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Sunday, July 6, 2014

Family Movie Night: Labyrinth

Title: Labyrinth
Director: Jim Henson
Original Release: 1986
Choice: My Wife's
My Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5
via Wikipedia
Jim Henson has been a personal hero of mine since I was old enough to know who he was.  My lifelong devotion to The Muppets is best described in this postLabyrinth was his second non-Muppet theatrical release and the last before his untimely death in 1990.

Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is a sullen teenager who accidentally wishes her baby brother away, kidnapped by goblins.  The Goblin King (David Bowie - and he really can do those cool tricks with the crystal balls) tells her she must solve a labyrinth to reach his castle in thirteen hours before baby Toby is lost to her forever.  Adolescence sure is tricky!


The movie was a box office disaster in its original release.  With a $25 million budget, it made barely half that back in ticket sales.  I fail to understand why.  Okay, Jennifer Connelly was not the most dynamic teenage actress but Bowie's an awesome Goblin King and the movie is peppered with moments of flat-out artistic genius.  Dali and Escher influences abound.  In my favorite scene, Sarah falls down a hole where disembodied hands grab at her from the sides.  The hands form faces in order to speak to her, like so:
via Aisling Runs with Unicorns
The original script was written by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame.  The Python influence is particularly evident in a bridge-crossing scene reminiscent of Holy Grail.  Bowie, in addition to acting, contributed several songs, including "Magic Dance":



Fortunately, the movie has enjoyed cult popularity since its video release and remains, at least to me, yet another strong element of Henson's legacy.

16 comments:

  1. You know, I didn't much care for the movie when it came out; I much preferred The Dark Crystal. But I've been thinking for a while that I should see it again.

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    1. And I've always preferred this one to The Dark Crystal, though I like both.

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  2. Loved this movie and I don't understand why it wasn't a bigger hit.
    Maybe people expected a "Muppet" Muppet movie ?

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Maybe timing. It was released just a week after the much more successful Karate Kid, Part II. Looking at the list for 1986 - not a great year for kids' movies.

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  3. One of my all-time faves. In a way I'm not surprised it bombed when it came out - it's one of those movies that probably needs to gain a cult following out of the cinemas. But I did see it in the movies again last year. Fun experience. The whole audience sang all the songs. ;)

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  4. My older kids loved this so much we wore out a VHS tape. Cult favorite? How could it NOT be, it has it all: beautiful maiden, child in distress, muppets, music and DAVID BOWIE. I believe he may be an actual Goblin King.

    Love it!
    Cherdo
    www.cherdoontheflipside.com

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    Replies
    1. Bowie was the perfect casting choice. Even if they were to make the film now, he'd still be ideal.

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  5. Henson is a personal hero of mine too. People laugh when I tell them that, but he was a pioneer of robotics as well as puppeteering. I'll never understand why the movie bombed either. Terry Jones wrote the script? That actually explains a few things.

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    1. Henson's basic philosophy of children's entertainment - treat kids like intelligent people - was so important. The technical mastery of his art was undeniable, of course, but the spirit which pervaded his work has gone unmatched since.

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    2. 'treat kids like intelligent people'

      Vital for any educator or artist producing work directed at young people.

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    3. One would think so, yet that's done little to stem the tide of condescending garbage on offer for our little tykes.

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  6. I don't remember this movie. It looks and sounds very good. I have always enjoyed David Bowie, and, of course, Jim Henson was the best.

    Love,
    Janie

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  7. I wasn't crazy about this one either. Felt like it was made for kids, not for everyone like the Muppet movies.
    And I posted my summer songs today!

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