Labyrinth is very definitely a kids' movie, produced by George Lucas and directed by the late Jim Henson of The MuppetsandThe Dark Crystal fame. Unfairly dismissed by critics at the time of its release, Labyrinth has grown in stature over the years to become acknowledged as a rare fantasy flick, aimed primarily at women. Yes, it's a chick-flick!
Labyrinth trailer
The script, written by Monty Python member (and film director) Terry Jones, is an eccentric beauty, in which young Sarah, a fairly typical teenager with a very active interest in all things magical, gets frustrated having to babysit her crying baby brother, Toby (Toby Froud) and she er...curses him...wishing he would be taken away by goblins...which unfortunately, is exactly what happens!
Appalled at what she's done, she enters the labyrinth to get him back and along the way encounters many dangers but worst of all, when she finally meets Jareth, the Goblin King (David Bowie)...
The Goblin King Doll
...she encounters strange feelings...different from anything she has felt in childhood.
Incidentally, Bowie & Connelly are the only real-life humans in the movie, all the rest are puppets. Together with The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth is a little piece of film history, because with the incredible advances in what can be done with computer generated images, it's unlikely that any puppet film of this size will be made again e.g. the Dance Magic sequence...
Dance Magic
...which used 45 puppets, 53 puppeteers, lots of love chickens, David Bowie & (baby)Toby Froud.
Labyrinth is a terrific film for girls...of all ages, and a lot of fun but it was to be Bowie's last major movie, never having really cracked it as an actor.
Labyrinth DVD
"...This is one of my favourite movies, because it truly understands the hearts of grown up girls, their love of fantasy and lure the dark & dangerous lad that leads us down the garden path..."Amazon reviewer Deborah MacGillivray
"...Henson and Bowie created something unique in their lifetimes here. Even if you are not a fan of Henson's Sesame Street / Muppet work, you may be amazed by this movie, which is sublime beyond any comparison to the rest of his career. If your kids are bored, this will un-bore them many times over and you'll love it, too. Bowie's music is superlative and his supporting role as the bad guy is fantastic..."Amazon reviewer Kevin Conway
"...The Anniversary Edition of Labyrinth includes the following special features:
a new high definition film transfer
a new audio commentary by conceptual designer Brian Froud
Inside The Labyrinth vintage documentary
the new Kingdom of Creatures & The Quest for Goblin City documentaries
photo and art galleries &
previews
I also highly recommend the soundtrack..."Amazon reviewer Count Orlock
Bowie provided five songs for the movie soundtrack (plus several music videos) for the soundtrack album which he shared with Trevor Jones. While the music is pretty 1980s (Well, what can you expect?)...it's not bad at all.
Labyrinth soundtrack
"...My favourtite movie since I was a child. This soundtrack is amazing!..." Amazon reviewer Virginia Victorio
"...Few movies have touched me over the years the way Labyrinth has, and the music has been even more endearing. The eerieness of As The World Falls Down, Within You and Hallucination are forever embedded in my memory for better or worse...but my favorite song from the entire soundtrack is Chilly Down a straight-up piece of hard funk in which David Bowie spits out some very black-sounding dialogue..."Amazon reviewer Glen Zimmerman
"...I picked this up because Labyrinth is my favorite movie. This may end up being my favorite soundtrack. All of the songs are there, but not as you may thing. The dialogue on Magic Dance is not the same as the movie, and you get the full Chilly Down as opposed to what was presented in the film. A good companion to the movie..."Amazon reviewer defunctzombie
"...The whole soundtrack is great, buy it! What are you waiting for?..." Amazon reviewer Mom2Three
The lavish reissue of the 20th anniversary Goblins Of The Labyrinth by Brian Froud & scriptwriter Terry Jones is once more available, as well.
Brian Froud & Terry Jones: The Goblins Of Labyrinth
"...In 1986, the magical fantasy movie Labyrinth introduced the world to a set of unforgettable goblins from the minds of Jim Henson and Brian Froud. Not only has the film become a classic with a huge cult following, but Brian Froud’s long out- of-print book about the malevolent and cantankerous goblins...has achieved similar cult status...(and this) brand-new 20th Anniversary Edition...like Froud’s The World of The Dark Crystal, is a must-have for collectors and Brian Froud fans everywhere..."Amazon blurb
