastical elements real or not. del Toro has gone on record of saying it is real in the spiritual sense, though he also says that the film’s something of a metaphor for the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s regime. Others prefer it to be all in Ofelia’s head, Ivana has stated she prefers the latter interpretation. Love how the film leaves it vague enough, with a few scenes that don’t have the easiest logical explanations. I also prefer the all in her head idea as it’s far more fucked up and depressing as hell. Like how you said you leaned more to the latter idea whilst also noting that the idea hits hard in this. For the reason of that it’s hard to blame Ofelia for having the escapism given the circumstances she’s in. Among other things, Captain Vidal. Before his first scene was done, you expressed your hatred for him, making me deadpan, “That was quick.” He does tend to be a popular choice for most hateful villains in cinema. He’s not particularly high on my own list of that, though I don’t argue against the sentiment. As you saw, he got worse. Knew about the bottle scene prior to seeing it as people talked about that a fair amount. Credit to Sergi Lopez for his performance, to be fair. And the film demonstrates he is an effective villain in that although he is a psychotic fuck, he is quite sharp and observant, leading to good drama and tension. All you had to say about him was great. The man is compared to Myung-gi a much better dad, and, yeah, no, I can’t sell that one with a straight face. Surprisingly enough, no snakes in this. (I even double checked to see if forgot about that when it looked likely that you were going to be reacting to this.) There were the needle scenes that we both HATED. We both were looking away at those parts. Can’t settle on which one was worse. Then there was the pregnancy plotline. I forgot how graphic the one part was, and when reminded, I yelled, “Oh, GodDAMN IT!!” knowing how you would likely react, Jess. One silver lining is that the moment is quick, helping you keep it together as you said. Worry was strong all the same, though I calmed down when you said that you were ok. Mercedes emerges as my favorite character in this, with Maribel Verdú being most excellent in the role. We agree on the “She’s my girl.” statement and being far more invested in her story than the fantastical elements. We both cheered her on at spots, especially the scene she had with the knife, saying to Vidal, “You got a stupid smile. You know that? Can you SEE IT? Huh? Good!” Cheers were very much shared there. Loved your reactions to the doctor who is probably the close second favorite. Álex Angulo gets the big round of applause for selling the line about obeying. Not much too much to say about the fantastic side of Ofelia learning that she’s really Princess Moanna. I’d make a Moana reference, but I haven’t seen the film. Massive kudos for Doug Jones being one of the best. Especially his work in one of the more famous scenes. The eyeball in the hands gentleman, er, uh, the uh, Pale Man, I believe is the official name, is perhaps the most widely known and circulated imagery of the film, yes. Similar experience of when the film is discussed that image tends to be shown. Gets tense when Ofelia violates the “Touch nothing but the lamp” rule, a rule that would be difficult to abide by if there was tequila, as you quipped. Depending on the food, I think I’d handle it very well. I would have the hard time if they had gin in the place. Love how you were yelling at her for not getting to stepping. Me, I asked, “Which part of what the Faun said is giving you trouble?” And given the chalk making doors of it all, you get stuck hearing Sylvia Sidney yelling at her just as much as she yelled at the Maitlands. Still love how you called out the Faun for being a Mister Dramapants over the few grapes. We both had a shocked and subdued reaction to when she got shot. Lovely moment when justice comes for Vidal. And it is marvelous that when he tries to have the dignity in his last moments, Maribel perfectly delivers Mercedes having the “Your words will disappear, your house will disappear, your name will disappear. All memory of you will disappear.” line of defiance, leading to Vidal to crumble before getting the bullet right in his goddamn cheek. Maribel also breaks the heart when she sells Mercedes crying upon seeing Ofelia dead. Even if she did ascend to the fantasy world, Mercedes wouldn’t know about that, and it breaks the heart. All in all, a great reaction, Jess. Few other small notes. Ofelia is chided for bringing so many books with her when they’re going to the outdoors, the countryside, which, right, well, that’s me told. Gives me a small laugh when you said that you hate the sound of chalk. I miss it, if I’m being honest. And you expressed some dismay about Ofelia’s one dress, especially as you liked the color. That dress was the most beautiful, perfect shade of green, so I agree with you on loving that. Glad that you’re glad to have finally seen the film, and thank you for great reaction, Jess.

