Cronos (1993)
Genre: Fantasy / Horror
Duration: 94 minuten
Country:
Mexico
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman and Claudio Brook
IMDb score:
6,7 (36.181)
Releasedate: 5 November 1993
Cronos plot
"An ancient device. A modern discovery. A terrifying tale of the eternal."
An ingenious device in 24 carat gold, with a complex mechanism of gears, cogs and springs inside, is said to give eternal life to whoever owns it, according to an alchemist who made the object. Centuries later, a European industrialist finds the companion diary and becomes obsessed with it. The item itself comes into the hands of an unsuspecting Mexico City antiques dealer.
Actors and actresses
Jesus Gris
Angel de la Guardia
De la Guardia
Mercedes
Aurora
Alchemist
Tito
Manuelito
Funeral Director
Narrator (voice)
Reviews & comments
Alathir
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- 2133 messages
- 1638 votes
First and foremost me, this is the third Del Toro movie that I see. From what I've seen, unlike many others, I'm not a big fan of it. I gave 2.5* to both Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone. That is quite scanty for the masterpiece that many see in Pan's Labyrinth. Well, I'm much more a fan of A Monster Calls - it suited me much better in one way or another (especially in terms of empathy).
Anyway, I'll keep it short about Cronos. It is an original film that creates a special atmosphere. Actually typical Del Toro but I thought this was his best, don't ask me why. Maybe because it lasts shorter and so it's more bearable to sit out, who knows. No, I had quite a bit of fun with this. I don't think the fantasy or horror content is that big anymore. It's a good thing that in this film they don't ramble on about the Spanish Civil War, since those were the parts in Del Toro's films that I didn't like as much. 3*
Translated from Dutch · View original
baspls
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- 4118 messages
- 1673 votes
Guillermo del Toro's debut film was immediately the most expensive Mexican film ever.
Cronos tells the story of antique dealer Jesus Gris and his granddaughter Aurora. In an Angel statue they find a golden mechanism. A dying American business owner wants to get his hands on this mechanism at all costs. It is said to have been made by an alchemist to allow its user to live forever.
Guillermo del Toro is one of the most creative filmmakers out there. Still, it's startling that he's actually only made one movie that I really liked and that's El Laberinto del Fauno. Del Toro is incredibly good at creating a story and designing everything in his films in great detail, but he is a lot less good at telling a story.
This also applies to Cronos. A very strong concept with alchemists, antique dealers, vampires and american bad guys. But apart from Jesus Gris, none of the characters have substance. Aurora doesn't even speak to her Grandpa. The characters of Ron Perlman and Claudio Brook were deliberately portrayed as cartoon characters. Del Toro said it was a revenge for all the Mexican stereotypes in Hollywood movies.
The film is beautifully shot and has a nice Euro-horror atmosphere. You can tell the film was still shot on celluloid, as the colors are much nicer than in many of Del Toro's later films.
All in all, I certainly didn't think Cronos was a bad Fantasy-Horror. Especially as Gris has grown bloodthirsty, some brilliant scenes follow. Only the film had a lot more potential.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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