(photo courtesy imdb.com)
Take two parts fairytale, one part ’80s rock video, add four parts glitter and the only possible outcome is Jim Henson’s 1986 film “Labyrinth.”
In the ’80s, things were big. Big hair, bigger shoulder pads and the biggest film adventures. Classics were minted in those years. Viewers traveled to distant lands with Indy (1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Arc”), skipped school with Ferris (1986’s “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”) and fell in love with Johnny and Baby (1987’s “Dirty Dancing”). Even though viewers had all of those, something was missing from the movie lineup that would become classic.
A fantastical fairytale was called for.
Jim Henson’s film “Labyrinth,” starring Jennifer Connelly and pop rock icon David Bowie is a trip to a goblin kingdom in which viewers can happily lose themselves.
All fairytales begin with the damsel in distress and Sarah, played by Jennifer Connelly, could be a professional damsel in distress. The viewer first meets Sarah in a meadow where she is play acting scenes from a fairytale. Before long it’s revealed that, as in all fairytales worth their merit, Sarah has a father who’s not all there, a wicked stepmother and a kid brother that she’s forced to babysit against her will.
Sarah seems to never have been admonished to be careful what she wished for as a child. It is her wish that the Goblin King take away her brother that sets her on the road toward David Bowie, the Goblin King. In order to save Toby and return to reality, Sarah must traverse the Labyrinth before her 13-hour deadline is up.
Henson’s company, famous for creating such characters as the iconic Kermit the Frog and Elmo, adds color to “Labyrinth” with expressive characters. Goblins with impossible faces, door guards that have two heads, hats that talk and accented worms are just a few of the creatures from Henson’s menagerie in Labyrinth.
The Jim Henson Company doesn’t skimp on their main puppet characters either.
Hoggle is a lump of a goblin with more nose than one person should ever have. Hoggle is selfish and self-absorbed, but easily draws laughs from viewers within minutes as he shoots down pixies with a fumigation gun.
Like many of the characters in Henson’s film, Hoggle serves as a model for part of Sarah’s personality as he guides her through the labyrinth, against the will of the Goblin King. She groans and makes excuses when confronted with challenges much the same way that Hoggle does when put in sticky situations.
Ludo, an orangutan-like creature who calls rocks friends, and Sir Didymus, a knightly fox, help Sarah through the labyrinth and toward her baby brother. The two serve as further foils for Sarah and help the viewer through portions of the film that would be slow without their cheerful backup.
Sarah’s journey is more through her own attitude than through the labyrinth itself. The viewer follows her as she realizes that excuses don’t cut it when it comes to making right decisions even if it means getting sidetracked by door knockers that speak or falling into the Bog of Eternal Stench.
Viewers should prepare to be quoting the syncopated lines of the film for weeks after watching. It’s easy to get into the rhythm of the music video-like film. For best results, watch in large groups, be silly and get lost in this quintessential ’80s fairytale.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ana Faria at Ana.Faria@colorado.edu.
2 comments
I have seen “Labyrinth” about 20 times i think. My excuse is that I have kids that I watch it with but i find myself alone watching the same movie. It is just a fun Jim Henson movie and the characters are memorable. Thanks for sharing!
I’m not quite at 20 viewings yet, but I’m getting there. I just love the Labyrinth. I remember the first time I watched it was after going to the dentist (orthodontist?) as a kid. My mom rented it for me, and the 10 year old me was scandalized by Hoggle peeing into the fountain…