Siti Dee

This was the movie that made me a huge fan of Guillermo del toro's work! Can't wait to watch this again with you!

Ryan

This is a first time viewing for me, a bit odd since I've always been huge into Guillermo del Toro, most of all his determination to make the kinds of stories he wants without interference. It was especially striking when he described what the studio did to Mimic as being like his child getting kidnapped, and then getting a photo every year of them working as a prostitute. This is not a guy who gives a single shit if anyone else is on the ride with him, he's just going to do what he wants, and simply getting it finished is accomplishment enough. And luckily, that's seen enough success that he can keep doing it, and even get a Best Picture Oscar for a movie about fucking a fish man (my mother tagged along with me on that one just because she became such a huge Michael Shannon fan from Boardwalk Empire, and I elected not to give her any heads up on the subject matter). The one big thing I'd heard beforehand is the controversy over whether the fantasy stuff is real, which is something I've never really understood. As perfectly put in one review of Inception I've seen, "Of course it's a fantasy. It's a movie." And even the Del Toro quote that I've seen trotted out to "prove" he meant it all to be real just talks about how he meant the whole thing as a metaphor for the time period and it doesn't matter. If you had a good experience watching it, and were left with something that stays with you, that's the important part. We start out with not a snake, but that thing on Willie Scott's hand, which to me is way worse. And Ofelia instantly assuming it's a fairy is a pretty nice immediate indicator on whether you'll be able to go along with what the movie is doing. Though I also had a bit of an obstacle with the exposition about the family situation, which I couldn't help comparing to (apologies to anyone triggered by this) The Next Karate Kid. I also never had as much sympathy for her mother as I think I'm supposed to. I really do try hard to make allowances for the extreme situation people at this time and place were in, and it's not like she's a Coco Chanel level collaborator, but it still feels like we don't get quite enough on how her relationship with Vidal got started to say for sure it wasn't willing on her part, especially with her insistence on calling Vidal Ofelia's "father" despite how much she clearly hates it. But luckily she has a surprisingly small role so that never became much of an issue for me, and Mercedes easily takes up the slack. I'm perfectly fine just accepting Carmen has to die so Batman can have his intended life, even if he's George Clooney now. And it was nice to see zero effort to humanize any of these guys and just let them be pure evil, in the days before Youtube would yell at you over that. Then the actual labyrinth kicks in, and I wasn't too surprised to learn the faun isn't actually Pan, and that was thrown into the translation because Americans are idiots who'd think he was a baby deer, just like why we have the Sorcerer's Stone (good thing no one told this to CS Lewis). Though that does bring up, if Ofelia is just making all this up, would it kill her to name a few things? Four is a name, but so is Gary. Even not being claustrophobic, the whole scene under the tree really freaked me out, enough that the Pale Man actually didn't hit me very hard despite being one of the most famously terrifying things in movie history now. Doug Jones is one of the most singular acting talents who has ever lived, and he makes sure to leave one hell of an impact in his brief screentime. I didn't quite know what to make of the way he stumbles around at the time, but when Vidal does the same thing at the end it all clicked. I was also able to mostly let the grape stealing go just because it's such a classic fairy tale trope that the movie is deliberately playing into, plus we'd already had the whole bit with wartime rations to explain just how tempting it would be. And I couldn't help noticing she seemed to leave the chalk behind, so maybe he'll be going to see Betelgeuse now. From now on there's a whole lot of body horror, and if even in 2006 you went into a Del Toro movie not expecting that, I don't know what to tell you. Even not having a thing about needles myself, Vidal sewing up his cheek had me shivering, and it got worse when he takes a drink way too soon afterwards. Good thing I don't care at all about him, and his being in that kind of pain is just a bonus at this point. And Del Toro thankfully doesn't skimp out on his comeuppance after putting so much work into making us despise him, actually giving him a reverse Spartacus so he gets to die knowing the one thing he ever cared about is forever lost to him. Almost makes you forget this rebellion is going to be crushed soon, and Spain will suffer through three more decades before they can finally say Francisco Franco is still dead. Though given the overall tone with our main little girl character also dead and maybe having a dying dream, I can buy that's entirely intentional. I'm very glad I finally got to see this film, and it makes a marvelous addition to the work of a filmmaker who's always been a champion of the artist, and done his part to encourage everyone to make up their own minds about the kind of creative work they want to do. His upcoming Frankenstein movie looks as great as always, and there's probably way more to come after that.

