User reviews

Labyrinth was directed by Jim Henson of the Muppet and The Dark Crystal fame. It was produced by George Lucas and featured David Bowie as the villain Goblin King. It's also one of Jennifer Connelly's first films. And it just might be the best live-action Alice in Wonderland film ever made.

Sarah (Connelly) is a proud cloudcuckoolander, someone whose head is permanently stuck in the clouds and who can very easily lose entire days playing make-belief in the parks. And then she's given the unenviable task of looking after her baby brother while her parents go out on a date. And of course the kid gets kidnapped by goblins within fifteen minutes. Top notch job there, Sarah.

To Sarah's credit, she's obviously distraught by this and does everything she can to get her brother back. Nevertheless, her character is a bit tough to get behind most of the time. You can see that her heart is in the right place, but otherwise she's a brat. Not helping the matter is Connelly's acting. It's atrocious, especially in the early scenes. As the movie progresses, she does get better, but she's not going to be winning any Oscars anytime soon. (Which is ironic because fifteen years later she did just that with her role in A Beautiful Mind.)

But, putting that aside, the film is otherwise a whole lot of fun. David Bowie is an absolute blast, although the songs he's given to sing could have been better. Jim Henson's puppet work is also on full display and is easily the best part of the film. Furthermore, the story has that mad, no logic whatsoever dream quality to it, which makes it enjoyable to watch, and the characters aside from Sarah are very enjoyable.

Not the best film ever made and I'd personally rather watch The Dark Crystal again, but if you've liked Henson's other films, this one is worth a watch.

As I was watching Jim Henson's 'Labyrinth', I was wowed by its imagination and creativity. Every scene brought some new creature or environment that had me smiling in appreciation. The only thing I can compare it to is 'The Wizard of Oz'. But, not unlike Henson's 'The Dark Crystal', I found myself growing more and more emotionally detached as it went along. I try not to analyze these things too much as I'm watching it, but a comment by Roger Ebert that I read on its Wiki afterwords summed up my feelings perfectly; "Ebert said that as the film was set in an "arbitrary world" none of the events in it had any consequences, robbing the film of any dramatic tension.".

I would whole-heartedly recommend it on its artistry and imagination alone, but it seems like that focus left precious little time for the other elements of the film.

Looking back at Jim Henson's "Labyrinth", my naïveté as a kid must've been in full effect. When the movie debuted, I admit, I was caught smack-dab in the middle of its target audience - as a fairly dumb, imaginative, gawk-in-amazement-at-even-the-shoddiest-special-effects, Muppet-loving, movie-going ten year-old. My mom took me to see "Labyrinth" after days of pleading, and with all of my aforementioned attributes in tow, I was not disappointed. But sitting in that theater, nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see...David Bowie. I mean, here I was watching this amazingly multi-talented guy act, sing and, AND, defy all laws of gravity by rolling a crystal ball around his hand.

Plus he could turn into a barn owl. Way cool.

For months following "Labyrinth", I wanted to be David Bowie - especially in the hair department. Tina Turner had nothing on this Goblin King, and I was even more astounded a brief time later when I discovered he wasn't even an actor.

The movie though, still holds up fairly well, and all the credit in the world goes to Jim Henson for that. One thing was always for certain in the 80s: Muppet technology always remained a step ahead of the visual effects movement. The movie's cast of creature-oddities were far more tactile and believable than anything "Ghostbusters" (for example) could ever throw at you. The one F/X stumble even noticeable as a dumb kid in 1986 were those papier-maché boulders. But I digress.

This is a movie you should 'see again, for the first time' and all that stuff. Or show to your kids. Or whatever. It's all good, baby.

Coming a couple of years after the far more accomplished Dark Crystal this is relatively straight-forward but still a helluva lot more imaginative than any family movie of recent years. You could call it a modern fairy tale, but it's just not deep enough. And for a film called Labyrinth, it's strangely uncomplicated.

Jennifer Connelly (younger and prettier, though her acting is questionable) stars as Sarah, a teenager who bizarrely doesn't have a boyfriend and ends up living in her own fantasy world. Her dad and stepmother go out, leaving her to babysit her baby brother. Annoyed with his crying she utters a magical spell, wishing the goblins to take him away. Sure as sugar, the Goblin King himself (Tina Turner, oh sorry...I mean David Bowie) turns up and takes away the screaming tot.

In order to get him back she must solve 'The Labyrinth' (cue dramatic music) and reach the Goblin King's Castle within 13 hours. Along the way she meets new friends (of the Jim Henson variety) in the form of Hoggle the dwarf, big, hairy and cuddly Ludo and cute little fox Sir Didymus. It's pleasant enough entertainment but there are some serious problems.

