Labyrinth Review

Labyrinth

Release Date: 4th December 1986 - Australia

Production Companies

Henson Associates (HA) (presents)

Lucasfilm Ltd. (presents)

Delphi V Productions

TriStar Pictures

Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia

Genre: Fantasy/Musical

Rating: G

Runtime: 97 minutes

Budget: $27,680,000

Box Office Gross: $14,580,330 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

When sixteen-year-old
Sarah is left home alone

to look after her crying
baby brother, Toby, she
cavalierly wishes that
the goblins would take
him away. It ends up
happening at the hands
of the evil Goblin King
Jareth, who kidnaps Toby
and takes him to his
castle. Sarah sets about
getting his brother back
and must solve the

impenetrable labyrinth,

in which she only has

13 hours. It is there that

Sarah meets a few friends

as they accompany her

to rescue Toby before

midnight.

Live-Action Cast

Jennifer Connelly - Sarah

David Bowie - Jareth the Goblin King

Toby Froud - Toby
Christopher Malcolm - Father

Shelley Thompson - Stepmother
Natalie Finland - Fairy

Puppeteers/Voice Cast

Brian Henson - Hoggle

(Face Performance/Voice)/

Goblin (Voice)

Shari Weiser - Huggle (On-Suit Performer)

Ron Mueck - Ludo/Firey

#2/Goblin (Voice)

Rob Mills - Ludo/Firey #3

Frank Oz - The Wiseman
Michael Hordern - The

Wiseman (Voice)

Dave Goelz - Didymus/
The Hat/The Four Guards/

Left Door Knocker/Firey #3

David Barclay - Didymus

David Shaughnessy - Didymus/The Hat/The Four Guards/Goblin (Voices)

Steve Whitmire - The Four
Guards/Firey 4/Ambrosius

Kevin Clash - The Four Guards/Firey #1/Ambrosius

Anthony Asbury - The Four

Guards/Right Door Knocker/

Firey #5

Percy Edwards - Ambrosius (Voice)

Karen Prell - The Worm/
The Junk Lady/Firey #2

Timothy Bateson - The Worm/

The Four Guards (Voices)

Denise Bryer - The Junk Lady (Voice)

David Healy - Right Door Knocker (Voice)

Robert Beatty - Left Door Knocker (Voice)

Charles Augins - Firey #2 (Voice)

Danny John-Jules - Firey #3/Firey #4 (Voices)

Tony Philpott - Firey #1

Ian Thom - Firey #2

Cheryl Henson - Firey #4

Kevin Bradshaw - Firey #4

Alistair Fullarton - Firey #5

Rollin Krewson - Firey #5

Richard Bodkin - Firey #5 (Voice)

Michael Attwell - Goblin (Voice)

Sean Barrett - Goblin (Voice)

John Bluthal - Goblin (Voice)

Peter Marinker - Goblin (Voice)

Kerry Shale - Goblin (Voice)

Crew

Story/Director - Jim Henson

Story - Dennis Lee

Screenplay - Terry Jones

Script Supervisor - Angela Allen

2nd Unit Continuity - Elaine Schreyeck
Associate Producer - Martin G. Baker

Executive Supervising Producer - David Lazer

Executive Producer - George Lucas

Producer - Eric Rattray

Casting Directors: U.K. - Debbie McWilliams

and Michelle Guish

Casting Directors: U.S.A. - Jane Jenkins

and Janet Hirshenson

Production Designer - Elliot Scott

Conceptual/Costume/Creature Designer

and Supervisor - Brian Froud

Art Director: Sets - Roger Cain

Art Director: Decoration - Peter Howitt

Art Directors: Special Effects - Michael White

and Terry Ackland-Snow

Assistant Art Director - Stephen Scott

Storyboard Artist - Martin Asbury

Property Master - Barry Wilkinson

Costume Designer - Ellis Flyte

Chief Hairdresser - Barbara Ritchie

Makeup Artist - Nick Dudman

Goblin Armour Designer - Michael McCormick

Director of Photography - Alex Thomson

Second Unit Director/Cameraman - Peter MacDonald

Third Unit Director/Cameraman - James Devis

Assistant Directors - Ken Baker,

Nigel Gostelow, Simon Haveland,

Patrick Kinney, Paul Taylor and Nikolas Korda

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Steve Harding

Director of Choreography and Puppet

Movement - Gates McFadden

"Chilly Down" and "Magic Dance"

Choreographer - Charles Augins
Crystal Ball Manipulation Choreographer

and Performer - Michael Moschen

Puppeteer Coordinator - Brian Henson

Assistant Puppeteer Coordinator/Puppeteer -

Kevin Clash

Production Administrator: Creature Shop -

Connie Peterson

Special Effects Supervisor - George Gibbs

2nd Unit Special Effects Supervisor -

Richard Conway

Special Effects Consultant: Field Recorder -

Dennis Lowe

Optical Visual Effects Consultant - Roy Field

Cameraman: Model Unit - Paul Wilson

Matte Photography: ILM - Craig Barron,

Randy Jonsson and Paul Huston

Editor - John Grover

Sound Editor: Effects - Vernon Messenger

Unit Sound Mixer - Peter Sutton

Re-Recording Mixers - Ray Merrin

and Bill Rowe

Songs - David Bowie

Music - Trevor Jones

Music Editor - Robert Hathaway

Review
Recently, we lost the legendary singer David Bowie, but we were able to listen to his music and watch LABYRINTH after his passing. With its release in 1986, the film wasn't successful in any box office records. It's due to the cost of the movie's production. Many years later, we see LABYRINTH unearthed as it grew a cult following among many Henson enthusiasts and fans of the musician. The feature reminds me a bit of Alice in Wonderland, a girl who is transported to a fantasy world and faced with the consequences of curiosity and regret. Like Alice, she undergoes an adventure but with a darker feel. I like how Jim Henson's masterful puppetry created these fantastical creatures for the movie.

LABYRINTH is also a musical with all the songs written and performed by David Bowie, who plays Jareth the Goblin King. He was a legend of his time. Bowie did a good show in his villainous role, and the songs he wrote were "Magic Dance" and "As The World Falls Down". I don't mind Jennifer Connelly being in this film as she performs Sarah well for her young age.

The film shows its age from the 80s nostalgia period when puppetry and blue screen effects were in their last days. Jim Henson and George Lucas collaborated to tell a fabulous movie that isn't like a fairy tale you've seen in children's books. Whether you liked it or not, it was not on par with The Dark Crystal, but still an enjoyable fantasy movie for all ages.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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