Thomas Corp
>>182043181

As I said, I didn’t see this when it first came out. Glad you finally got to see it. True about del Toro that love or hate his work, he makes what he wants. The Michael Shannon of it all is a good hook for The Shape of Water. So long as your mom was ok with it, that sounds great about you not giving her any head’s up on the subject matter. My mom’s heard about that, and she’s not seen the film, sensing it wouldn’t be her thing. Still not sold on that being best picture of that year. Then again, my favorite of 2017 was The Death of Stalin. Would have been very happy with Blade Runner 2049 winning, pipe dream though that would have been. This felt more suited for best picture, even if I have it ranked too low on my 2006 list with my agreeing with the academy with The Departed. (With a solid argument for The Prestige. Little Children too.) Was not aware of controversy with the mundane versus fantastic debate. I know that it’s the big talking points, and arguments can get heated about that, so perhaps “controversy” is the right word. My brother and I get upset about the Inception arguments as it misses the point. People note that the film never answers if he is still dreaming or not, and we yell, “IT DOESN’T FUCKING MATTER!!” As stated, I favor the fantastical being all in Ofelia’s head. Heinous bitch though Rowling is, it’s that great line in Deathly Hallows when Harry’s in Powell and Pressburger land, “Of course it’s happening inside your head. Why should that mean it’s not real?” That one creature did look like that bug in Temple of Doom. I can instantly see the scene and even hear the music cue that John used in that part as you say it. I remember you saying how you don’t do well with bugs, that scene being particularly bad, makes sense how that’d be bad here. The scene is a good audience barometer. The comparison to The Next Karate Kid, yeah, though not as bad, similar energy. The allowances for the extreme situation people at this time and place were in, I mainly focus on that with the mom. One of those times where you can’t really judge by today’s standards. All the same, we don’t get that much perspective on her, and her story, so it does become difficult to sympathize at parts, much though empathy is there. The insistence that Ofelia call Vidal her “father” being the recurring trigger, yeah. As you say, it never becomes too huge an issue, and Mercedes more than picks up the slack. The film is great for the refusal to humanize the villains. Never really heard of the translation leading to the belief that the Faun is Pan prior to seeing the film. I prefer Philosopher’s Stone, but we’re in America, so we’re stuck with the alternative. Ofelia is shit with naming things if this is her imagination. The lack of creativity, name-wise, it makes me so sick, I feel a tide of vomit burn the back of my throat! (Not seen the film. Surmised correctly the line you snuck in. I looked it up to verify, and in the process, saw the one from old Lexie, and it felt fitting for a reference.) I was more surprised by the Pale Man being only in the one scene. Share the praise for Doug Jones. Tis a common fairy tale trope, and good catch on how it related to the rationing. The old Juice would definitely recruit him, (inevitable we both reference that film,) assuming that Bette Midler doesn’t resurrect him first. Had seen Hellboy by 2006, though the second one demonstrated that the body horror is the recurring thing in del Toro’s work. Though not as visceral as the needle phobia that Jess has, being prescribed nightly shots for six-and-a-half years when I was younger leaves me with a STRONG aversion to needles, and the cheek scene was bad. So was the earlier one with the completely unnecessary close-ups. Sent Jess messages of warning, though not sure how much good they were. Much though there is zero sympathy for Vidal, I did yell at him for the stupidity for having the booze after stitching himself up, yelling, “What part of any of what just happened to you suggested that having the booze was anything other than a BAD idea?” Jesus, that would burn like a motherfucker. The karma of the reverse Spartacus, good comparison, was immensely cathartic. True about the rebellion is going to be crushed soon, and Spain will suffer through three more decades before they can finally say Francisco Franco is still dead. I indulge the idea, perhaps a fantasy, that Mercedes lives through it all. Perhaps unrealistic. No more so than a dying girl imagining the fairytale ending that Ofelia envisions, so it meshes well with the film, where yes, that parallel is definitely intended. I feel that I don’t love this film as others do, but it is a marvel of cinema, and again, glad you finally got to see it.

Matthew Beckford

Did she eat the grapes or was it just "imagination"? I never thought of this as a copy of Time Bandits, but it makes sense as I love that also. And I never think to compare one movie when watching it, I always just get lost in the emotion.