Labyrinth (1986)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Jim Henson

Writers:

Dennis Lee (story) and
Jim Henson (story) ...

Release Date:

27 June 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

Where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems.

Plot:

15-year-old Sarah accidentally wishes her baby half-brother, Toby, away to the Goblin King Jareth who will keep Toby if Sarah does not complete his Labyrinth in 13 hours.

Plot Keywords:

Goblin | Labyrinth | Baby | Castle | Goblin King

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 nominations

US Showtimes:

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Cast

David Bowie	...	Jareth the Goblin King
Jennifer Connelly	...	Sarah
Toby Froud	...	Toby
Shelley Thompson	...	Stepmother
Christopher Malcolm	...	Father
Natalie Finland	...	Fairy
Shari Weiser	...	Hoggle
Brian Henson	...	Hoggle / Goblin (voice)
Ron Mueck	...	Ludo / Firey 2 / Goblin (voice)
Rob Mills	...	Ludo / Firey 3
Dave Goelz	...	Didymus / The Hat / The Four Guards / Left Door Knocker / Firey 3 (voice) (as David Goelz)
David Alan Barclay	...	Didymus / Firey 1
David Shaughnessy	...	Didymus / The Hat / The Four Guards / Goblin (voice) (as David Shaughnessy)
Karen Prell	...	The Worm / The Junk Lady / Firey 2
Timothy Bateson	...	The Worm / The Four Guards / Goblin (voice)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (cable rating) | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Elstree, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Delphi V Productions

Trivia:

The owl in the title sequence is computer generated - the first attempt at a photo-realistic CGI animal character in a feature film.

Goofs:

Continuity: The knot which keeps Ludo hanging, changes.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sarah: Give me the child. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great...
[thunder rumbles]
Sarah: For my will is as strong as yours, my kingdom as great... Damn. I can never remember that line.
[Sarah looks up the line from the Labyrinth book]
Sarah: You have no power over me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Charmed: A Paige from the Past (#4.10)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

WITHIN YOU

I wish someone had handed me over to the Goblin King when I was a kid!

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!).