Guillermo del Toro, producer of such cinematic gems as “The Hulk” and “Hellboy” (who doesn’t remember those fine movies?), finally redeems himself with the fairy tale “Pan’s Labyrinth.” This movie takes place in 1944 Spain, years after the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s. The plot cleverly interweaves a fairy tale with gruesome depictions of military abuse and warring factions.

But don’t be fooled by the “fairy tale” moniker, because this is no Disney fantasy, by far. The story’s main character, an 11 year-old girl named Ofelia, wanders off in the woods to find dilapidated remains that later turn out to be a labyrinth. There she meets the first of several magical characters, Pan the faun. Pan sets up a series of challenges for Ofelia, none exactly fit for a pre-teen. Ofelia’s tasks would make plenty an adult wet their pants.

The movie relies on special effects to depict mythical creatures and fantasy terrains. Although some of the effects seem more suitable for a television movie than for the big screen — read: not amazing — most of the effects are decent enough to pass as convincing. Shoddy special effects aside, del Toro pens a screenplay that more than makes up for any shortcomings. The fairy tale that Ofelia lives serves as a metaphor for the struggle that took place after the Spanish Civil War, where the military set up a fascist government. Life isn’t sweet, even in an alternate reality where Ofelia thinks herself to be a long-lost princess.

One of the movie’s many fortes is the cast. Although most American audiences more than likely will not recognize the actors — I didn’t — they all deliver amazing performances. From the heroine Ofelia, to the subversive maid, to the ruthless military commander/Ofelia’s new stepfather, you never have to stop to complain about corny performances or whether the star of the movie was doing coke at Coachella and feuding with Paris Hilton.

“Pan’s Labyrinth” is closer to another one of del Toro’s Spanish-language “The Devil’s Backbone” in their levels of gruesomeness and takes on the supernatural. Unlike his stabs at commercial American cinema, “Pan’s Labyrinth” delivers a story that is aided by visual adornment but is not dependent on it. With this new movie, del Toro shows the world stage that he can produce a pretty awesome movie, something he didn’t pull off with his English-language flicks. This movie is definitely a must-see.