MovieChat Forums > El laberinto del fauno (2007) Discussion > Biggest disappointment i've ever seen

Biggest disappointment i've ever seen

posted 8 years ago by EricCartmanBrah
24 replies | jump to latest

I really wanted to like this movie, but I just couldn't. Even if we ignore stuff like the 'good guys' doing really dumb easily avoidable things to get Vidal more suspicious, the 'good guys' being depicted as way more good than they actually were in real life, the woman not killing him when she had the chance, Ofelia losing most sympathy points when she eats those grapes and ends up killing two of the three fairies in the process, despite being warned many times what would happen if she did eat anything, the faun for some reason wants to give her a second chance after a while, plus the monsters not feeling that threatening.

I could ignore all of that if it wasn't for the fact that the movie sells itself on a borderline LIE! Lets read the description of the movie, shall we?

In the falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.

Escapes? What escape? She's in that world for less than 20% of the film in total! Most of the movie is pure war drama. The poster for the movie further misleads you in to thinking that most, let alone, pretty much all of the movie is fantasy based and that the Spanish civil war is just the setting they have chosen for this fantasy tale to take place, but alas, it's rather the other way around!

Makes me really angry, I really thought I would love this movie, but I can't.

[–] Savior_89 8 years ago

I also thought it would be a whimsical fantastic fantasy with creatures and adventure.

I was wrong xD

Was still a very good movie, it just was something COMPLETELY different than what I thought it would be.

When people die, they just...go away. If there’s any place a soul would go...It’s in your memories.

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

Please scratch 'whimsical' when you say 'also' beforehand. I never thought it would be that considering many of the pictures from the movie show otherwise.

And it makes sense everyone thought it would be completely different from what it was considering both the movie title, poster, and plot description leads you to believe what I've already stated in the OP.

[–] gulag 8 years ago

First of all plot descriptions are never written by the director of the film. They are products of the promotional department of the film company. Secondly, if this is the biggest disappointment you have "ever" seen, you must have no experience in actual living. Are you disappointed that it was not as escapist as you wanted? This is a truly great film. Maybe it doesn't appeal to you but don't slag it off with hyperbole because you are unaware of how films are marketed and will only accept your own definition of escapism. You do this film, and any film, a disservice. (By the way the film you are actually wanting to see is simply called Labyrinth... I think you took a wrong turn somewhere.)

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

OK, how does Del Toro describe the movie then? Doubt there is much difference. Please elaborate on how I have no experience in actual living. I'm disappointed it wasn't like the....no *beep* it, I won't repeat myself again, if you seriously didn't get where the disappointment came from after reading my OP, then you have terrible reading comprehension. I've made myself perfectly clear. It's rather you who must be in the minority if you think most people are fine with the movie's definition of escapism. Heck, not only is there far more war drama than actual fantasy. Even Ofelia herself have far more interaction with the humans than she does with the faun. But, ok I'll give you a chance to elaborate on how you felt the amount of escapism in this movie satisfied what the movie describes itself as.

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

You won't elaborate? Ok then...

[–] GuyNCognito 8 years ago

Escapes? You mean like when she becomes the princess and leaves her dying body? That escape?

Grant discovered raptor eggs in Jurassic Park

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

The very end of the movie that scene is the last 20 seconds or so enforcing my point that the story line played second fiddle to the civil war story arc, which is not what the movie sells itself as.

[–] GuyNCognito 8 years ago

Um, no. The movie began with her dying. We were told different myths entailing immortality. The girl is challenged to do three tasks to achieve said immortality. At the end of the film, she escapes death and does just that. That sounds like a pretty spot on summary of the movie, if you ask me. If anything, it more so sounds like you are not as educated in the history tied into the narrative nor the cultural themes of Latin art. It's cool not to like the movie, but to base that on because it wasn't the dark Alice in Wonderland you wanted shouldn't be where it is discredited.

Grant discovered raptor eggs in Jurassic Park

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

Please explain how the movie begins with her dying. The summary of the movie is like i have stated many times is only focusing on the fantasy aspects, but the movie itself has a clear focus on historical warfare, and the fantasy elements are being treated as secondary. it's around an 80/20 difference in favor of the war part when it should be other way around based on how the movie describes itself as.

Also, how is my lack of knowledge in 'cultural themes of Latin art' relevant? As for story, I know enough about the Spanish civil war and Franco's regime if that's what you're talking about. And the fact that these Stalin youths being depicted as heroic rebels in this movie is a bit disgusting tbh. They were equally as bad as the Franco soldiers IRL.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

Watched it again, true enough. Don't see how that changes much or anything of what i've written.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

True, but I felt it was heavily implied considering the way you laid out your argument. Of course that was just my assumption.

Edit: No it wasn't you who started the argument regarding that, my b.

[–] andreouaggelos 8 years ago

It's one thing to be disappointed by a movie (which is understandable), and another thing to be bitching about it as if that's your biggest problem in life.

Dude get over it.

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

Where does that line go in your opinion, and how do I step above that line? Because I personally don't think I do.

[–] gena-691-951539 8 years ago

Some things are impossible to explain in plain language, if you are not capable of understanding multilayered and inter-waived allegories, inner meanings and hyperbolas that are essential parts of real art. Real art leaves you taken aback and poses more questions that answers. It makes you thinking about important things based on your life experience, intelligence and abilities to see hidden messages that everyone decipher slightly different. I wounder what would you say about films gems like "Mullholland Drive" by David Lynch or any given movies made by Pedro Almodovar or "Stalker" by Andrey Tarkovsky?

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

And this has something to do with Faun's Labyrinth...how?

[–] gena-691-951539 8 years ago

You call it the biggest disappointment and I call it a high art. I think it all depends on what kind of criteria was applied to make a judgment and my post was pointing into that direction. Just to let you know - BBC included this movie to the 21'st Century 25 Greatest films list. Critics from around the world explain why they picked the top films on their list and I completely agree with their choice:

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160822-the-21st-centurys-25-greatest-films?ocid=fbcul

[–] RealGeronimo 8 years ago

Yes,
Just look at some of his ratings.
He gave 6 to Fawlty Towers. Enough said.

Nikola Tesla invented radio

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

One fantastic episode doesn't make up for 11 episodes ranging from bad, to meh, to above average, to quite good.

Btw, Geronimo I did some investigating in to your ratings VS mine, how do you feel that we in 90% of movies have rated it the same or just one score differentiating, when I have the audacity to not think a 40 year old sitcom is as funny as you think?

[–] EricCartmanBrah 8 years ago

Watched Mulholland Drive since you made that comment. To say it's really weird is an understatement, but it's also really interesting. I might have to watch it again before I reach a conclusion on the movie's overall quality though.

[–] mpyner 8 years ago

It's not for everyone. I had no preconceived notion about what the movie was about so I came away thinking it was a great movie.

[–] chilone (17875) 6 years ago

OMG!! You've killed some people's sacred cow!!! How dare you not like it!?!?!?!? I gave it a 6, btw.