Review: Labyrinth

#133 - Labyrinth

Labyrinth is a classic 80's film about a girl named Sarah who thinks that reality is unfair. She escapes into a dream world with goblins, fairies, and kings...goblin kings. One night when Sarah is stuck babysitting her little brother, Toby, she gives up and calls for the goblins to take him away. They do, and she regrets her decision immediately. The Goblin King gives her a chance to win her brother back: complete the labyrinth in 13 hours. However, if she does not make it through the labyrinth by the 13th hour, Toby becomes a goblin forever. Sarah sets out into the labyrinth to get her brother back. On the way she meets creatures that befriend her and help her on the journey. When she reaches the Goblin King's castle, she's forced to choose between what is real and what is fantasy. She saves her brother and returns to her bedroom: safe and sound from any harm. It was all just a dream. Or was it?

Labyrinth is one of those films that made me fall in love with Jim Henson and his creatures. I mean, sure, I always loved the Muppets, but this was one of the first films I saw where the muppets were transformed into these fascinating creatures. The Labyrinth is a world all its own, and I have never stopped loving it. Yeah sure the movie has a super cheesy story-line and extremely ridiculous 80's music, but aside from that, it's visually stunning. When you think about how many puppeteers are inside the creatures in any given scene, it's remarkable. 

I have lost count on how many times I've watched this movie, but this time, I noticed something I've never noticed before!

After the opening scene when Sarah returns to her house, she sits down at her vanity and we see several pictures of her mother and another man in stage shows. That man is David Bowie! I have no idea how I ever missed that! I guess I was concentrating on Sarah and what else was happening in the scene, instead of the little details all over her room. When you begin to pay attention to those little details however, you realize how many of the things in her room show up in the labyrinth. There's even a giant statue of the Goblin King on her vanity counter. A glimpse into Sarah's room makes it extremely evident that the entire story is her imagination coming to life. She truly is in a dream world, not reality. *Fun fact: This isn't the only time there are hidden Bowies. He appears several other times throughout the film. I love movies with easter eggs.

If I haven't gushed about this movie enough already, I am going to gush some more. The set, lighting, and costumes are fantastic. The world inside the labyrinth is legit a world I wouldn't mind living in. Nothing is as it seems, and there are fantastical elements at every turn. Now THIS would make an amazing section of an amusement park. Get on top of that, Universal. 

Overall, I love this movie. I give Labyrinth 4 out of 5 stars.