The most serious of them all is David Bowie's attire. Most specifically, his trousers, they are a little revealing in the crotch department to make an understatement. You'll cringe, you'll avert your eyes, yet you'll be mesmerized. Come on, how could this have been allowed in a family movie. Plus, Trevor Jones' score is disappointingly unmagical and the filmmakers have given in to the urge to have David Bowie crank out some dreadfully 80's tunes that stagger the action and hold up the plot.

It's a shame to call Labyrinth nostalgic. But if it were made today it would be full of hollow CGI. There's something charming in practical effects and puppetry (or is that Muppetry?) that no computer graphic can generate. The photography and is stunning and it captures landscape and fantasy perfectly. And all those cute Jim Henson characters are far more interesting than any Hobbit.

Filmed in Panavision, the 2.35:1 anamorphic picture looks good. But not exceptionally so. Columbia are so hyped up over their Superbit releases. And that's fine when considering newer movies. But for a film like Labyrinth we really should have a brand new, hi-def remastering. THAT would have looked super. What we have however is just a good-looking movie. There's hardly any grain, no dirt (surprising considering the age of the print) and perfect colors.

Originally recorded in Dolby Stereo, the first DVD release was in 2.0 surround only. For this Superbit release Columbia have given us a full 5.1 track in Dolby Digital and DTS. How does it sound? Like 2.0 surround. There is hardly any deep bass. It's front speaker biased, with little or no surround use and there's practically no difference between the Dolby or DTS tracks. We could have been given a full 6.1 track with stronger remastering of the original sound elements. How cool would that be?

As this is a Superbit, there are no extras. The original DVD release had an hour long documentary on it. But this Superbit is only slightly better in quality, so it's up to you to decide which one you want. Also, there is a Collector's Edition which includes this version plus loads more.

Family pictures are a curious breed, particularly when they aspire to greatness as George Lucas' fantasy "Labyrinth" seems to. There is a recipe to making such films, and the recipe is interesting as much for what it includes as for what it leaves out. Being a fantasy family picture, "Labyrinth" requires: enough magic to bedazzle the small children, a feisty young hero or heroine, scary monsters, a boo-hiss villain, narrow escapes, and a happy, warm, ending to bring a tear to the eye and prompt a family hug. It must not have: blood, realistic violence or excessive terror.

The included elements are there up to a point, and the film is colourful and glossy. Unfortunately, it is also terribly bland. David Bowie's Goblin King (a surprisingly flat performance) is utterly camp and devoid of menace. A bit of sexual tension between Jennifer Connelly's Sarah and Bowie would have helped, any tension at all actually. Sarah's supposed race against time to rescue baby Toby should pile on the suspense. It doesn't. The goblins and beasties should be at least a little scary. They are not. Sorry, Jim Henson's creations are irretrievably cuddly and cute in this film. The deus ex machina Sarah utilises to eventually enter the Goblin King's castle is also a let-down.

Without some sort of edge, "Labyrinth" falls short of greatness. It remains a curiosity, particularly for those wanting to see Connelly's early career. It is a cinematic pantomime, a feature length H.R. Puf'n Stuf. It's safe. It's nice. It makes you wonder what it could have been.

Jim Henson's movies always suffer from slow or boring plots. The characters and stories are lovable, and the sets and costumes are out-of-the-ballpark mad-awesome. Yes, these sets and costumes are the stars of the show, but the plots and dialog tend to be a bit lacking.

I kinda like the image of wholesome empowerment for young ladies (a la Miyazaki) that exudes from this movie. Here we have Jennifer Connelly (Yowza!), a little lady who doesn't like her brother, so she wishes for goblins to take him away. And so they do, and she has to fight her way through David Bowie's crazy dreamworld to get him back. Supposing she gets him back at all! *bites nails*

The song David Bowie sings when he finally makes his big appearance is truly, depressingly bad. Jeebas, you'd think they could've written something really rockin' for the big showdown. Wasn't Tangerine Dream on every film maker's speed dial in the 1980s? (rhetorical question) TD did soundtracks to movies called Sorceror and Thief. Considering this movie is about both sorcerors and thieves and Jennifer Connelly, TD would've fit right in. Oh well. *sigh*

To me, Jim Henson's stuff shone brightest when someone else was writing the dialog. The man was a true gem in the world of special effects and ambiance. Too bad nobody makes 'em like this anymore. People jest don't got tha guts!

Never watched "Labyrinth" as a kid finally did though and I must say it does not hold up as some of Jim Henson's best works nothing in comparison to the "Muppets". The creatures and fairy tale like feel is okay just the writing does not have any subplots or twist as the story is straight forward. As it involves a teen girl Sarah who's bored and feels out of place with her stepmom so as while babysitting her younger brother her world takes on a new magical twist and journey. I guess for some they may feel a little "Wizard of Oz" or "Snow White" parody as Sarah on her journey must face the evil and wicked Goblin Jareth King(singer David Bowie). And time plays a theme in the film as she is given only 13 hours to solve the dangerous puzzle and game of labyrinth. The sets and effects I guess were good for it's day and time of 1986 as this has became somewhat of a cult fantasy classic that perhaps today's generation of kids will discover and like.

