Review of Labyrinth (2012) by Ian F — 27 Aug 2011

Let me start this review by saying that on paper, this is NOT a good film. If I were to break down what I liked about this film, it would seem like everything I said would be a flaw. But that's the point with Labyrinth. It's flawed beyond human (and goblin) comprehension, but it's so much fun, so offbeat, and downright bizarre, it succeeds to do what many fantasy epics fail to do: Create a world. I'm not saying that the world of Labyrinth is believable. What I'm saying is that the world is so consistently weird that when a little girl falls into a pit lined with hundreds of hands that grab her and speak with her, you don't even question it. The puppetry from Jim Henson's creature crew looks really cool (with the exception of the Fierys that look AWFUL), but the reason above all reasons that this film is enjoyable is simple:

David Bowie is in it.

David is an absolute joy to watch as Jareth the Goblin King, over the top but extremely enjoyable. His soundtrack varies in quality, but if you don't like "Dance Magic Dance", THEN YOU DON'T HAVE A SOUL. In total, I enjoyed this film. It's fun and if you have any interest in puppetry, this and "The Dark Crystal" are films you should watch.