Pan's Labyrinth, why did I not like it?

Question

Everyone says it was the best movie of the year, possibly of all time.. Reviews from Yahoo and other sources give it A+++ from critics and reviewers... I saw it today (instead of Babel) and throughout the whole movie, i had regret and did not like it one bit... all i could think of was, "we shoulda watched babel"... anyways, the commercial made it seem very mystical and intriguing, but it really wasnt..ahhh... gosh... anyone who watched the movie also feel the same?? am i missing something here??

Answer 1

It occurs to me that you answered your own question in the details that followed the question propper.

All too often the directors of films create a singular vision that is awe inspiring in its scope and garners them tremendous accolades from critics and the general public alike. Sadly their vision is not understood by the studios which finance and/or distribute said films. As a result the task of producing trailers and commercials is handed over to a studio advertizing department with the focus on marketability. While I have not seen trailers or commercials for "Pan's Labyrinth" I have seen the film itself and your comments about the commercial indicate that the presentation did not reflect the true nature of the film. So you went into the theatre with a set of expectations based on what the commercial promised and found the actual film lacking in that regard.

It happens quite often, especially when the director is not involved (by personal or studio choice) in the production of the advertizing of a film. In the case of "Pan's Labyrinth" it seems that the distributor chose to play up the fantastic elements in hopes of banking on the audiences of "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Chronicles of Narnia" by downplaying the central tragic drama that supercedes the underlying dark fairy tale. I suspect that had you been presented with a more accurate picture of this film it may have seemed something less appealing to you on a personal level. It is certainly not a film for everyone.

Answer 2

I was looking forward watching it!
Some friends told me it is very intriguing and beautiful and full of meaning.
Well, it looks like I´m not going.
But I didn´t like Babels critics any way.
Thanks for the information.

Answer 3

It's a little different from the trailers, but in my opinion all the movies are. I think it is a great movie, the way it portrays the brutality of war is very convincing. I like the way it mixes Ophelia's fantasy world with her bitter reality.

Answer 4

Well, you should have been warned that this isn't some magical, mystical fairytale family movie. It is rated R, ya know. I hope you didn't dislike just because it wasn't what you expected.