Watching this as an adult with zero nostalgic attachment highlights the fact that it is basically the muppets but without the charm and absolutely terrible acting. There are some interesting ideas with regards to the labyrinth itself, and Bowie does ok considering he's not an actor, but if you didn't see this at the time it can be safely ignored. Kids will probably enjoy it though.

This movie is great when you can make the analogy of the Labyrinth's challenges being life's challenges. So many lessons can be learned by the studious viewer. Even if you can not stand some of the songs, or feel some of the effects are done poorly you can benefit from the artistic sentiment of this "adult-themed" children's spectacular.

The crew could have made improvements in creating this film. There was no real excitement. The storyline was too simple and a bit bland. I struggled to finish watching it. I am sure that most viewers will find this film difficult to watch. The cast easily could have been better. They did not fully commit nor connect to the storyline nor to their respective characters. There was not a sign of chemistry between the cast members. I sort of see why this was David Bowie's most iconic character and film but I do not agree with it. The crew made a mistake by creating this film. I do not think that I could watch it again.

Oh wow...the acting was a bit too much, too dramatic. Not sure if it was intentional but i had a great time making joke out of it.

Not a fan of the musicals but this movie doesnt even have that much of musical scenes - only 4 i guess. Not a fan of david bowie either but i really enjoyed watching this movie. It was silly which was very common back in 80s. The costumes were sick and love the darkish tone setup for the storyline. The whole set and decorations for this movie were amazing.

In terms of the storyline, probably something new for people back in those early years but for me it was just okay, felt very familiar with other cartoons, movies and series. Falls in musical, adventure, fantasy and horror category. The graphics were totally fine and smooth transitions. Very family friendly although a bit dark for younger viewers. Great original songs and the acting by most of the casts werent compelling enough for me to rate it higher or put on my favorite classic movies list.

Not for me but recommended to others.

This film is squarely within the style of 80s fantasy films like The NeverEnding Story and Willow. The style is odd with all the puppets and David Bowie's gravity manipulation. I'm not sure why others might read a deeper meaning into this film though. It was good fun but nothing profound.

I've always admired Jim Henson more than I like him. I know I enjoy the Muppets, but I can't place it in any point in time in my life where I watched them. They have a nostalgic spirit, but nothing too personal, which is a great shame because I would have really loved them. In fact, I think the only specific Henson related thing that I can place in a time in my childhood is Muppets Treasure Island. I wish I saw Labyrinth when I was a child as I can tell its most powerful aspect is nostalgia. Granted, I would've found it way too scary. It's an oddly hit and miss film throughout. Sometimes it's movie magic and sometimes it's a complete flop that I'm really not a fan of. The action sequences, besides the ones that go on for too long, are fantastic with a great affection that I love, but the music sequences are the purest of cheese. Sometimes too slow and sometimes too quick, sometimes timeless and sometimes dated, there's a strange imbalance about the film but fortunately, due to Terry Jones' screenplay, there's a great dry Monty Python (albiet 'for kids' version) sense of humour throughout. And of course there's Bowie at his campiest which is a feat in itself.

6/10

1. You like the sight of a huge codpiece inside a pair of leggings.

2. You're a ginger ninja and you find Ludo a liberating force.

3. Your name is 'Hoggle' and you want to find out how to burn diamonds.

4. David Bowie is one of your favorite stars and you want to see him make a total pilchard out of himself.

5. You saw Labyrinth when you were 8 and realised its still classic.

6. Jennifer Connelly is a green banana in it.

7. John Fashanu.

8. "Oh Yes Hoggle!"

9. The Goblins voices and comments on things.

10. You have lived in fear of the lady with a house on her back all of your life and wish to conquer the fear once and for all.

11. You are suffering from a terminal illness and need cheering up.

12. Huge codpieces this time in white leggings.

13. The ultimate house party (A 'How To' guide)

14. The "Bog of Eternal Stench"

I believe the saying goes; 'Jesus Wept'

Get this one in - it's a modern musical fantasy classic and quite unique. I'll give it a 6 (or a 7 if you're a fan).

Jim Henson's 'Labyrinth' is decent, even if it doesn't age all that well.

Jennifer Connelly performs admirably as Sarah, while the puppeteers do a good job with the goblins et al. David Bowie's Jareth is OK, though Bowie did feel a little out of place in parts.

I like the way the world is built/feels, but overall believe the plot/execution could've been greater.

