MUBI

The first time I ever saw this film I must have been about 10 years old. At that age everything captures the imagination. Now 21 this is one of the few films that; 1) still does and 2) i can even stand to rewatch multiple times.
There are good lessons to be learnt from Labyrinth beneath all the magic, glitz and fantasy: things aren’t always as they seem, teenagers are stroppy wotsits and Bowie should refrain from tight trousers (pants for you Americans). The costume and mise-en-scene are superb and whilst Jennifer Connelly’s acting is cheesy at times (see; the first 20 minutes of the film) lets remember this was the 80’s.

Much like Alice In Wonderland the film deals with ideas surrounding childhood imagination and the horrible years between childhood and young adulthood. The film follows her journey from a childish girl, who does not think before opening her mouth, to a much more mature and kind young adult. I felt the quote, “should you need us..” really gave us all permission to sometimes slip back in to our own childhood imaginations. Why should growing up mean letting go of this?

Jim Henson managed to create a film that all film lovers can appreciate regardless of their age, gender or taste in films. Labyrinth; a film that brings with it huge feelings of nostalgia, warmth and adventure.

I am aware that there is a large fan-base for the 1986 Fantasy movie Labyrinth starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly and don’t want to offend any of them, but I really dislike this movie… a lot. I love Jim Henson and think he is one of the most creative and funny puppeteers of all time and grew up on Muppets. I do think the Puppets and sets in Labyrinth are good, but that is all I can see in this over-long, annoying, cliche, over-the-top, predictable mess. I first saw this movie at a very young age and didn’t like it. After about 8 years I decided to re-watch it and hopefully see what it seemed like everybody else saw in it. I almost turned off the movie more then five times and if you know me, I hardly ever feel the urge to turn a movie off, even if it is bad.

Let’s start off with my biggest problem with this movie: Trying to cram a lot of ideas into it’s time slot. This movie is too long because of all the things that it tries throwing into the story: The bog of eternal stench, those psychedelic birds, helping hands, etc.. If they simplified the script, it would have been better and more patient. The performances aren’t too great either (in my opinion), David Bowie at the height of his bulging spandex crotch and big hair doesn’t put on a character, but instead calls himself “the Goblin-King”. I never believed this for one second! Every time he says something like: “I AM THE GOBLIN-KING!” I thought to myself: “Hey, look! It’s David Bowie… Woah dude, get that bulge out of the lens!” he looks like he’s phoning in a performance to get money and make a new single.
Jennifer Connelly is over-the-top and doesn’t really seem to be having any fun at all it seems and in the exposition she is well… annoying. And that is probably the best word to describe this movie: Annoying and over-the-top. I didn’t expect a masterpiece fantasy (Metropolis), I expected to have nostalgic entertaining fun and got this instead.

Like said earlier, the sets and puppets are entertaining, creative, and very much Jim Henson. But my irritation and trial of patience felt by this movie out-weighs the good things about this movie. This felt like a punishment more then it felt like entertainment. Sorry fans, I just didn’t like it.