User Reviews

Oh dear, Jim Henson, you are sorely missed. Not necessarily because you went before your time, or even in somewhat rotten circumstances. No, it is because unlike the purveyors of so-called family entertainment these days, your work was actually entertaining to the whole family. When I was a lad, I used to think these films were childish and patronising. By comparison to what is being aimed at the children of my cousins, it is MENSA material, and I realise now that it was far more brilliant than I had previously given it credit for. Indeed, compared to the "you're not good if you don't have good feelings" rubbish that the likes of B'Harni fill the heads of children with, Henson productions deserve a medal.

At its heart, Labyrinth is a simple fable about how much we miss something once it is gone. A young girl wishes that her annoying stepbrother would disappear, only to find when he is gone that she misses him. Enter the Goblin King, played with a great malice by David Bowie. The challenge the Goblin King sets almost sounds like a video game. Indeed, one popular Commodore 64 game of the time set the challenge of collecting the pieces to solve a key puzzle to save the world in a certain time period. Labyrinth was even adapted into a game for the Commodore 64. In Labyrinth the film, this young woman named Sarah, played with a certain kind of brilliance by a young Jennifer Connelly, is challenged to navigate a massive labyrinth in less than thirteen hours, lest her brother become one of the Goblins.

It sounds like a very simple idea, and it is. What makes Labyrinth the under-appreciated classic that it is is in the details. As previously indicated, the leads are absolutely brilliant. While David Bowie chews scenery like there is no tomorrow, Jennifer Connelly gets so into her character that she makes it seem perfectly natural when she is interacting with some of Jim Henson's most ludicrous creations. The scene in which she rescues a giant yeti-like thing called Ludo is one of the most superbly-made things in the history of children's film. It is also worth noting that in contrast to the aforementioned normalism of B'Harni and his ilk, Henson's creations taught the valuable lesson that appearances are not the sum total of a living creature's character. Ludo looks like he could tear apart our protagonist, but his manner and speech show him as one of the most gentle and lovable characters ever depicted in film.

As you might guess from this film featuring David Bowie as the top-billed star, there are also a few song and dance numbers. Some of them, such as the magic dance number, are immortally embarrassing. Or at least, they would be, if not for two things. First, the suspension of disbelief that Henson so admirably achieves with his puppets is a real pleasure. Second, Bowie's golden voice could charm the paint off walls. When he sings "I saw my baby, crying hard as babe could cry", it stands out like a stark reminder of why this man used to be able to sign record deals worth tens of millions of dollars. It may even bring tears to your eyes.

If Labyrinth does have a weakness, it is in the closing reels. The final song from Bowie stretches the scene beyond its welcome, but it recovers nicely once Sarah returns to the real world. The compositing work in the Firey sequence is rather lousy, and the story seems to grind to a halt when they do their song and dance number. On the other hand, their song and dance number is still incredibly amusing to behold.

In all, I gave Labyrinth an eight out of ten. It is not perfect. In fact, I wonder if whomever designed Bowie's costume was not playing an elaborate joke upon him. But for all of its problems, Labyrinth is an underrated classic. One of the few films that is advertised as being for all ages, and can entertain audiences of that description. A great light went out in our world when Jim Henson passed away.

By today's standards "Labyrinth" may look dated and cheap but there's something about it that makes it special.

David Bowie makes it a stand alone movie in the weird ranking. The man is crazy but his performance is excellent!

Jennifer Connely (being 16 at the time) delivers a solid and tender performance. She was very, very cute and her performance totally gained the audience's love.

The tale is fantastic and keeps you interested from the beginning to the end. The musical moments are also great! The f/x were great for it's time and I wonder how they came out with the idea for creating such original characters.

The thing that I liked the most about the movie is it's art direction. The world that is created is taken directly from everyone's fantasy world idea. Colorful and dark at the same time.

Better than the "Neverending Story" movies, "Labyrinth" should be watched for lovers of sci-fi.

