Rating: 
Summary: excellent, 2 thumbs up to del toro
Review: the devil's backbone... is a great movie....although it is misleadinga as a horror movie(it is more of a thriller) one can only pray that there are more complete movies like this one made in hte future...the acting is top notch, the plot and directing are too...if anything this movie deserves a 10 out of 5*note that the review that compares this movie to scooby doo is a little off...if scooby doo was like this movie, than i doubt it would be viewable by little children
Rating:
Summary: Superb Ghost Story
Review: Devil's Backbone a cerebrally chilling story about Carlos. Carlos is brought to a secluded orphanage during the Spanish Civil War unknowing of his fathers death. The orphanage has huge undetonated bomb in the middle of the yard, which they say has been disarmed. Upon arrival, Carlos discovers that there is something haunting him besides the other boys of the orphanage. It is a mystery to Carlos why 'it' is haunting him, but he intends to solve the mystery.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: When I first saw the cover of this DVD, I noticed the tagline: 'More frightening than The Others.' Being a big fan of that film, I picked this one up with some pretty high expectations.
This movie is a bit of a thriller, but using the term 'frightening' is a misnomer. The plot is pretty basic, but the acting is top-notch, as is the filmography.
Without giving too much away, as the plot developed I was reminded of old Scooby Doo cartoons. The theives want the gold, one of the caretakers turns out to be greedy and abusive. In the end, 'I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling kids!'
Oh, yes. The ghost. Displayed prominently on the cover of the DVD, pick it up and your staring into the eyes of a creepy, evil demon kid. Make no mistake, this character is secondary in the story. He pops up from time to time to give clues as the storyline develops, but, as another reviewer stated, a horror film this is not. A good story, but if you're looking for a scary film, move on. I wouldn't have been so disappointed if I would have picked it up in the 'drama' section as opposed to the 'horror' section. I wish marketing departments would stop trying to mislead potential renters and buyers. It just makes the final outcome more disappointing. I was reminded of 'House of the Spirits' in the end. Again, definitely not a bad film, but different than you might expect. Want a decent thriller with a bit of a predictible plot? Pick it up. Want some frights and chills? Stick with 'The Others.' I know I will.
Rating:
Summary: Um dos dez melhores filmes de 2001
Review: (Portuguese Language) The Devil's Backbone traz novo fôlego para o gênero horror, que encontrava-se em franca decadência graças a fiascos recentes como Resident Evil e a série Pânico. Parecia que aquelas velhas e empoeiradas estórias de terror que realmente assustavam e envolviam estavam extintas mas coube a The Devil's Backbone, um filme espanhol com pequeno orçamento, resgatar toda a dignidade perdida das produções de antigamente, revelando o talento do diretor Guillermo Del Toro, que surge como um cineasta bastante original e criativo. O filme narra as desventuras do menino Carlos, que na década de 30, durante a guerra espanhola, é mandado para um orfanato situado no meio do quente deserto, sob os cuidados de Carmen (Marisa Paredes),uma professora amarga que perdeu uma das pernas e Casares, o bondoso e camarada diretor do estabelecimento.Lá ele também conhecerá os outros garotos, e o revoltado e odioso Jacinto, um rapaz de seus 30-35 anos que cresceu no orfanato e que nutre um grande ódio pelo local e pelas pessoas que o criaram.Depois de algumas noites, carlos sentirá a presença sobrenatural de Santi, um garotinho que desapareceu estranhamente na mesma noite em que uma gigantesca bomba caiu no pátio do orfanato, sem explodir. Os meninos criaram várias teorias para explicar o que houve com Santi, mas, aos poucos, a verdade irá revelando-se, claro que com a ajuda do espírito do garoto, que quer se vingar do responsável pela sua morte. Embora o fantasma de Santi exerça uma função importantíssima na trama, este é apenas o pano-de fundo para a narrativa maior, que envolve amores não correspondidos, ambição, o ardiloso Jacinto e uma fortuna em ouro escondida no local. Com uma fotografia perfeita, Del Toro transporta a platéia para a década de 30, trazendo todo o desespero da guerra visto através dos olhos de crianças confinadas em um orfanato amarelado, sujo e empoeirado.O deserto é mostrado em tons pastéis de forma tão maestral que você quase é capaz de sentir o calor do lugar. As atuações são perfeitas, maravilhosas, todos estão no mesmo nível, Marisa Paredes dá uma performance marcante como a carente Carmen, Eduardo Noriega brilha como o malvado Jacinto.O filme, apesar de trazer um tom sobrenatural,é mais um drama psicológico, pessimista e muito, muito triste, que certamente consagra-se como um dos dez melhores filmes de 2001.
