Labyrinth (1986)

The critic calls the 1986 film one of the most beguilingly eccentric and charming family movies imaginable. They single out the mix of human actors, Hensonian puppets and David Bowie's committed performance as Jareth for particular praise.

Henson's final film is praised as a warm, weird and creative coming-of-age fable with brilliant puppets and an enchanting dark fairy-tale tone; Bowie's hypnotic performance as the Goblin King is singled out.

The critic notes that the film bombed on release but has been reassessed as a cult classic. They single out the anarchic fantasy elements and Terry Jones's screenplay contributions for mention while observing Bowie's stiff acting.

The critic notes that while the narrative assembles familiar fairy-tale elements and the mid-section drags, the Creature Shop's creatures and David Bowie's performance provide memorable highlights.

The film is an impressive production that is often good to look at with real thought behind it and a fine David Bowie soundtrack, yet something is missing and it never really comes alive. It singles out the Escher-inspired visual paradoxes and special effects for praise while noting the Muppet creatures work better in other contexts.

The critic finds the film inert overall despite its visual inventiveness. The magnificently strange Henson creatures and their craftsmanship are singled out for praise, while pacing and the failure to balance scares and cuteness are noted as flaws.

The critic finds it a lesser adventure than The Dark Crystal but still admires its clever Freudian take on puberty and childhood, with the labyrinth as a literal nightmare world. Henson’s skill at bringing exotic puppets to life is singled out as an unsung genius.

Labyrinth contains memorable individual sequences like a fantasy ball and an Escher-like room but is overall a trying trip with less humor, wit, and great imagery than expected from its creators. It singles out the screenplay and lack of depth compared to the technical wizardry for complaint.

An array of bizarre creatures and David Bowie cannot save Labyrinth from being a crashing bore, with characters that become annoying rather than endearing. It singles out the failure on a story level, calling it an unconvincing coming-of-age saga that loses its way.

The critic praises the inventive fantasy elements, creature designs from Henson's workshop, and striking sets, but notes the film falters due to inconsistent tone that swings between childish appeal and more complex themes.