Labyrinth picture image

Labyrinth

For today’s review I’m donning nostalgia goggles and wearing my I APPRECIATE THE MUPPETS ON A MUCH DEEPER LEVEL THAN YOU T-shirt because today we’re reviewing the 1986 Jim Henson movie, Labyrinth.

Labyrinth is a sort of companion piece to Jim Henson’s 1982 movie The Dark Crystal, Unlike The Dark Crystal, which is a dark serious fantasy movie with only puppets, Labyrinth is a light-hearted coming of age story with a few human characters. However, it does have its surreal moodiness that makes for a great children’s movie, then again that was the style of kids movie in the 80’s.

Sarah entering the Labyrinth jennifer connelly Labyrinth picture image

Sarah entering the Labyrinth

Labyrinth centers on fifteen-year old Sarah played Jennifer Connelly. Sarah frenquetly has to babysit her step or half baby brother, Toby. One night while babysitting Toby she asked the Goblin King from her favorite book, Labyrinth, to take Toby away. As it turns out the Golbin King, Jareth, played by David Bowie, takes Toby to his castle at the center of the Labyrinth beyond the Goblin city. Sarah begs him to giver her brother back and he gives her thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth and reach the castle. The rest of the movie is Sarah meeting creatures and friends while Jareth tries to thwart her and falling in love with her all.

Jareth offering Sarah her dreams jennifer Connnlley David Bowie  Labyrinth picture image

Jareth offering Sarah her dreams

Labyrinth has an interesting kind of moral. It’s a coming of age story but the way it handled isn’t very common. Sarah is on the cusp of childhood and adulthood. She rather likes living in her fantasy world of toys, storybooks and costumes and doesn’t like the reasonability of taking care of her little brother. She does haven’t sort wants the freedom to do what she wants, like when she argues with her stepmother about how she doesn’t ask Sarah what her plans for her evenings. It sort of plays at being and adult but keeping a sense of childhood which is fitting for a Jim Henson movie.

Sarah in the Labyrinth Labyrinth picture image

Sarah in the Labyrinth

That being said Labyrinth doesn’t have a very strong story, it’s really just a girl in a strange place meeting strange creatures and characters. Is is because most of the movie was done from the artwork of Brian Froud. So it was a collaborative movie that was unified with a script. But I think it works here, I think going from point to point but having a larger goal in mind works for a story.

Sarah and Jareth dancing Jennifer Connelly David Bowie Labyrinth picture image

Sarah and Jareth dancing

Of course the premise structure that with movie has only really works because the technically and the character work well. Let’s start with the characters. Sarah has a lot of growth. She starts off bratty but grows and accepts her adult responsibilities and when she is offered her dreams she rejects them. Jareth is kind of like Sarah. Bowie talked about how he saw his character has taking the responsibility of being the Goblin King but hating the job. So he does his job of taking children and trying to scare the ones who would save them. Bowie brings a lot of complexity to character who might not have had any. The other characters like Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus are also great. Hoggle grows from being a coward and not very nice to be being brave and kind. Ludo is just kind despite being somewhat scary and Didymus is amusing.

Jareth singing Dance Magic David Bowie Labyrinth picture image

Jareth singing Dance Magic

As is standard with Henson movies the technicals are great and a lot of fun. The CG work looks very dated but it was 1986 so it’s forgivable. The costumes are also great. It rare that a movie gives the male villain more costumes than the lead female. The ball-gown she wears is wonderful, it’s like pure 80’s fantasy mixed with Art Nouveau. The whole of the ballroom scene is stunning.
The movie also has a great sound track that David Bowie provided. Who doesn’t love Dance Magic?

Sarah, Ludo, Didymus and Hoggle Labyrinth picture image

Sarah, Ludo, Didymus and Hoggle

However the movie does have some pacing issues. It drags in parts, like the battle has some fun parts BUT it goes on and on and on and then on some more. There also a part before she meets the Fire Gang that is a little dull, also the fire gang is a little bit of a what the fuck scene and in this movie that is saying a lot.

Goblins Labyrinth picture image

Goblins

Despite Labyrinth having a very simple premise you could write a thesis on on the symbolism of this movie from a number of different disciplines. Was the whole real or did Sarah imagine it? Was the worm helpful or deceptive? And just the Ballroom scene in general, that is my favorite scene. The movie has so many layers and richness.

Also there is a comic book sequel series, Return to Labyrinth .

While the prospect of an English movie version of Notre Dame de Paris is probably the last thing Hollywood would ever do, it’s still fun to contemplate who should be cast in a role for it. Obviously for a musical you need actors who can sing and act. So who would make a good Frollo?

David Bowie picture image

David Bowie

I think David Bowie would make a great Frollo. First off, he can sing and he has a lot of theatrically to his voice which is necessary for Frollo. Second, he can act.

David Bowie  as Jareth from Labyrinth

David Bowie as Jareth from Labyrinth

Bowie is most well known for his role as Jareth the Goblin King in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. Jareth on the surface isn’t the most complex role but there is a lot shades of complexity which Bowie communicates very well.

David Bowie  as Maj. Jack 'Strafer' Celliers in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence picture image

David Bowie as Maj. Jack ‘Strafer’ Celliers in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

He did play a more dramatic and complex role in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence . In that  he plays Maj. Jack ‘Strafer’ Celliers. The film is about the relationship between four men in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during World War II. Bowie’s character is rebellious and he harbors a secret that torments him (fun hint, it involves a Hunchback).

David Bowie  picture image

David Bowie

David Bowie also has a good angler look for Frollo. He just seems to be an all round great choice for the role.