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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto Del Fauno)

    Featured In Issue 128, February 2008

    Picture4
    SoundNR
    WSR Score5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    New Line Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    N32077
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    For graphic violence and some language
    (Retail Price):
    $35.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    119
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A
    (Theatrical Year):
    2006
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    12/26/07
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Guillermo del Toro
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    Now living in a hillside stronghold after the Spanish Civil War, young and imaginative Ofelia (Baquero) stumbles upon a long-forgotten stone labyrinth and meets Pan (Jones), a magical faun. He convinces her that she is a lost princess of the underworld, and in order for her to return, she must complete three tasks. Determined to reclaim her kingdom, she is unaware of the immediate danger that threatens her bedridden mother (Gil) and yet-to-be-born brother. Pan's Labyrinth (El Labertino Del Fauno) won three 2007 Oscars®, including Cinematography. (Jack Kelley)

    Special features include visual or audio commentary by Director Guillermo del Toro, the following featurettes: Power Of The Myth (14 minutes), Pan And The Fairies (30 minutes), The Color And The Shape (four minutes); The Lullaby has two sub-featurettes, The Melody Echoes The Fairy Tale (three minutes) and Mercedes Lullaby (two minutes); a Director's Notebook in three chapters—Del Toro's Notes And Sketches, Storyboard/Thumbnail Compares, and Galleries—an episode of The Charlie Rose Show (50 minutes), four DVD comics present the prequel stories to this film; a Marketing Campaign segment containing two theatrical trailers for this film, plus additional TV spots and Web-enabled features.

    The VC-1-encoded HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc both look identical, with good resolution presenting fine textures nicely. Still, there are many instances where the image is rather soft. Black levels are elevated to levels that are higher than they should be, which can make darker scenes look flat. Daytime, outdoor scenes look superbly dimensional, though. There are so many dark scenes, though, it is disappointing the black levels are not deeper. Heavy film grain can be a distraction in some shots, but in others it isn't noticeable. (Danny Richelieu)

    The HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc both include a lossless Spanish-language DTS-HD™ Master Audio 7.1-channel encoding, which we do not have the capability of decoding. The core DTS® stream, however, sounds fantastic, with very good dynamic range and articulation, and an involving mix that really fills the listening space. Bass is deep and penetrating, with the LFE channel incorporated well, infusing the room with a solid low-end foundation. The added benefit of the center surround channels really increases surround imaging, creating a terrific surroundfield. The two versions sound identical. (Danny Richelieu)

    Reason #105 Why Readers Love Widescreen Review:

    Since Issue 5 (my first), I focused on reviews of Laser Discs and now DVDs, and From The Editor's Couch. Also, WSR has a lot of punch in the new equipment features. The technical essays have been superb! My home theatre setup depended (and still depends) on knowledge gained from WSR. WSR has become the media reference for me with regard to picture and sound quality assurance in display equipment and widescreen entertainment (movies, music events, and documentaries). I still do not have Issues 1 through 4 or the Premiere Special Edition of WSR and hope you put them on the subscribers' site eventually, so that I can giggle at some of the early typos and slips (if you leave them in). However, I'm sure that the early editions make for interesting historical reading as well, because I believe WSR has moved the display industry forward through the pushing the envelope attitude of Gary Reber. Carry on.

    Jerry Daca
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