By After the age of “Star Wars” (1977-83), fantasy moved from space back to the traditional stomping grounds of natural yet mysterious fairy-tale settings. As I played with “Star Wars” toys I missed out on this phase, although it was important in leading to my next passion, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
You can trace Jim Henson’s Muppets to the tactile realism of the 1990 Turtles through 1980s fantasy, of which George Lucas also played a role. The centerpiece is arguably “Labyrinth” (1986), directed by Henson and executive produced by Lucas.
An uncanny valley doesn’t exist for creatures the way it does for humans, so although goblin Hoggle, “Where the Wild Things Are”-esque Ludo, anthropomorphic fox Didymus and others are puppets or little people in suits, they are full characters. The creatures who can remove their heads and throw them are more Muppet-esque, but certainly a fun idea.
“Labyrinth” (1986)
Director: Jim Henson
Writers: Terry Jones (screenplay); Dennis Lee, Jim Henson (story)
Stars: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Shari Weiser
“Labyrinth” only has three human characters – David Bowie as villainous Labyrinth ruler Jareth; Jennifer Connelly as teen Sarah, sucked in from real life; and a baby — and they don’t fare as well. Henson is uninterested in directing them. Sometimes the editor cuts to Bowie or Connelly to remind us they are in a scene, and they don’t do an appropriate reaction; they are just there.
Bowie’s puffed-out yet straight hair looks cool, and I suspect this is where the Nagai design came from in later issues of Marvel’s “Star Wars,” but even the Thin White Duke doesn’t seem totally comfortable.
Showing off his work
Henson breaks with Lucas’ mantra to not show off the work (instead let the story dictate to the camera). Since there’s always something to look at in this film that’s set-designed to the hilt, “Labyrinth” could function as a long dreamscape music video. But, even as I fiddled with my speaker settings, Trevor Jones’ score is buried in the mix. Even in Bowie’s three musical numbers, the instruments are too quiet.
“Labyrinth” connected with many 1980s kids, so maybe I am seeing it too late, but I don’t think so. The journey and emotions of “Ewoks: The Battle for Endor” (1985), in the forest-trek fantasy mold, genuinely connect with me.
Terry Jones’ screenplay is thinner than Bowie. Sarah must rescue her baby brother from the clutches of Jareth. It’s unclear what Jareth intends to do with the kid, I suspect because Jones never decided. Jareth instructs his flaky serfs such as Hoggle to be dishonest in their directions to Sarah so she won’t reach his castle at the maze’s center.
There’s never any sense of peril, although I admit this wrinkle about the Bog of Stench is cleverly scary: If you touch the bog, you will smell bad for life. I’d make a quip here about the stench of “Labyrinth’s” story, but really its main fault is that it doesn’t exist.