Jim Henson may have been world-renowned for his work on Sesame Street, The Muppets, and Fraggle Rock, but many darker projects of his often get overlooked. Labyrinth is one of these, as his directorial and creature work are things that many have simply forgotten about or not stayed with them. Perhaps it is due to the overwhelming star power of David Bowie being attached to the film, but besides his inclusion, I have actually known nothing about this movie up until now. I would also like to preface this review by saying that I have absolutely no personal connection to this film. I faintly remember watching it as a kid, but growing up on the music of Bowie makes this movie grab my attention the most. Despite Labyrinth's lack of coherent direction and frankly disgusting special effects, I can still see why this movie would hold such a special place of nostalgia in so many audiences' hearts.
Labyrinth is the fantastical story of Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), a teenage girl who after being left to babysit her little brother Toby (Toby Froud), wishes that goblins would come and take him away. Her wish gets fulfilled as Jareth (David Bowie), King of the Goblins, arrives in her house and steals her baby brother. Giving her only 13 hours to rescue him, Jareth sets Sarah out on the adventure of a lifetime through a complex and magical labyrinth in order to prevent her brother from being permanently turned into a goblin. Since I have never been very accustomed to this film, watching this for the first time in a while has really opened up my eyes on so many different aspects of this production. Being a student and having a more knowledgable mind has definitely aided me in my ability to analyze why films were made when they were made and Labyrinth might be one of the most shining examples. The massive cult following behind this film will never falter, but I was, unfortunately, greatly let down by this movie. At this point in our culture, this movie almost seems to know that it would entirely rely on nostalgia, because if any kind of story like this were released today, it would be a complete bomb. Terry Jones' script, based on Jim Henson and Dennis Lee's story, is atrocious and gives little to no personality or characterization to any of the major characters, less the goofy monsters throughout the movie. The dialogue is very lazy and makes this adventure seem more like an easygoing romp through an unscary environment. Connelly's performance in this film, even though she might have been young, was very unconvincing. While it is often hard to show authenticity with green screens all around, I was honestly expecting much more effort.
The most glaringly obvious element of this movie that has certainly not aged well is its use of special effects. An estimated budget of $25 million in 1986 is a very generous amount of money and with that kind of funding, one would expect that as much work would be put into the environments as the quirky characters throughout this film. However, there is so much blatant green screen in this film and the keying done by the editor, John Grover, is painful to see. Even though this technique was still relatively new and special effects were not as crisp as they are now, I was definitely hoping for something much cleaner than what was in this film. So many beautiful shots of the creatures and the landscapes of the kingdom were ruined by an oddly placed fairy or monster that would stick out like a sore thumb. It is almost as if this film is a strange kid's fantasy taking place in a McDonald's play place - very childish and grubby at the edges. Jim Henson's work as director of this film also proves why he is much better suited for the practical effects department. His creative mind works beautifully when it comes to designing and dreaming up creatures, but his direction in this movie is horrible. The way that the movie is paced and how the plot unravels is very choppy and lackluster, making me not care about this story at all. Luckily, Henson still brings his magical brain to create some of the most memorable and creepy characters. Hoggle, Ludo, and Didymus, along with the hordes of evil goblins, looked great and his stylistic talent was evident in each and every one of them.
Thankfully, this movie is also saved and made watchable by Bowie's parts in this production and the pure heart that is seen by its filmmakers. The late and legendary David Bowie, known for his space rock and genre-shattering music, actually gives a decent performance in this film as the evil King of the Goblins. Even though he did not frankly need much to go on to become a peculiar character, his presence made for some of the most entertaining scenes. Bowie also provides the soundtrack to this movie; while not every song exactly fit the tone of the scenes they were in, it is impossible not to dance along. There is so much heart and passion seen in this movie and even though its execution might not have been the greatest, it is clear to see why people adore this film so much. The mystical atmosphere and inspiring message are everything that a child's mind could possibly dream up. Labyrinth may not be a necessarily great film, but it is difficult to criticize something that is so near and dear to many childhoods.
No filmmaker could ever come close to the amount of imagination that Henson had with him when it comes to using practical costumes and puppets for his creations. The various, offbeat monsters and goblins that appeared throughout Labyrinth made for this film's most entertaining aspect, as well as the passion that radiates from its visionaries. But unfortunately, even a decent performance from David Bowie is not enough to make this movie anything more than a distant, cinematic memory for those who are not attached to the hip by nostalgia.
My Rating: ★★★
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