There’s no puzzle to what gives Labyrinth its magic.

There’s an immutability to the best of Jim Henson’s work and it’s that sense of timelessness that marks “Labyrinth” out as one of the finest classics of his astonishingly rich legacy.

While many of Henson’s frequent collaborators – George Lucas, Frank Oz – were involved in putting the story together, the end result is pure Henson magic, with even the late, great Terry Jones (on scripting duties) taking care not to eclipse magic. Essentially a loose reimagining of “Alice In Wonderland”, “Labyrinth” brings us a coming of age story full of important lessons about being careful what you wish for, especially as you’re growing up and learning who to trust, not least of all in yourself. Henson brings these themes to the screen with his uncanny ability to know just how dark to take things to give the families watching just enough of a thrill without ever pushing it too far and populates the beguiling world of the Goblin King’s labyrinth with a cavalcade of wonderful creature and character designs.

At the centre of it all is David Bowie, an androgynous, enigmatic antagonist who grants the wish Sarah (Jennifer Connolly) is unwise to make in haste and then meddles continuously to thwart her efforts to rescue her younger brother as she repents at leisure. Bowie brings just the right amount of ambiguity to the role (although quite possibly the wrong amount of codpiece), walking a fine line between being a mischievous villain and, perhaps, a kind of teacher with a particularly cruel approach to tough love. Striking to look at, in the hands of a lesser performance the role of Jareth The Goblin King could easily have become a twee pantomime of excess but Bowie’s brooding subtlety gives the high fantasy a solid dramatic anchor.

He’s a wonderful adversary for Connelly’s pugnaciously pure heroine and by turns playful and sinister in the treatment of his various monstrous maze minions. Full of delightful flights of fantasy and fun, with plenty of laughs for kids and adults alike, tragically “Labyrinth” would be Jim Henson’s final feature film as director but it’s a triumphantly high note to end on. It’s a dazzlingly showcase for the technique and artistry Henson brought to everything he created.

labyrinth review
labyrinth review
Score 8/10


Hi there! If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to get new posts sent straight to your inbox?

Sign up to receive a weekly digest of The Craggus' latest posts.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

logo

Related posts

Doctor Who: Praxeus Review

Doctor Who: Praxeus Review

The Fam get Hong Kong Whoey in a globetrotting romp that fails to go viral An out of control spaceship attempting re-entry, a shoplifter being arrested and a pair of Peruvian hitchhikers find that they’ve paved paradise and put up a garbage dump. What’s the...

King Ralph (1991) Review

King Ralph (1991) Review

Mass Regicide makes for a surprisingly amiable comedy. A film that I have fond if faded memories of seeing a couple of times at my local 2 Screen (yes, two whole screens!) ABC cinema when it was released, King Ralph starts with the kind of absurdity that almost belongs in a Monty Python...

Gran Turismo (2023) Review

Gran Turismo (2023) Review

"Did you feel it when you were out there? That thing where time slows down?" I got that in the cinema watching this. Perennial Alien promiser Neill Blomkamp finds himself in the director’s driving seat for Gran Turismo, a movie based on a true story based on a reality TV show based...

King Kong Lives (1986) Review

King Kong Lives (1986) Review

King Kong Lives but it's not much of a life, really. Although it’s a direct sequel to 1976’s KING KONG, the only character who actually returns after a ten-year hiatus is Kong himself (this time played by Peter Elliot), although Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange do feature in a...

12 To The Moon (1960) Review

12 To The Moon (1960) Review

The derpy dozen head into space in hokey sci-fi B-movie 12 To The Moon “12 To The Moon” is a bad movie. Like, really bad. As if someone set out to make the worst movie they possibly could and really excelled themselves bad. This 1960 Z-grade sci-fi thriller tells the story...

Good Omens Season One

Good Omens Season One

Good Omens is a nice and accurate adaptation of the book, but not much more. “Good Omens”, starting on BBC2 tonight after an exclusive first run on Amazon Prime is a nice and accurate translation of a long-thought unfilmable book to the small screen, but that’s about it. Despite...

Legend (2015) Review

Legend (2015) Review

Strong performances prevent Legend becoming a cinematic footnote. Based on the book ‘The Profession Of Violence: The Rise And Fall Of The Kray Twins’ by John Pearson, Writer/ Director Brian Helgeland’s “Legend” takes a look at the notorious East End gangsters from their ascent to the top...

Insidious: The Red Door (2023) Review

Insidious: The Red Door (2023) Review

As Insidious: The Red Door closes, let's hope another one doesn't open. INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR brings Patrick Wilson’s other horror franchise back to its main narrative thread after the previous two films in the series offered unnecessary and underwhelming forays into prequelisation...