Sixteen-year-old Sarah is given thirteen hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue her baby brother Toby when her wish for him to be taken away is granted by the Goblin King Jareth. A film by Jim Henson, starring David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, and numerous goblins & creatures.
LABYRINTH
Jim Henson
(1986)
As Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) recites from a book titled The Labyrinth, she suddenly stops, feeling frustrated that she can’t remember the last line. She opens the book, quickly flips through the pages, and reads a passage: “You have no power over me.” Just then, her dog, Merlin, barks several times, and the town clock begins to chime. Realizing it’s 7 PM, Sarah and Merlin race through the pouring rain, heading back home.
Upon arriving home, Sarah encounters her stepmother, who is waiting on the front porch. She becomes upset when her stepmother won’t let soaking wet Merlin into the house and instead forces him to go into the garage. Sarah grows more agitated as her stepmother nitpicks her for being an hour late, despite Sarah having already apologized. Her stepmother continues to patronize her about being on time, babysitting her baby brother Toby (Toby Froud), and not having a date, insisting that she should be dating at her age. Frustrated, Sarah lashes out at her father (Christopher Malcolm) and runs upstairs to her room.
After her parents leave for dinner, Sarah realizes her teddy bear, Lancelot, is missing from her shelf. Anger rises within her as she storms out of her room and into her parents’ bedroom, where she finds her stuffed bear lying on the floor next to her baby brother Toby’s cradle. Frustrated, she calls out for someone to save her and take her away from this awful place.
Sarah grows increasingly impatient and irritated by Toby’s constant crying. She thinks that Toby wants to hear a bedtime story, so she begins to tell a story she fabricates from her own life – a story about a beautiful girl being forced to babysit a spoiled baby, to whom she is practically a slave. She continues to tell the story that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl and gave her magical powers. On one particular night, the girl decided to call on the goblins for help. Presumably reciting the words from the book “The Labyrinth”, Sarah lifts Toby into the air and shouts, “I can bear no longer, Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me!” But nothing happens.
Some disappointed goblins supposedly hiding in the bedrooms grumble that the spell didn’t work because Sarah forgot the key words. Sarah places Toby back in his cradle, covers him with a blanket, and heads for the door. But then Sarah stops, turns around, and calmly says, “I wish the Goblin King would come and take you away right now.” She flips off the light switch and walks out. As Sarah leaves, she notices the crying has stopped. Curious, she returns to the now-dark bedroom. Approaching the crib, she sees the blanket shifting and hears goblin giggles. Pulling back the cover, Sarah is stunned to find Toby gone, vanished without a trace.
Suddenly, the window bursts open and a mysterious white owl swoops into the room, transforming mid-flight into a man. Sarah is stunned to recognize him as Jareth ((David Bowie), the Goblin King, who has taken Toby away, fulfilling her wish. She pleads with Jareth to return her baby brother, but he insists it’s too late – what’s done is done. Despite Sarah’s desperate attempts to explain she didn’t mean it, Jareth coldly tells her to go back to her room and forget the baby. He then presents Sarah with a magical crystal ball that can show her dreams, but Sarah remains determined to get her brother back.
Jareth points out the window, telling Sarah that Toby is now in his castle at the center of the maze beyond the goblin city. As she whirls around, she realizes that they have magically transported to a small hilltop overlooking the vast labyrinth. Jareth gives Sarah the opportunity to recover Toby, allowing her thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth. If she fails, her baby brother will be lost, transformed into one of Jareth’s goblin, forever.
Where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems.
Directed by American filmmaker Jim Henson and based on an original screenplay by Terry Jones, from a story Henson co-wrote with Dennis Lee, inspired by the conceptual designs of English fantasy illustrator Brian Froud, Labyrinth is one of my all-time favorite films.
Jim Henson was an American puppeteer, animator, actor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide fame as the creator of the Muppets. Jim Henson is considered one of the most influential figures in the fields of puppetry, entertainment, and education. Terry Jone was a prominent Welsh actor, comedian, director, historian, poet, and writer, best known as a founding member of the influential British comedy troupe Monty Python. Brian Froud is an English fantasy illustrator best known for his conceptual design work on the films The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986).
It features imaginative storytelling set in a fantastical world, filled with stunning set pieces and intricate, lifelike puppetry. The film creates a unique visual style that beautifully blends David Bowie’s original songs with Trevor Jones’ score, resulting in a mesmerizing experience unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
In my opinion, the Magic Dance scene is the most iconic moment in film history and one of the most memorable musical sequences ever. This scene likely required extensive planning and collaboration, featuring over 48 puppets operated by 52 puppeteers and eight performers in goblin costumes. Choreographer Cheryl McFadden meticulously designed the movements of both the puppets and the goblins, bringing them to life with energetic dance moves that are simply unforgettable.
Several songs from the film Labyrinth were released as singles. Notably, “Underground” reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987. “Magic Dance” was also released as a 12″ single in the U.S., peaking at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same year, and featured a dance mix and a dub version. Both “Underground” and “As the World Falls Down” had music videos directed by Steve Barron. The video for “Underground” features Bowie as a nightclub singer who discovers the world of the Labyrinth, while the video for “As the World Falls Down” combines clips from the film with black-and-white shots of Bowie performing the song.
There’s such a sad love deep in your eyes. A kind of pale jewel, open and closed, within your eyes. I’ll place the sky within your eyes.
There’s such a fooled heart beatin’ so fast, in search of new dreams. A love that will last within your heart. I’ll place the moon within your heart.
As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you. Every thrill is gone. Wasn’t too much fun at all. But I’ll be there for you, as the world falls down.
LABYRINTH was theatrically released in the United States on 27 June 1986. It grossed $34 million worldwide ($12.9 million domestically) against a production budget of $25 million.
The film was theatrically released in Japan on 5 July 1986 under the title ラビリンス -魔王の迷宮- (LABYRINTH – Maze of the Goblin King-). It was far more popular in Japan compared to its initial reception in the U.S.
Despite underperforming at the box office upon its initial release, Jim Henson’s fantasy film Labyrinth has since become a beloved cult classic. Over the years, LABYRINTH has amassed a devoted fanbase that keeps the film alive through fan art, cosplay, and online discussions.
The film was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray as part of its 30th Anniversary Edition on 20 September 2016. This release features a new 4K scan from the original 35mm camera negative, enhancing the film’s visual quality significantly.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released a 35th Anniversary 4K Blu-ray Limited Edition on August 17, 2021 to celebrate the film’s milestone.
Shout! Studios, in collaboration with The Jim Henson Company, released a new digital version of the classic fantasy films Labyrinth on 6 February 2024. This release is considered to be the definitive digital release, available for purchase or rental on Apple TV and iTunes.
The release features new key art and trailers, and Apple iTunes customers will have access to exclusive extras, including commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, language tracks, and photo galleries.
