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Mainstream critics are enraptured by Del Toro's work, and several have rated it among the very best films of 2006.

from Film Forum, 01/25/07
Christian Hamaker (Crosswalk) raves, "It's a reminder that not all fairy tales are for children, and that the power of the imagination is something that can be kindled and reawakened in adults, given the right material. Pan's Labyrinth is, in a word, breathtaking. … Its images are strange and, at times, frightening, but I found its message of strength through sacrifice deeply spiritual and profoundly Christian."

Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) calls it "a cinematically stunning adult tale. … Though the main story outline is familiar in its classic structure, it is given new life by Del Toro's deft balancing of the harsh real world with the girl's mysterious parallel universe which sheds light on the former, and there are poignant elements of sacrifice and redemption."

J. Robert Parks (Framing Device) is slightly disappointed, but only because it falls short of Del Toro's previous masterpiece, The Devil's Backbone. "The movie isn't quite as strong as Devil's Backbone … in part because the fantastic and historical modes never quite mesh. The fairy tale aspect doesn't have the payoff that you'd expect (not like the ghost story of Devil's Backbone). The finale … is somewhat anti-climactic, and, unlike many fairy tales, the story isn't an allegory for the real world. Furthermore, we don't spend enough time with the historical characters to understand their situation."

But Marcus Yoars (Plugged In) writes that the movie is excessively, gratuitously violent, and definitely not for children. He adds, "Even most adults won't want to (and shouldn't) indulge its grim excesses."

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