Grade: B-
Synopsis: A teenage girl (Jennifer Connelly) travels to a magical land to save her baby brother from the Goblin King (David Bowie).
Labyrinth is an ambitious, albeit flawed, fantasy film. Director Jim Henson blends puppets and human actors to create a living, breathing fairy tale. Unfortunately, he also seems trapped by the fairy tale genre.
The script by Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) is funny, but not anywhere near as edgy as it should be. There’s a lot of potential here, and the first half of the movie works well as it contrasts Connelly’s refusal to abandon the dreams of her youth with the harsh realities of growing up. This all comes to a head in a dark, allegory-laden scene involving a piece of fruit. But after this, the movie shifts gears and devolves into an average fantasy-adventure piece with a happy singsong ending which, while no doubt kid pleasing, feels tacked-on and hallow.
Also, while most of Labyrinth remains charming twenty years after its release, some aspects of the film don’t age as well. David Bowie’s teased hair and spandex are laughable now, and the gorgeous matte paintings can’t help but pale in an age of CGI.
Still, Henson deserves much credit for dreaming up some wonderful characters, and engraving “The Bog of Eternal Stench” on the minds of a generation.
Bottom Line: If you grew up with it, you’ll still enjoy it, but others may prefer either the Dark Crystal (if you’re a fan of Henson) or Time Bandits (if you’re a fan of Python) instead.
One Response on “Labyrinth (1986)”:
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Jessi said:
B
I grew up with Labyrinth, and it holds a special place in my heart. The use of puppets, actors, and music is so imaginative, I wish more children’s movies were as daring these days. The plot is painfully simple, but it’s so entertaining you almost don’t mind.
It has something for everyone; good morals about friendship, endurance, and hardwork for the kids, and David Bowie in spendex for the women.
It does reek of the 80’s, but I’m not complaining one bit about the spandex. I would fear and love David Bowie forever if he would be my slave. Especially with that package. Ladies, watch the movie, especially if you have a love for Bowie like me.
