"With its painterly palette and densely detailed production design, Pan's Labyrinth evokes great works in any number of artistic mediums, from the paintings of Goya and Balthus to the films of Luis Bunuel and Dario Argento... It's in its sophisticated politics that "Pan's Labyrinth" qualifies as Del Toro's most mature work; he depicts fascism not just as a failed political or philosophical system... but primarily as the failure of imagination. As Ofelia makes her quiet and courageous way through the faun's to-do list -- while the sentient world around her falls apart -- her own imagination, her willingness to surrender to her own creative subconscious, becomes the means not just of escape but of survival." - Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post