Labyrinth
1986 · Directed by Jim Henson
Original language: English
- adventure
- family
- fantasy
The story
Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah, a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into a fantastical world to rescue him from the Goblin King. Guarding his castle is the labyrinth itself, a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers.
What it’s like
Labyrinth glows with handmade fantasy: practical puppets and creatures lit in saturated gels, with deep blues, hot pinks and bright greens against the foggy grey and stone of the maze, and the Goblin King's castle rising in dreamlike, mist-wrapped silhouettes. The camera moves with an old-fashioned grace, sweeping through Escher-like corridors and tracking across elaborate sets, while the sound is a crisp, sung-through score of synth-pop and bright orchestral numbers full of whimsy and sly menace. Its vibe is playful, fairy-tale surreal with a bittersweet edge, suited to a cosy weekend night in, a comfort rewatch, or a child and parent watching together. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with the mood lifting into song and then tensing again as the clock runs down. The emotional arc follows a bratty, imaginative teenager learning responsibility and empathy, and a restless young heroine who gradually sees the world with more generosity. Intensity is mild: peril, scary creatures and a few tense moments, but no gore and no real violence, with some startling imagery that is more eerie than frightening. It is for viewers who want imaginative, music-filled fantasy that feels tactile, warm and a little strange, and for families who enjoy stories about growing up.
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