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Labyrinth (1986)
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Sarah, played by a young Jennifer Connelly, is a teenage girl who shuns dating for the sake of fairy tale escapism. There are few things more capable of inspiring late 80s angsty synth pop than a beautiful girl such as this who will not date you. But Sarah's a little weird. She quotes fantastic plays you've never heard of and directly addresses a Goblin King who doesn't exist.
Or does he? Enter David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King in the guise of a snowy owl. You should know this entry in the Audobon society's celebrity bird book. Bowie transforms into a snow owl just as Chuck Norris transforms into an eagle (Forest Warrior). The Goblin King teaches Sarah a lesson by taking her baby brother into his kingdom, forcing her to navigate an impossible maze in order to get him back. This is Labyrinth.
How could this not be considered a terrifying situation? Well, throw in some muppets, song numbers, life lessons and unexpected friends and you have a joyful film worthy of repeated watching.
The story is often silly and the acting over dramatic, but this is all eclipsed by some qualities that you won't find in other movies. Labyrinth is often seen as the greatest gem in Jim Henson's puppeteer career. It makes one wish that puppets and creature costumes (Where the Wild Things Are) were more of a cinematic mainstay rather than the current overuse of CG. Furthermore, David Bowie's magnificent musical talent does for Labyrinth what Prince did for Purple Rain, transforming the film from a silly children's movie to necessary watching for all ages. Consider also Jennifer Connelly's award-winning body of films and then consider that Labyrinth made all of it possible. Whew. What a good movie!
The amount of quality children's films such as this can probably be counted on one hand (tentative list: Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, Neverending Story, WALL-E, Where the Wild Things Are), and Labyrinth is likely to be counted on the most important and tyrannical finger, the index finger. Or maybe an upturned thumb. Which is better?
Labyrinth, directed by Jim Henson, written by Dennis Lee and Jim Henson, starring Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie, Frank Oz, and Warwick Davis, TriStar, 1986.
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