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Labyrinth
TriStar Pictures

Labyrinth reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 50 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.6 out of 10
based on 10 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 5 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: PG for mild violence

Starring David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shari Weiser, Brian Henson, Ron Mueck, Rob Mills, and Natalie Finland

Babysitting infant stepbrother Toby on a weekend night isn’t young Sarah’s idea of fun. Frustrated by his crying, she secretly imagines the Goblins from her favorite book, Labyrinth, carrying Toby away. When her fantasy comes true, a distraught Sarah must enter a maze of illusion to bring Toby back from a kingdom inhabited by mystical creatures and governed by the wicked Goblin King. (Sony Pictures)


GENRE(S): Adventure  |  Family/Kids  |  Fantasy  |  Musical  
WRITTEN BY: Dennis Lee (story)
Jim Henson (story)
Terry Jones
Elaine May
 
DIRECTED BY: Jim Henson  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: October 12, 1999 
Theatrical: June 27, 1986 
RUNNING TIME: 101 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: USA 

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90
The New York Times Nina Darnton
Labyrinth, a fabulous film about a young girl's journey into womanhood that uses futuristic technology to illuminate a mythic-style tale, is in many ways a remarkable achievement.
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88
TV Guide Staff (Not Credited)
Labyrinth packs enough surprises to captivate an audience of children and provides enough wisecracking to keep adults laughing.
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70
Time Richard Corliss
With their technical astonishments, Director Henson and Executive Producer Lucas have been faithful to the pioneering Disney spirit. In suggesting the thrilling dilemmas that await a wise child, they have flown worlds beyond Walt. [7 July 1986, p.65]
60
Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
George Lucas produced and Jim Henson (of Muppets fame) directed this heftily budgeted 1986 fantasy, which seems to be a conscious attempt to play on the female coming-of-age themes of classic fairy tales.
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60
Empire Ian Nathan
Fabulous fantasy from the godfather of modern puppetry Jim Henson.
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50
Los Angeles Times Sheila Benson
There's more length than depth to Labyrinth. The Baryshnikov staging of "The Nutcracker" has more to tell about a girl on the edge of young womanhood, with more poignancy and a more palpable sense of transition, than all the technical wizardry Henson and crew have offered so lavishly-and without a single pop song, either. [26 Jun 1986, p.1]
50
San Francisco Chronicle Peter Stack
I think mature pre-teens along with immature teens might relate to this overbearing showcase of bizarre rubber duckies. Adults are bound to find it a major yawn, and young children are likely to be scared out of their wits. [27 Jun 1986, p.82]
50
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Great energy and creativity went into the construction, production and direction of this movie, but it doesn't have a story that does justice to the production.
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25
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Stephen Cole
David Bowie, flaunting a Marianne Faithfull hairdo, stars in Jim Henson's latest puppety film, the flagrantly unoriginal Labyrinth. [1 Jul 1986, p.A1]
25
Chicago Tribune Gene Siskel
What an enormous waste of talent and money is Labyrinth. [30 Jun 1986, p.3]

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

J C gave it a7:
This fantasy gave me the creeps when I was young (way before I knew who David Bowie was), but looking back it was a great fantasy tale.

Cara E. gave it a10:
If you're looking for depth, no, Labyrinth is not a ten. Fun, imagination, and clever wordplay however make this film a treasured childhood memory, and a favourite to last a lifetime.

Xenon gave it a9:
David Bowie and Jim Henson team up for a delightful fantasy.

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