The first full-length film of Guillermo del Toro has all the Del Toro elements but the Franko line in the story. “Cronos” has elaborate characters and camera work, a slightly surrealistic atmosphere, fantasy and some horror elements and a nice story. The story is somewhat of a variation on one of the most common horror themes. An antiquarian accidentally finds a device of an alchemist of a few centuries earlier. Soon he finds out that there is somebody else that wants it badly and who sends out his servant (a great part of Ron Perlman) to get it. As Jesus finds out what the device does, he is not keen on handing it over and a nice cat-and-mouse game develops that is well portrayed by Del Toro. A very nice film. I have to see some other Del Toros that I missed.
