[Note: This 1986 movie is in theaters March 6-8 as a part of Fathom Events’ Big-Screen Classics series.]
Be careful what you wish for.
After all, you never know when the Goblin King might be listening in, waiting for the opportunity to make all your dreams come true.
Sarah knew about the Goblin King, Jareth. Or she had at least read a fairy tale story about him. But she didn’t believe he was real. And she certainly didn’t think he would send his goblin minions to kidnap her little brother, Toby.
But Sarah was angry. Her stepmother had asked her to babysit Toby again. Then Sarah had gotten into trouble when she showed up for the job an hour late. Plus, someone had had the gall to go into her room and remove one of her prized stuffed animals from the shelf. And it really didn’t help that the tyke wouldn’t. Stop. Crying.
So Sarah said these words: “I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now.”
Again, Sarah didn’t think her wish would come true. Really, she didn’t even want it to come true. She was just venting in the moment. But you try telling that to Jareth, who took her wish quite literally.
And the Goblin King isn’t convinced that Sarah really wants her brother back. After all, if Toby disappears, then Sarah’s dreams come true—or so Sarah thought in her teen angst when she made the silly wish.
So if Sarah really wants her baby brother back, she’ll have to solve the labyrinth surrounding the goblin city, break through Jareth’s spells and escape hordes of goblin cronies to find the tot and return home. And she only has 13 hours to do so. Otherwise Jareth will turn Toby into a goblin and keep him forever.
When the film begins, Sarah is a very angsty, selfish teen girl. She tends toward the overdramatic (unsurprising since she’s an aspiring actress) and expounds on how life is “not fair!”
However, Sarah’s journey through the Goblin King’s realm teaches her many important lessons. She realizes she’s been taking much in her life for granted—especially her family, who loves her and whom she loves, too. She exhibits bravery, determination, kindness, honesty and forgiveness. And because of her newfound outlook on life, she makes several loyal friends.
Hoggle, one of Sarah’s new compatriots, winds up betraying her, acting selfishly and cowardly. However, he learns from Sarah’s selfless acts, becoming honest, brave and even risking his own life to save hers. Seeing these attributes, Sarah forgives him for his deceit. Other friends help each other in moments of peril.
Labyrinth is filled with magical elements. Goblins and other mystical creatures are present throughout the story. And though Sarah and Toby are from the real world, they’re soon magically transported to the goblin realm by Jareth’s magic.
Jareth himself is not a goblin. He’s a human with magical abilities. And he uses crystal balls to direct most of this magic: He tosses one of them down a tunnel to summon a drill that chases Sarah and Hoggle; he turns another crystal ball into a peach that causes Sarah to fall asleep, hallucinate and forget about her mission; he uses them as a sort of scrying glass, spying on Sarah as she works her way through the labyrinth.
Jareth can also transform himself into an owl. And, obviously, he and the goblins are able to hear Sarah’s wish from their world, allowing them to cross over and kidnap young Toby.
Ludo, a large, ape-like creature, converses with rocks (who are his friends); he roars to summon them to his aid. Members of the Fire Gang, a group of bird-like creatures, are able to remove their limbs and heads and toss them around.
Someone says, “Knock and the door will open,” though it doesn’t seem to be a reference to Jesus’ similar words in Matthew 7. Song lyrics mention voodoo.
Those familiar with David Bowie (who plays Jareth) won’t be surprised to hear that the rock star’s somewhat fluid gender expression makes an appearance here. He also wears tight-fitting spandex pants that emphasize his groin area. A fountain with goblin carvings has spigots placed at the groins of the carved creatures.
Jareth uses his powers to put Sarah into a trance. She dreams she’s at a masked ball, dancing with Jareth and with an adoring look in her eyes before she snaps out of it. When she later confronts Jareth face to face, she appears to be infatuated, but once again she snaps out of it, telling him he has no power over her.