Rating: 
Summary: Atmospheric melodrama
Review: "The Devil's Backbone" is a ghost story, but it is also much more. Set during the Spanish Civil War, the story chronicles the happenings in an isolated school for orphaned boys. The school admininstration consists of just a few characters, which makes the school seem even spookier and alienating. In the background, the war moves closer to the school, creating additional horrors. A new boy, Carlos, arrives and he begins seeing a ghost. These scenes are very chilling and well-directed, but not really scary per se. As the action progresses, it becomes clear that the ghost is not the only evil in the school. The plot is well-written and has some great plot twists. The actors are all terrific, with the kids putting in some impressive work in difficult roles. I really enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it for fans of psychological horror films, such as "The Others."
Rating:
Summary: Think Cider House Rules...but GOOD!
Review: This is a truly remarkable film. I won't go into the plot as it has been dissected ad nauseum on this site already, I'm sure. Suffice to say that this movie succeeds on so many levels as to approach brilliance. It is an effectively creepy ghost tale. A coming of age story. A grand soap opera. It is worth the price alone for the smolderingly sexy Edward Noriega as Jacinto, the caretaker with a torpedo-sized chip on his shoulder. As for the young orphan boys, they make the doe-eyed sugary sweet moppets of Cider House Rules look like munchkins on Prozac. They are alive, human, wounded and all-too-believable as boys left orphans by a world they cannot even hope to understand yet. Check it out!
Rating:
Summary: Dont miss!
Review: Ok so its subtitled but there are many scenes in silence where u dont have to read. Dont misunderstand this movie, it isnt a horror movie, but is frightening. The children acted to the MAX. these little guys can whoop some of our famous older actors. . i would say they should remake this in English but it might ruin it. So get it. I dont think i have ever seen such a raw, outright treatment of children like this. SHOCKING and BRILLIANT
Rating:
Summary: Quintessentially Spanish Surrealism
Review: THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE is a visually elegant, beautifully photographed, seamlessly written and directed tale of ghosts. As the film's narrator explains, ghosts are bad deeds that never go away, are like faded photographs that will always reappear. The setting is a lonely, wastelands school for boys placed there by parents for protection during the Spanish Civil War. What these boys experience and uncover becomes a child's view of how adults react to evil. The performances are universally sensitive and fine. Comparisons to the ghost stories of Henry James are inevitable, but this beautifully produced movie goes beyond a simple story and somehow manages to find that duende of Spanish creativity which makes it uniquely mesmerizing.
Rating:
Summary: Chillingly good
Review: A stylish, atmospheric ghost story which, unlike so many recent examples of the genre, does not rely on any climactic twist for its punch. The chills and thrills are happily much more old-fashioned here, and quite a bit more bloodthirsty. The performances are universally excellent, and the music, cinematography, direction and visual effects are all first rate (the ghostly rendering of Santi - the "one who sighs" - is exceptionally good). Writer/director Guillermo Del Toro's screenplay is in an entirely different league to his 'Cronos' and 'Mimic'. Sure, it has a similar level of tension and fascination, but there's a much stronger thematic vein at work here. Viewers familiar with the history and politics of the Spanish Civil War will find it particularly rewarding, appreciating the story on a deeper metaphorical level. Others will just admire and enjoy this film for what it superficially is: a slick, good-looking and remarkably unsettling piece.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Ghost Story and engaging drama
Review: I saw this in the theater a few months ago and loved it. It is one of the best ghost story horrors I have ever seen in that it doesn't become any less engaging or scary once the ghost's motivations are explained. I found it to straddle the line between "The Sixth Sense" and "High Plains Drifter" while being it's own wonderful story about life and love during the Spanish Civil War.
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