The teenager Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is forced by her father and her stepmother to babysit her baby brother Toby while they are outside home. Toby does not stop crying and Sarah wishes that her brother be taken by the Goblin King. Out of the blue, Toby stops crying and when Sarah looks for him in the cradle, she learns that he wish was granted and the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) has taken him to his castle in the Goblin City in the middle of a labyrinth. Sarah repents an asks Jareth to give Toby back; but the Goblin King tells that she has to rescue her brother before midnight, otherwise Toby will be turned into a goblin. Soon Sarah teams up with the coward goblin Hoggle, the beast Ludo and the knight Didymus and his dog Ambrosius in her journey. Will they rescue Toby in time?

"Labyrinth" is another magic film from the 80's, maybe the best decade in cinema history. It is amazing the quantity of wonderful films produced in this period and "Labyrinth" is no exception. This film makes the viewer feel good and the plot is a journey to the childhood of any adult. It is also delightful to see David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly and these puppets again. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Labirinto - A Magia do Tempo" ("Labyrinth – The Magic of the Time")

The first time I saw this movie was two years ago. Don't ask me how I managed to miss it as a child but I did.

It is obvious that this movie was made for the kiddies but I don't think it can just be enjoyed by the younger crowd. I think perhaps if I had seen this as a child instead of a teenager I would have enjoyed it more but I didn't and I still enjoyed never the less. There is something magical about watching Labyrinth. You just feel the happiness that rubs off from this movie. It almost makes you wish you were a kid again. I admit seeing it now I have to say some parts are beyond corny but I think that's just part of it, I mean that was the 80's right? I am not even a David Bowie fan but I can't help but smile whenever he starts singing (which is quite often). I recently showed this to my 4 year old cousin and he couldn't get enough of it. It was so great to watch him turn his head back to look at me with a giant smile to make sure I saw the puppets doing whatever they were doing at that moment. He really loved it so I bought him the dvd for X-mas this year along with myself a copy. This is really just one of those movies you have to see at least once in your life, just because there isn't another like it. Sure the story isn't much when it comes to plot but try to watch this film all the way through without smiling once, I dare you!

A great movie for the kids or kids at heart! 8 out of 10 stars.

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.

This is a classic fantasy film from Jim Henson, in collaboration with George Lucas. There really is a magic about the film and that has helped it last as a firm family favourite all these years. As with many films aimed at younger audiences there are messages that the writers, in this case Henson himself, have tried to convey, such as `be careful what you wish for (as in the heat of the moment we are not always sure what is best for us) and also about not taking things for granted. These lessons not only relate to the major target audience of young children but also teenagers and adults alike. The film also has values and attitudes about growing up, the central character Sarah is in the awkward stage between child and womanhood, the stage of adolescence. She acts like a child in her self importance and possessiveness but she is perhaps starting to grow out of her young imagination. She does not want to, her room full of inanimate companions, dreams and fantasies, she feels are slipping away.

Labyrinth is about Sarah keeping her imagination alive, her fantasies and dreams, and these help her figure out what she is doing wrong, it helps her realise how her attitude is wrong and causes her to be depressed. There is certainly intelligence to this film if analysed deeply. There is depth to the script, and clear attitudes and values that Jim Henson conveys. Henson is in a way telling not just kids, but also adults, that our subconscious, which includes our dreams and imaginative side (in terms of taking yourself to another place, more than imagination in creating something like a piece of music for instance.) can be as affective a guide to where and when your live is going wrong as your conscious. Sometimes we don't realise things we have said or done until we dream. How many times have you said something, that every teen must have to their parents, for instance `I wish you were dead', very cruel but it is said. I have in the past and realised the full implication in a bad dream, a dream is the most effective doorway to imagine something outside of it really happening.

What is fantastic about the way the film opens and closes as that it really hints to the fact that Sarah has been through the same dream before, and that she needs these imaginative friends, and dreams to help her see the light as it were. She says for instance at the close that every now and again she needs Hoggle and company. The opening of the film sees Sarah reciting from a book to herself, she is addressing the Goblin king and the characters of this book and her room are the cast of a play inside her mind, they are special to her and meaningful, in a way we might have a favourite song that speaks to us in some way. At the start of the film when we are first in her room there is clever use of visual hints that you wouldn't pick up on until watching a film the second time. Look around her room and you see the characters everywhere, Hoggle, Ludo even a little replica of a maze. There is also a clipping of Sarah's mother, who we do not know whether she is still alive, but in any case is not around, but she is with a man who is the likeness of the Goblin King. The man in the photo probably a figure of blame for the loss (however large) of Sarah's mother. What is also interesting is Sarah being a young girl at the start of puberty has a certain fascination and perhaps crush on the Goblin King, perhaps a combination of the character from the book and the likeness of which she has created this character in her head. Certainly on a visual and script basis there are some clever touches when you consider this is a kids film.

