Film Filter: Off- I had intended on watching this film some time ago, but never really got around to it. When I saw that it was on Netflix, I jumped at the opportunity, because I like a lot of Guillermo del Toro's films.
Pros- I won't say that the entire cast was well selected, but many of them were. I especially like Katie Holmes in the maternal type of role, because I feel like it fit her personality pretty well. Guy Pearce was ok as the dad, but I definitely wasn't in love with his character or the way he played it, and I really wasn't fond of how the little girl was cast, but we'll get to that later. Also, many of the minor characters were cast very well and played into the realism of the film.
Possibly what del Toro does best is use his imagination to create a world much more magical than reality, with fascinating creatures that are interesting to watch develop on screen. This film is no exception, as he makes his little antagonists unique and realistic. In this particular film, it seems that he leaned toward quantity more than quality, but that is understandable when you see how many of them there are. That's certainly not meant to be a slam, but you often see a little more detail and ingenuity with his creatures, and these ones are more lackluster.
I had a love/hate relationship with the ending. I think it provided a necessary aspect of the film that was begged to occur throughout the film, but I was also torn personally because of who it happened to. I didn't quite understand the last statement made, but perhaps I missed something and it made perfect sense.
Cons- My first beef with this movie is that, even from the previews, you assume that Katie Holmes is the young girl's mother. Why? Because she looks just freaking like her. It's pretty annoying to endure the entire film knowing that she is not the biological mother, but being frustrated because she looks more like her than she does her father. Grrr! Poor casting decision. I also wasn't fond of the way the character was portrayed, which has more to do with the directors that characterized her than the young girl herself. She's sad, lonely, and feels like nobody loves her, so immediately we are meant to pity her. So, she wishes to befriend unknown creatures hiding in the furnace of a locked basement in an old, creepy home? That seems a little irrational. Maybe befriend your father's girlfriend instead, as she is eager to get to know you and clearly cares about you...but nah, hungry mythical creatures seems like a better bet.
In terms of del Toro's magical world being created, I felt it gave a little bit of a schizophrenic vibe. The house was lovely, and the mystical garden in the back with the beautiful ponds felt like that's where the movie should have taken place. Instead, as the creatures are antagonists, the movie takes place mostly in a dark, dingy basement. It was interesting, and a little visually confusing, to have the mythical creatures and the mythical garden not be intertwined.
One of my biggest cons, in any film, is the lack of common sense. Anyone who has suffered through the Gingerdead Man will understand my complaint with small, evil beings less than a foot in height. Seriously? They're going to get the better of you? How about a flame thrower? Or, if you know their weakness is bright light, how about you sleep with all the lights on, instead of a flimsy night light prone to breaking. Or when they attack you in your bathroom, instead of looking for the door, maybe look for the light switch? There were so many frustrating, easily fixed circumstances that I lost track.
Lastly, the ending was a little confusing. In the past, when the evil faeries had taken someone down their sewer 'o death, that person was dead. Duh. It was a pretty long fall, and I don't think that anyone could survive it. **SPOILER ALERT** When Katie Holmes' character, Kim, gets dragged down, you hear her voice at the end all creepy-like saying "Don't worry, she'll be back..." Ummm, anyone care to explain to me what happened? Did she turn into one of them? Even if she was alive, she sacrificed herself to save the little girl, so why is she now evil? I don't get it!
Wrap up- I wouldn't recommend this movie, unless you are very interested in seeing what the creatures look like. The plot is unique, but the little nuances that don't make sense trump whatever good is left in the movie.
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