A film that relies on its strangeness and craft to get you through to the end.

Labyrinth seems to have the same strengths and weaknesses as its predecessor, The Dark Crystal. It creates a magical, breathing world filled with life and wonder, complemented by incredible scenery, puppetry, and performances. But alas, its story fails to grip onto the viewers' attention. Jennifer Conelly's character came off more as bratty and annoying than the intended naive and curious. I feel like if they just hired a much younger actor, her character would be greatly improved. All in all, the story is pretty dull, but is luckily aided by incredible visuals and art to give this movie a fun factor to it.

This is an interesting, multi-layered complex film about coming of age for a teenage girl. However, the film is uncertain what audience it is aiming at, and as a result the tone is muddled with darker aspects meshing uncomfortably with cheerful scenes clearly aimed at much younger children. The lack of clarity is the films main failing, coupled with some inconsistent acting by a young Jennifer Connelly, inconsistent special effects and poor sets mean that the film is definitely inferior to Henson's previous effort, the excellent Dark Crystal.

The plot is interesting, multi-layered and complex, but is slightly undermined by some interludes that seem totally out of place and tonally very different. This mainly is around some of the musical numbers, some of which work very well, and some that did not. When the main plot is focused upon the film performs. The story looks at the needs and desires of a frustrated teenager, played by experienced young teenage actress Jennifer Connelly. She had a number of films already under her belt when she was cast in this film. The structure of the film leaves what is real and imagined open to interpretation by the audience. However, this clever ambiguity is undermined somewhat because the film doesn't quite know what it is as an overall experience: is it a dark fantasy, comedy, or fairy tale? Connelly's performance at the start of the film is uncertain, too broad and played with a lack of subtlety. However as the film goes on, she her performance improves and during a surreal venetian ball she has a highly effective non verbal confrontation with the Goblin King (a solid performance by David Bowie), and hints that the character is moving into a sexual awakening at this point, but then decides she is not ready for this, and makes a decision not to pursue this. It is at this point she is beginning to show the potential as a very talented actress that eventually led to a highly successful career leading to an Oscar for best supporting actress for the film a Beautiful Mind.

Technically the film is well put together, with some clever visual effects, especially towards the film's climax. Some of the animatronics are highly effective, particularly in the film's major battle sequence. The creations of Hoggle and Ludo are real standouts and those characters are interesting and draw the viewers interest. However some of the other work looks like puppets and undermines the suspension of disbelief. Production design by Eliot Scott is solid, albeit some sets work very well, and some sets unfortunately look like sets. The visual effects range from impressive to satisfactory, the work being split between George Lucas's ILM and Optical Film Effects. David Bowie's tunes work reasonably well with the film, but again the style of some of them seem out of kilter with the story. Nevertheless the film feels reasonably satisfying at the conclusion.

Overall an OK film, if slightly unclear at what it's trying to say.

The final film from legendary puppeteer and director Jim Henson, Labyrinth contains some key examples of the maestro's considerable ability.

Unable to take his incessant crying anymore, teenage babysitter Sarah wishes for her baby brother to be carried far away by goblins, as in a book she has read. When Goblin King Jareth informs her that her wish has been granted, she is given thirteen hours to find her way through his extensive labyrinth in order to rescue her brother. Meeting many strange, weird, and wonderful characters along the way, she struggles to reach the centre of the maze.

Opening with an exterior scene in which our heroine attempts to comprehensively quote a scene from a book, Labyrinth swiftly introduces us to her love of the fantastical. Soon after, she is home and being chastised for her lateness, putting her in a foul mood. This is not conducive to her appreciation of her baby brother, who cries relentlessly when she takes a teddy bear from him which he has somehow managed to get from her room. This early scene introduces us to one of the film's most enduring and detractive faults: the fact that the protagonist is largely unlikeable. Her impatience with the baby serves to show her as an inconsiderate, selfish, and immature young brat. Little is done to endear us to her, even throughout the rest of the film. She seems to learn little from her experience; a slight moment of humanity in the final scene not nearly enough to make up for the less amiable aspects of her personality. The problem of Sarah aside, the film's plot itself is sufficiently engaging. The fantasy world of the Labyrinth is amusing, entertaining, and very well realised. Henson's characters are each in their own ways funny, intriguing, and likable. One complaint, however, is regarding Jareth. It's always bothered me to have the Goblin King as a six foot tall human, especially in the way that this is never referred to or apparently noticed by anyone. This is, however, rather a minor concern. Bowie leads the musical numbers well, bringing much to the entertainment factor of this fine children's film.

Though its central character lacks the moral development and evolution which might lend gravitas to the film's effect, Labyrinth is a perfectly entertaining film. Certainly more for the enjoyment of children, it doesn't quite do a huge amount for adults.