The film itself is much like the Wizard of Oz in terms of story (intentional maybe as it could represent something that Sarah finds special and perhaps inspirational). What I really love about the film is, that before the days of CGI, inside the Goblin world, which accounts for 90% of the film, everything is 100% set work, there must be well over a hundred sets and they are all imaginative an create the enchanting atmosphere of the film, these sets combined with some fantastic matte paintings from ILM that give even more of a scale to the film.

I do really like this film, the look, the cheesy feel good 80's music, the characters, it is all great. There is some good humour and of course the odd piece of very childish low brow humour but that is to be expected. It is movie magic no question. David Bowie is good as the Goblin King and all the puppeted characters are fantastically brought to life in there movements and voicing as you would expect from a Henson film. A very youthful Jennifer Connelly before the days when many a website was devoted to her ample bosom, has a charm to her, she has to hold the movie together and win the audience, especially after being very bratty and effectively wishing her baby brother into the clutches of Goblins. She does manage to win the audience though and enchant them with her green eyes and youthful innocence.

This film is great, it is what makes, or made fantasy films of this time really enchanting. Real artistry was involved, there was exuberance and charm to it and it has lasted a long time. It is a firm fans favourite and still gains new young fans. I can still to this day sit down and enjoy the film because I remember what Jim Henson tries to teach us. `Keep the inner child alive inside you sometimes he/she actually knows best'. Perhaps certain events in recent years may have panned out differently had this been heeded by more people, but that is all just hear say.

Overall this is a classic fantasy film with much artistry and charm to appreciate, certainly Henson had a skill in all his fields in the industry. ****

LABYRINTH is Jim Benson's follow-up of the grotesquely eye-opening puppet enterprise THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982, 7/10), and also his final painstaking work, where he pairs a cherubic Jennifer Connelly and a trend-setting David Bowie (look at his 80s coiffure!) as human actors with all his accomplished puppets, to present a spellbinding fairytale in a labyrinth at the heart of a Goblin kingdom. It was a disastrous commercial failure upon its release, but time has been pretty generous to it and now it has achieved the cult status and even a possible sequel has been hatched for many years.

As bedazzling as Bowie plays the almighty Jareth the Goblin king, this is no prince and princess romance considering Connelly's Sarah is only a 15-year-old, after her embittered wish accidental becomes true, Sarah faces a daunting task and must solve the labyrinth within 13 hours, otherwise her little stepbrother Toby (Froud) who has been snatched by Jareth and his underlings, will become a goblin forever.

Not as otherworldly as THE DARK CRYSTAL, but again Benson and his prop teams let their imagination soar with no boundaries, there are biting fairies, countless helping hands, the paradoxical door riddle, a juggernaut cleaner, talking walls, head-detached creatures called Fierys, the bog of eternal stench, junk-yard hags, behemoth metallic guards just to name a few. Plus, the picture distinguishes itself as a prototype of computer-generated CGI technology,

For Sarah, it is also a journey of learning not to take things for granted, don't be as spoiled and selfish as she is in the beginning, and making friends alongside, soon she will be accompanied by the cowardly dwarf Hoggle, the giant beast-looking Ludo, who is actually very timid and can summon rocks, and a chivalrous fox named Sir Didymus. All is granted with vivid impersonations thanks to the excellent puppeteers behind them. One innate shortcoming of puppets-operation is the lack of fluidity in motion, especially during the large-scale actions, that's why the film slackens a bit in its second half when Sarah's squad grows, and during the castle-raiding scenes, it becomes rather distractive. But as luck would have it, a final highlight arrives in a gravity-defying stairwell resembles M.C. Escher's RELATIVITY, where Sarah faces off Jareth alone and rebuffs his conquest, her mission finally has been accomplished and Jareth is defeated and morphs into the form of an owl.

