Labyrinth

Name: Labyrinth
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Family, Musical
Released: June 27, 1986
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 50
Cast: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly

1986

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 196 Ratings

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8.4

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8.4	User Score Universal acclaim based on 196 Ratings

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Labyrinth

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Movie Details & Credits

TriStar Pictures | Release Date: June 27, 1986 | PG

Starring: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly

Summary: 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 mysticalBabysitting 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)… Expand

Director: Jim Henson

Genre(s): Adventure, Fantasy, Family, Musical

Rating: PG

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

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. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Labyrinth packs enough surprises to captivate an audience of children and provides enough wisecracking to keep adults laughing. Read full review

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]

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]

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. Read full review

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]

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]

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User Reviews

manusbyrne

Mar 19, 2018

this is my favorite movie of all time.
the special effects are just amazing and is some of the best I have ever seen.
the acting is alright but David Bowie as Jareth the goblin is one of the best villains ever. David Bowie also did the soundtrack to this movie and the songs he did were somethis is my favorite movie of all time.
the special effects are just amazing and is some of the best I have ever seen.
the acting is alright but David Bowie as Jareth the goblin is one of the best villains ever.
David Bowie also did the soundtrack to this movie and the songs he did were some fo his best such as dance magic dance, as the world falls down and within you are so good that I started listening to David Bowie after watching this and he is now my favorite singer.
this the best movie ever made 10/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ComandanteCobra

May 19, 2020

Superb dark fantasy. Strage, twisted and original. Great music. Great costume. Great animatronic. Great also for cosplaying. It has moral and character development. It's one of the rare classic movie that stand the passing of time setting nostalgia aside, because it can entertain all kindsSuperb dark fantasy. Strage, twisted and original. Great music. Great costume. Great animatronic. Great also for cosplaying. It has moral and character development. It's one of the rare classic movie that stand the passing of time setting nostalgia aside, because it can entertain all kinds of ages. Still good today.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Mad_Hatter91

Sep 8, 2012

It has been over twenty years since this film was shown in theaters, but still manages to surprise, enchant and make people laugh. Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is a fifteen-parents divorced and lives at home with his father and step-mother (stepmother is always trying to help the girl but SarahIt has been over twenty years since this film was shown in theaters, but still manages to surprise, enchant and make people laugh. Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is a fifteen-parents divorced and lives at home with his father and step-mother (stepmother is always trying to help the girl but Sarah refuses any contact with her). One day find yourself doing the babysitter to her little brother newborn (played by the father's relationship with his stepmother and therefore hated by Sarah) and stove hear him crying invokes the Goblin King, Jareth (David Bowie) who kidnaps him. Sarah repented for what he did asks to Jareth to get back the child, but the latter told him if he does not recover within thirteen hours the child will turn into a gnome. This will force the girl to find her brother through the maze full of strange creatures and traps. Directed by Jim Henson, the film has a simple plot organized so great and full of genius found in inquiries concerning the creatures, the maze and pitfalls. Fine performance, that of David Bowie suitable for this movie and also good Coonelly Jennifer.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

robertoiglesias

Dec 27, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The weirdness of this film turned me off as a young kid, but now it's addicting when you're older.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Rox22

Mar 15, 2013

One of my favorite movie from my childhood. I still enjoy it to this day. Fun story, great effect (for the day) and some really memorable performances, particularly from David Bowie. But, I do find that the story does get a little too sidetracked from time to time and needlessly slows down.One of my favorite movie from my childhood. I still enjoy it to this day. Fun story, great effect (for the day) and some really memorable performances, particularly from David Bowie. But, I do find that the story does get a little too sidetracked from time to time and needlessly slows down. But, it doesn't happen too often. Overall: A treasure from my childhood and a classic fantasy movie.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

mcg1986

Sep 10, 2016

Nostalgia holds a magical power over people. It can warm souls, comfort sadness, project youth, and even cloud judgment. This makes films like Labyrinth particularly difficult to read critically. Much like Goonies, Henson’s Labyrinth’s, a mix of wry comedy and innovatively designed ideas,Nostalgia holds a magical power over people. It can warm souls, comfort sadness, project youth, and even cloud judgment. This makes films like Labyrinth particularly difficult to read critically. Much like Goonies, Henson’s Labyrinth’s, a mix of wry comedy and innovatively designed ideas, put a loving trance on swaths of 20-40 year olds who happened to see it at the right time. Much like many of its ilk, I’m not sure it completely deserves all the accolades it gets from its fanboys/girls. However, it’s still fantastical fun, even if its storytelling urgency is less than fully engulfing.
It’s a film more interested in incidents than plot (girl wishes brother would leave, goblins steal brother, sister has to get brother back). In that sense, and many others, it harkens Alice in Wonderland (my favorite Disney Animated film). It’s an intensely imaginative movie that follows a bored young girl (played by Connelly with the charisma of a mannequin) as she encounters an adventure full of odd characters, winding streets, and inexplicable magic. The characters within the maze are fun and distinct, and Bowie matches the dark mystery of the story while keeping a childish wonder right below the surface.
The difference between this and other kids-fantasy-adventures I REALLY love is hard to pinpoint. The design is outstanding, the humor is affable, the characters are surprising, and the scenes pop with surprise. Again, I can only assume my distance from this film during my early age keeps me at a slight distance. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable piece of 80s pop-culture that I’m shocked Tim Burton and Johnny Depp haven’t ruined with a CG-covered remake. Give it time.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Faxthtax

Oct 30, 2022

Oh dear heavens no. Back in the 80´s, this movie was probably a fantastic view i am sure together with many other fantasy classics.
But it has aged horribly for today´s audience. I know that Jennifer Connelly who hot stuff in her young teens, but her acting skills was pretty naff back then.Oh dear heavens no. Back in the 80´s, this movie was probably a fantastic view i am sure together with many other fantasy classics.
But it has aged horribly for today´s audience. I know that Jennifer Connelly who hot stuff in her young teens, but her acting skills was pretty naff back then.
The practical effects are very much on level with Muppetshow, but poorly executed.
Only David Bowie is the only one who could hold this movie just about together. But even the musical number are slightly flat from Bowies classics from the 70´s.
This movie can easily be left alone to the glorious 80´s, but should not be the first movie you have in mind 40 years later.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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