"Labyrinth" Turns 38
“Be careful what you wish for.” That seems to be the main message of the 1986 Jim Henson-George Lucas film, Labyrinth, a crazy, madcap tale of an imaginative teenage girl named Sarah. The movie is on the big screen in some places, and if anyone has the chance to take in a screening, I very much recommend it, albeit with a few reservations.
For those who might not be familiar with the story, here’s a teeny bit. One night, when a grumpy Sarah is left at home with her baby brother, Toby, she accidentally sends him to the lair of the Goblin King. Instantly regretting her carelessness, Sarah goes in after him, but the Goblin King doesn’t make things easy for her, with lots of false leads and seeming dead ends. She not only has to find her way through the labyrinth leading up to the Goblin King’s castle, but she has twelve hours to finish it. If Sarah doesn’t succeed, Toby will become a goblin forever.
Labyrinth is a visual spectacle, a mashup between The Wizard of Oz, The NeverEnding Story (the novel, though, not the movie), The Dark Crystal, and M.C. Escher, with a few darker shades of Lucas and Henson thrown in. This isn’t the bright, cheery, clean world of the Muppets; the characters in Labyrinth were often hairy, disheveled, and grimy, although not necessarily mean. A lot of times they’re ugly-cute, especially one creature named Ludo.
On the big screen, the attention to detail in the film is easy to see, like the plants with eyes on them that grow out of the labyrinth walls, or the textures on all the creatures. There was obviously a ton of thought put into the design of the movie and it’s pretty satisfying to look at. Even the Bog of Eternal Stench.
Then there’s Bowie. Oh my word, David Bowie. Jareth is a glam rocker’s dream role, and Bowie plays it to the hilt. He’s not scary, and his range as an actor is pretty limited, but he comes across as languid and calculating and the film gives him the chance to strut his stuff in true David Bowie fashion, with plenty of music.
As for Jennifer Connelly, I don’t know if any of us who saw Labyrinth in the eighties knew how big a star she was going to be, but what we did know was that she got to do what a lot of teenager girls dream about: going on an adventure in a fantasy world and having an implied crush on a bad guy like David Bowie. She looks like a storybook heroine, even before the scene where she gets glammed up, with a billowy blouse and vest that look worthy of a princess.
The only thing I don’t care for is that the guy humor is pretty blatant, and a lot of it involves…how shall I put it discreetly? Outsized male members taking leaks. At least it’s not the dominant thing in the film, or it would be too coarse for what’s supposed to be a family movie and a lot less fun. Then again, kids will probably notice it less than the grownups.
Speaking of fun, what’s great about going to see a cult favorite like Labyrinth is the cosplay, and about half a dozen people chose to dress up for the screening I went to. Lots of Jareth wigs going on, and someone even had a Launcelot bear. David Bowie would be proud.
Labyrinth is in select theaters and available on home media. Rated PG.
My grade: A-
Principal Cast: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shelley Thompson, Christopher Malcolm, Natalie Finland, Brian Henson, Ron Muek, Rob Mills, Dave Goelz, David Alan Barclay, David Shaugnessy, Karen Prell, Timothy Bateson, Frank Oz, Michael Hordern, Denise Bryer
Directed by Jim Henson.
Written by Dennis Lee, Jim Henson, and Terry Jones.