Bowie contributed five songs to the soundtrack, the most striking one is AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN, played in a critical scenery where Sarah's memory is fading and she appears as a princess in a masquerade, captivated by Jareth's gaze and supposedly should forget about her mission and capitulate to Jareth's glamour. Connelly is peachy and sufficiently engaging as a little heroine acquires wisdom and compassion in this phantasm fable, as the film cunningly suggests with all the paraphernalia in her bedroom of a girl obsessed with a fanciful wonderland. I could imagine if I had watched it when I was a kid, this movie could have been stuck in my memory as an all-time classic, and I doubt the current cinematic puppetry can ever reach the same altitude of ingeniousness and virtuosity.

Growing up as a child in 1980's New York, I remember being inspired by many fantasy and science fiction films, that eventually led me to start writing short stories myself (from there to my current occupation of journalism the road was quite short, BTW). Titles like The Neverending Story, Flight of the Navigator and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? captured my imagination and filled me with aw, and with time found their way to my ever growing DVD collection, as did Jim Henson's Labyrinth, the latest addition to my nostalgic bundle of joy.

The saddest thing about all this is that no one seems to make films like Labyrinth anymore. Viewing it again at the age of 25 just made me appreciate it even more, for all of it's breathtaking imaginative figures, rich scenery and original plot; especially when some of the scenes seem somewhat dated while the essence and heart of the film remain in tact, even twenty years down the road.

In short, Labyrinth is one of Jim Henson's last attempts at creating cross-age entertainment through his world famous puppets, after bringing life to the eternal beloved characters of The Muppets and Sesame Street, and before his sudden and premature death. The story presents us 16 year old Sarah (a very young Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind), who has an extremely vivid imagination she uses to escape her everyday worries... or so it seems. After asked to take care of her baby stepbrother, Toby, Sarah finds herself dealing with a screaming infant, instead of wondering away in her thoughts to a world filled with Goblins, Yeti-like creatures, and a King Atrhur-ish talking dog. After several lacking attempts at calming the baby down, she wishes Toby to the evil Goblin King Jareth. Fantasy and fiction clash when Jareth (the one and only rock singer David Bowie, who appears on screen with an extravagant 80's outfit and some cute yet unnecessary songs) actually takes Toby away to his evil kingdom, where he threatens to transform the baby into a Goblin, if Sarah won't find a way to cross a tricky and mystical Labyrinth on the way to his kingdom. Determined to save her brother, Sarah makes her way through the Labyrinth, meeting helpful friends along the way, whilst magical fantasy happenings occur around her...

This is a true 1980's gem. Treat it with care, and enjoy!

My god... in this movie you become hypnotized by David Bowie's Bulge!!! He plays this Goblin King that has taken Sarah's baby bother after she accidentally asks him to do so. Yeah, she isn't that bright and she is obsessed with fantasies. So the only way to get back the little brat is to go through this huge maze. This isn't any ordinary hedge maze... this thing is freaky and full of puppets! Ugly puppets, and most of them are up to no good. So the lesson in this movie is be careful what you wish for or you might have to take it back by being forced to go through a giant maze full of some messed up s*** and be forced to stare at David Bowie's bulge! It is big though....

Watching Labyrinth on TV the other day, after years of having not seen it, I'm reminded in general how I see Jim Henson's work, via the usual Muppets (in the 'Muppet' movies) or in the non-traditional ones (the spectacular film 'the Dark Crystal'), just a smidgen different than as a kid. For one thing, there's the nostalgia factor, of having loved the muppets as a kid and seeing how the entertainment value is still there, if on a slightly different wavelength then as a kid- some jokes more received and understood and some moments not as freakish as when back in the day. But with Labyrinth I just thought, despite all of the talent and marvelous special effects, "this hasn't really changed much for me since I was a kid, it's still just, well, good."

