You wouldn’t normally expect much from a film that features David Bowie as a stretch pants-clad antagonist, but winning charm abounds in Labyrinth. The combination of Jim Henson’s endless puppet creations, some entertaining musical numbers and a decent story add up to create a whimsical fantasy tale that can be described only as unique.Labyrinth is about a girl named Sarah (a young Jennifer Connelly) who is in love with literature and fantasy. She desperately wishes to get away from her life, particularly her fussy half-brother whom she has to babysit. Thinking the fantasy tales she reads are not real, she accidentally banishes the tike into another world, where he is being held captive by the Goblin King (Bowie).
The Goblin King lives at the center of a giant labyrinth, a maze of stone walls covering countless acres stretching in all directions. Sarah is given 13 hours to work her way to the Goblin King’s castle at the center of the labyrinth. If she makes it to the center, she and her half-brother can go back to their world. If she fails in her quest, the boy will be the Goblin King’s forever.
During her journey, Sarah meets many interesting characters, ranging from a tiny little caterpillar to a gigantic hairy beast. Some of the creatures want to help her find the castle while others are out to prevent any possibility of success. Still others are just there to add a dash of spice and color to the otherwise dreary labyrinth. Each character has different features and are different sizes, creating any number of logistical issues for the puppeteers and the actors alike.
Some of the creatures are large enough to have a person inside them to move them around, but for the most part, Bowie is left with only an infant to interact with, a testament to his acting chops. It can’t be easy projecting and evoking emotion while dealing with lifeless puppets and people buried underneath bizarre costumes.
Perhaps that difficulty does show through in the final product. Jennifer Connelly was young when she made this film and it is possible that her inexperience hindered her character at times. I would be more likely to attribute any weakness to the slightly silly concept of the story and several instances of visual effects and blue screen trickery that aged quite poorly (if it even looked good back in the day).
For me, Labyrinth is somewhat of a guilty pleasure. It’s not a bad film at all, but it’s not exactly something people would normally jump out of their seats to see. It’s got a solid cult following and I can understand why. Labyrinth showcases Jim Henson’s mastery and imagination with dozens of fantastical creature creations ranging from cute and cuddly to downright grotesque. The music is fun and catchy and the film never overstays its welcome.
Then again, it does feature David Bowie as a stretch pants-clad antagonist. :-P
RATING: 3.25 out of 5
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