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Labyrinth (1986)

Labyrinth is one of my favourite movies. I know it is a bit cheesy but I would be lying if I said that there wasn't a bit (quite a lot of nostalgia) attached with this film. The thing is that the film came out when I was just three years old and like Shaun of the Dead I have never seen it at the cinema and when it was re-released at the cinema I thought this was a fantastic opportunity to watch it again. It was a bit of a shame that I was the only person in the screening but it meant that I could enjoy the film and not worry about anyone else. The film sees Sarah (played by Jennifer Connolly) who after getting the hump about looking after her baby brother, wishes for him to be taken away and when he is by the Jareth the Goblin King (David Bowie), she has to get the castle within 12 hours otherwise the baby will belong to Jareth forever. 

The songs are really good. Yes they are cheesy and they are very 1980’s but they are still likely to get you moving along to the beat (beauty of being the only one in the screening). It’s clear that is why they cast David Bowie who sings the songs with ease. Sadly his acting isn't the best but thankfully he has to share his scenes with the puppets who are still great to look at. Jennifer Connolly is very good in this in what is probably one of her first roles. The only thing that bugs me and always has is that she comes across really bratty for no real reason. I get that she is supposed to be younger than Connolly probably was but they could have reigned in the brattyness. 

The film was amazing to see on the big screen. I think that its a very good film and would still work with a modern audience who doesn't have quite the connection that I do with this film. The human performances are worth watching but the puppets do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of performances and the fact that nearly 40 years later they don't seem out of place is a credit to Jim Henson and the magic that his company was able to create not just in this film but throughout many films. The film is just around 102 minutes and it flies by. The magical world is great to look at because it's all on screen, the sets help create a world that I wouldn't mind going to. The main issue with modern day films is that the CGI does make most of the sets feel lifeless but this 1986 means that the actors are seeing what and how they are talking to and this is a key reason why it's still watchable nearly 40 years later.   


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