The story itself- of young Jennifer Connelly going after her baby brother kidnapped by the Goblin King (David Bowie, in full-on regalia) while navigating through the tangential directions of the Labyrinth with help (or not) from creatures- is just a fairy tale for kids. That it's got some clever direction from Henson is not without its merits and some scenes get the fantasy feeling right, even for its time and visual FX limitations. But if there are limitations anywhere noticeable it's in the script by Terry Jones, from the story by Henson and Dennis Lin, where chances to reach to a larger audience (like with the Dark Crystal, which works for adults just as well as for kids) are missed. The humor in the film does work here and there, but there are also the Bowie songs to contend with which are, more or less, rather disappointing and, well, 80's in retrospect. I still liked the inventive uses with the supporting Muppet-type characters, the little troupe of sorts that follows Connelly's character till the end (almost). However, having seen it again, I'm not sure when I would want to watch it again, unless I had some kids around.

In short, one of the lesser Henson films (ironically the only one produced by George Lucas) which means that it still has enough visual prowess and imagination to top the current films reaching for its target audience.

Cool film! Way too good for children. Jim Henson, as ever, is the absolute master of every kind of puppetry known to man or muppet.Particularly adorable is the little punk worm who invites Sarah to "Come inside and meet the missus"... very cute. The plot has all the essential elements of a good fairy tale with the added bonus of a heroine who manages to get through all her trials and tribulations without squealing feebly or fainting into the arms of any poxy bloke. David Bowie is wonderfully sexy (despite the fright wig) and his natural humour shines through although his character does a pretty good job of being spiteful and menacing. I get the feeling the he really enjoyed making this film. The soundtrack is excellent and "As the World Falls Down" is quite hauntingly beautiful ('though I have to agree with an earlier reviewer that the ballroom sequence in which it was played did slow the action down a little - but it was a visual feast).

All in all, a beautiful film with a wonderful cast of creatures and humans. Makes me miss Jim Henson's talents lots but at least we've still got Brian (his son). My friend's three year old now has a crush on the Goblin King (I dread to think how that's gonna shape her life!).

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.

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.

'Labyrinth' has deep symbolic and psychological significance. It's about a girl going into the fantasy world to work through her issues and fears about growing up. In her room there are all the different creatures/toys etc found in the labyrinth and books from which the symbolism of the labyrinth is taken. Some themes in the movie reminded me of 'The Phantom of The Opera', because it involved a labyrinth, The Goblin King is a musician and a magician and he's in love with a young girl. This movie can be seen on several levels: first, as a children's movie, but also as a movie for grownups, because there are some universal lessons that everyone can learn from it...this movie is so magical and wonderful...the characters in the labyrinth are truly fantastical...I saw this movie in 2006, but i still love it very much and I wish i saw it when i was younger...I probably would have loved it even more, if that's possible :D

In case anyone is interested in the symbolism of Labyrinth and it's characters, here are some interesting links:

http://www.katiescarlett.co.uk/ http://www.oddpla.net/realm/ http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/lorelei/littlemagpie.html http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/lorelei/labyanalysis.html

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.

Let's face it, the eighties gave us the best of everything: best music, best movies, best acting, etc. Now, we get leftovers that have been churned out a thousand times and remakes that make me nauseous. Labyrinth is a breath of fresh air from all that.

Despite Jim Henson being dead and gone, his movies live on- and Labyrinth rules supreme. Well, to me, anyways. With a combination of (gasp) original ideas, characters, and enchanting music, Labyrinth is a classic that is overshadowed by travesties such as LOTR.

For those of us who were around in the 80's, like myself, chances are, you were familiar with David Bowie, rock god. He pulls himself up from that disaster The Hunger and plays Jareth the goblin king with wit, charm, and charisma that you can't deny.

Jennifer Connelly- whom, I already loved from Phenomena/Seven minutes in Heaven- was perfect for Sarah- she had the right tone, right intelligence, right facial expressions- every scene where she wasn't in it left me begging Henson to bring her back (which he did! :)

Labyrinth has everything that movies today only WISH that they could possess: great acting, great cast all around, fun/original storyline (Quick! Hide! It's an original IDEA!!!) and it's fun for the whole family.

Labyrinth is a classic, a gem that will always have a special place in my heart. If you haven't seen this beautiful masterpiece yet, please do so. After all- the only things in life that one should regret are the things that you haven't done. Make sure missing Labyrinth isn't one of them.

