I had seen Guillermo del Toro’s Hollywood debut on VHS when it was first released back in the late 90s. At the time it was to me, barely out of my teens, nothing more than an interesting looking horror film with “her from Mighty Aphrodite” in it. Little did I know the mess Miramax had made of del Toro’s efforts. To be honest, it’s difficult for me to compare that experience to this belated director’s cut of the film, but in its new incarnation it functions perfectly well, despite being rather silly. There are moments that show off the Mexican craftsman’s predilections for ghoulish creatures, shadowy recesses and young protagonists, but the film remains little more than an above-average boogeyman flick.