Sara (Connelly) is an adolescent girl obsessed with fairy
tales. One evening, she is babysitting her baby step-brother, Toby (Toby Froud)
and in a fit of frustration accidentally gets a wish granted for the child to
be taken away by goblins. Will Sara get her brother back before he is turned
into a goblin by the goblin prince Jareth (Bowie)?
The last film directed by Muppet creator Jim Henson before
his sudden and untimely death of pneumonia in 1990, the film also pools the
considerable talents of Star Wars/Indiana Jones creator George Lucas (executive
producer) Monty Python member Terry Jones (one of the film’s screenwriters and
the only one to receive credit in the film) and rock star/actor David Bowie for
a film which whilst lacking slightly in technical perfection more than makes up
in charm. Like the best fairy tales, Labyrinth is entertaining to children but
has an occasional dark side, whilst the script is well-written with subtle plot
developments (it might take the viewer several viewings to realise that certain
phrases are repeated and with a consistent consequence). Labyrinth was one of
several family fantasy movies to be released in the mid-80’s and got lost in
the flow, under-performing at the box office. Now it has been rightfully
regarded as a great cult classic by the twenty-somethings who grew up with this
film on television.
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