Enjoyable fantasy in which a teen girl needs to find her baby brother and goes into a fantastic world , a land beyond imagination . It deals with 15-year-old Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) accidentally wishes her baby half-brother , Toby (Toby Froud) away to the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) who will keep Toby if Sarah does not complete his Labyrinth in 13 hours. As she enters into labyrinth where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems. Sarah has to rescue him before midnight, or the baby will became a goblin.

Fantastic fairy tale about a girl who dives into a wonderous fantasy world through a labyrinth , in which to be showed a fabulous sense of wonder , imagination , astonishment and amazement . This is a gorgeous story specifically designed to appeal to as many cultural groups as possible . This wonderful flick is an enjoyable tale with great charm from a screenplay by Terry Jones , being based on a story by Dennis Lee and the same filmmaker Jim Henson , trying to incorporate too much dreamland with fantastic beings like Goblins , dwarfs , fairies , giant monsters , among others weird and bizarre creatures . They have been made by means of puppets and no by computer generator effects but at the time hadn't been invented . As the Ludo rig originally weighed over 100 pounds, but was brought down to just over 75 pounds, as it was becoming too difficult for the actor/puppeteer inside the suit. However , the owl in the title sequence is computer generated , the first attempt at a photo-realistic CGI animal character in a feature film . The visual beauty of the impressive scenarios give the movie a real sense of wonder and surprise . Breathtaking production design and sets are visually rousing and appealing . And a spectacular "Dance Magic" scene consisted of over 48 puppets, 52 puppeteers, and 8 people in goblin costumes . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Alex Thomson . Imaginative and sensitive musical score by Trevor Jones ; including various agreeable songs by the great David Bowie .

The movie was stunningly directed by Jim Henson , early deceased at 53 years old , though was his final feature film , however, being continued his work by his son Brian Henson . Jim established the Creature Shop, a puppet studio and as he directed the successful "The Muppet Show" (1976) , it became a smash hit and would eventually become the most widely watched series in television history. Hungry for a new challenge, Henson made The Muppets movie(1979), defying the popular industry opinion that his characters would never work in a movie . The film became a hit and spawned a series of features which included the moody fantasy Dark Crystal (1982), which was a drastic and bold departure from the amiable tone of his previous work . The most successful TV work in the 1980s was "Fraggle Rock" (1983), that became renowned for being as brilliant with puppetry as ILM was at special effects . When he died all too soon in 1990, he was indisputably one of the geniuses of puppetry. More importantly, he was a man who achieved his phenomenal success while still retaining his social conscience and artistic integrity as his work in promoting environmentalism and his brilliant "The story teller" (1988) series respectively attest to and , of course , this ¨Labyrinth¨.

The movie takes you to a wonderful world where nothing is what it seems. I was about 10 years old the first time I saw it and it made such an impact on me that I ended up ordering it from Germany just 12 years old. The setting is fantastic; it's just scary enough without making scares in a young boy's soul. Bowie acts in a trilling way, and his unique and magical voice brings it all together. If you like fantasy you will love this film. All the Quotes make Bowie as Jareth "the Goblin King" the perfect villain. At times you almost despise him but as I wrote in my first sentence, nothing is like it seems. And as I grow older I sympathized with him, you may even say that he tries to help Sarah. If you decide to see that aspect of it that is. All in all I wish you all a lovely experience watching this movie!

Absence of Muppets aside, this is probably the most Jim Henson movie ever made. On more than one occasion, it feels like the Creature Shop was running wild, coming up with all manner of strangeness just to put in the film. The creativity is never more apparent than during the Shaft of Hands scene; only a gaggle of puppeteers could've pulled that off. Man, it must've been a lot of fun working on this movie!

This is only one reason Labyrinth excels (and lives on past the '80s). The teen angst is real, the songs are great, the lines are funny . . . and then there's David Bowie. The Goblin King brought to life. Bowie struts around the sets with godlike command, at home not only in the role but also the songs, and he offers one hell of a performance. He's exceptional here.

I haven't seen this since I was a teenager, and it holds up very well. It pleases me greatly that the worm has sort of become a staple in my house. We all love doing the accent. "Don't go that way! Nevah go that way! *sigh* Shoulda kept on goin' down that way, she'da gone straight to the castle."

