--- title: "Labyrinth: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/labyrinth/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/labyrinth" critics_score: 64 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Labyrinth (1986): what the critics said Critics' score 64 from 7 reviews: 3 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative. The reviews lean towards qualified affection for Labyrinth, with praise clustering around Henson’s puppetry, the creature designs and the strange fairy-tale setting. Even critics who find the adventure unsatisfying admire much of its visual invention. The warmer responses see a charming, eccentric coming-of-age fable, and several single out David Bowie’s Goblin King as a compelling presence among the creatures. His songs also draw praise, though his acting divides opinion. The reservations concern how well these attractions sustain a story: the middle drags, the tone wavers between scares and cuteness, and the characters do not charm everyone. The spread is wide, from enthusiasm for the film’s warmth to frustration at its sluggishness. The Times finds Bowie stiff, despite enjoying the anarchic fantasy, while Slant Magazine admires the creature craftsmanship but finds the film inert. The central disagreement is whether the inventiveness compensates for the uneven storytelling. ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2026. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/07/labyrinth-review-jim-henson-david-bowie-jennifer-connelly) ## Radio Times — Josh Winning Rating 4/5. 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. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-wsd1ks/labyrinth/) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2026. 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. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/labyrinth-review-david-bowie-monty-python-p7q7vsldb) ## Time Out — TJ Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/labyrinth) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 27 June 1986. 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. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/labyrinth-1986) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2003. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/labyrinth/) ## Empire — Ian Nathan 1 January 2000. 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. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/labyrinth-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Sheila Benson 26 June 1986. 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. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-26-ca-21515-story.html) ## Variety 1 January 1986. 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. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/labyrinth-1200426885/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 2009. 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. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/labyrinth-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/labyrinth.md