I am a great fan of Del Toro, essentially thanks to his masterpieces Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth, but this movie falls very short. The only compartment in which Del Toro advances over his previous works are visuals, filming is really stunning.

But for the rest, there is nothing. Story fits in the trailer. If you saw the trailer you know what is it about. A mute janitor girl falls in love with amphibian man kept in a laboratory, and helps him to get out. They end up together, in some dark water. From the trailer you can't really tell if they are dead or alive when together, but since it is Holywood movie you expect a happy ending. Hence, there is nothing to it, story is good enough for a short cartoon, and not very original.

This rather simple story was expanded to a movie by a juxtaposition of scenes and character from Del Toro's previous movies and movies from other director's as well. For instance, Eiise and Zelda are Little Mermaid and Flounder. Former a beauty without a voice, latter a friendly witty character talking for her and giving unconditional support. Then come Giles, friendly neighbor but hesitant to take their relationship any further. Funny enough Jenkins (Giles) had exactly the same role in "The Visitor". Add to the list one bad-to-the bone sociopat (Richard here, a copycat of office from Pan's Labyrinth) and a friendly educated helping hand (Dimitry here, doctor in Pan's Labyrinth). The bathroom scene is disturbingly reminiscent to the bathroom scene in "Delicatessen" from Jeunet and Carro. Violent scenes are copycats from Pan's Labyrinth (kill a man hitting him with a bottle in forehead in Labyrinth, with a baseball bat here; hurt a man by cutting his cheek open was also present in both movies).

On top of it, the movie has a couple of evident goofs. TV set with a remote control in 1962? Security cameras look sophisticated as if produced last year.

Funny enough, Pan's Labyrinth and Devil's Backbone are movies made for grown-ups in which main characters are children, whereas in "The Shape of Water" the main characters are adult, but the movie is for children. Indeed, if you deleted a couple of violent scenes or scenes with nudity you could play it to an 8-year old and he or she would love it.