Not to mention Ludo. "Smell baaad!"

I just want to start by saying I loved this movie as a child. As a matter of fact, I loved a lot of Jim Henson's work, having grown up on the Muppet movies and of course on The Dark Crystal. At 17, I still love this film, it is a timeless childhood classic for the whole family to enjoy! Then again, I may be biased as my favourite film genres are musicals, animation and fantasy. Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Little Nemo's Adventures in Slumberland, Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St Louis, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Princess Bride and NeverEnding Story were my favourites, and I know one or two reviews here have been disfavourable towards Legend, and that has got a lot of hate on IMDb. But I want to say despite Legend's flaws, it is a visual feast to the eyes, with a great music score and one of the best villains ever in a fantasy film.

Back to Labyrinth, it may have one or two minor flaws. People have complained it is cheesy and dated, and that the ballroom scene slowed things down. Maybe so, but this film is so entertaining and such fun and the ballroom scene was exquisite visually I honestly don't really care.

Labyrinth, I think has held up well. The puppet characters are fantastically designed and move seamlessly, and the film is filled with widely imaginative sets that are both haunting and enchanting. The film began and ended very effectively I thought, and the special effects are well above average. I especially love the feel of the film, it is like a Grimm's Fairytale. A lot of effort went into making this movie and it shows, the battle at the Goblin King's castle especially was a masterstroke.

The story is timeless, filled with exuberance, charm, comedy and adventure. This is what a fantasy film should be like, and reasons why Wizard of Oz and NeverEnding Story work so well even on repeated viewings. The scripting is not that bad, Dungeons and Dragons especially had inane and vomit inducing dialogue that alone ruined the film. There is some good dialogue in this film though, Jareth gets the best of them. There were some funny moments here, the fiery dudes who take off their own heads were great fun, same with the cute little dog. And I like Hoggle, a gruff but somewhat humorous character. As well as the feel of the film, and the characters I love the fact that Labyrinth teaches values about growing up without preaching.

I have heard complaints about the music being cheesy. Maybe I am wrong for saying this, but while it isn't the most imaginative music score ever in a fantasy film, I liked it. It has a unique sound to it, and gave David Bowie the opportunity to show off his strengths. I like David Bowie, there are songs of his I like more than others, but then again it is like that with most musicians. His songs here are fun, the lyrics are nice and the melodies are memorable. The final confrontation between him and Sarah was a definite highlight.

The performances and the characters were also great. I have also heard complaints that Sarah is a vapid heroine and that Jennifer Connelly is just eye candy. Can I be one to disagree? Jennifer Connelly isn't the best actress ever, but in an early role she is not bad at all. Her character is the sort of character that goes on a journey, she starts off perhaps unlikeable, but in the end we want her to succeed. Think along the lines of Princess Lilli from Legend. The best piece of casting is David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King, there may be those who may laugh at his Tina Turner- like wig, but Bowie plays a unique sort of villain. Nothing too sinister or camp, but one that is evil but also charismatic, manipulative, sympathetic and sexy. Bowie played all these qualities flawlessly, as he was ever so sexy, his voice was in great shape and some of his costumes are to die for. And the voice acting is very well done, I noticed some Muppet regulars there, including Brian Henson as Hoggle. Plus Toby Froud as baby Toby is absolutely adorable.

All in all, I love this film and will cherish it for years to come, no matter how many minor flaws there are. 10/10 Bethany Cox

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.

And the puppetry is amazing.

The acting from the main actress is pretty weak and melodramatic. what saves this film is a hilariously campy David Bowie performance and Amazing creature effects that manage to a technical marvel and dripping with visual personality.

Come for David Bowie, stay for The creature effects.

I saw this in the theater when I was young and have seen it three to four times since. The first time I liked seeing it as it was different and I like Bowie. Hover since then I find the singing was not done very well, Bowie was very lethargic and too laid back and his acting skills a little suspect. Overall the story was a little boring, or at least presented that way.

I know people are supposed to love babies, but personally I found all the crying enough to make me ask for a Goblin King to come take ME away. I found this part of the story a little silly, but then most of the movie was. It would have been a lot better without the singing.

Personally, I find I much prefer The Dark Crystal over Labyrinth.