Jareth says that if Sarah ever kisses Hoggle, he’ll turn Hoggle into the prince of the Land of Stench. Not knowing this, Sarah hugs Hoggle and kisses him on the cheek in thanks for saving her. And Jareth’s magic activates, causing the pair to fall into the Bog of Eternal Stench.
There are several moments of looming peril. Sarah and Hoggle narrowly escape a giant drill chasing them down a tunnel. Characters fall from great heights (but are saved by their friends). A giant, axe-wielding mechanical goblin assaults the group. And the story’s heroes are also chased by cannon-firing goblins.
Early on, Hoggle uses a sort of pesticide on fairies, causing them to fall to the ground when sprayed (though not killing them). When Sarah picks one up in an attempt to help it, it bites her.
Ludo is caught in a trap that dangles him upside-down by his ankles, and he’s attacked by goblins armed with spears that have biting heads attached. Sarah throws rocks at the goblins, hitting a few in their helmeted heads, and they run away.
A member of the Fire Gang pulls out his own eyes. He then swallows them, causing them to pop back into place in his empty sockets. Other members of the Fire Gang remove their heads and limbs, using the appendages to play baseball. And when they realize Sarah’s head isn’t removable like theirs, they threaten to take her head off anyway. She escapes by kicking their bodyless heads into the woods to distract them.
Two characters engage in a sort of sword fight, swinging blunt weapons, punching and even biting one another. The melee ends in a draw, and the two combatants become friends.
When Sarah and her friends are attacked by goblins, Ludo summons his rock friends to save them. And the rocks roll into the goblin horde, knocking them down like bowling pins and occasionally crushing a few (though none are permanently injured).
“D–n” is used a handful of times. “H—” is used multiple times in song lyrics. And God’s name is misused once.
We hear the exclamations “Shut up!” and “Aw, nuts.” Jareth calls Hoggle a “repulsive little scab.”
None.
The puppet characters in this film (courtesy of director Jim Henson) are a bit darker than some of Henson’s more iconic works. The goblins in particular may be a bit creepy for more sensitive, younger viewers since they also kidnap an infant at the film’s start.
Sarah loses track of time and arrives home an hour late when she was supposed to be babysitting for her parents. But Sarah’s reaction to her stepmother’s light remonstration is incredibly rude, full of narcissistic angst and almost comically melodramatic. Her stepmother is hurt by this response, telling Sarah’s father that Sarah treats her like a “wicked” stepmother.
Later, Sarah has a similar outburst when her father doesn’t try hard enough (in her opinion) to talk to her about the incident. She rants and raves, shouting at her baby brother who is crying (as infants do). She even compares her being asked to babysit to slavery—again, I cannot overemphasize the amount of teen angst that’s vented here. And, as I said in the introduction, she wishes for Toby to be taken away by goblins.
Characters lie. Jareth and his mystical minions employ trickery and other dishonest tactics to waylay Sarah. Many people seem unable to remember Hoggle’s name, causing him hurt.
We see a puppet character urinating from behind. Sarah and her friends traverse the Bog of Eternal Stench, which is essentially an ever-flatulent swamp.
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth first hit the silver screen in 1986. Starring David Bowie as the wacky goblin king Jareth, the film has become something of a cult classic since its original release. It features songs written and performed by Bowie as well as Henson’s puppets.
In many ways, this is a coming-of-age tale the whole family can enjoy. Young Sarah learns the importance of selflessness and forgiveness. She befriends some unlikely characters, demonstrating that you should never judge a book by its cover. And she also realizes how much she loves her family—even when they drive her bonkers.
But there are a few details that some families may not appreciate.
The d-word is used a handful of times. And “h—” makes an appearance multiple times in song lyrics.
Unlike Henson’s more iconic Muppets, the puppets we see here are darker and creepier in appearance, which might frighten some sensitive young viewers.
There’s also the Bog of Eternal Stench, which is exactly what it sounds like, a swamp that smells really bad. It’s mostly played for humor, albeit of a juvenile sort. But observant viewers will note the flatulating, sphincter-like orifices present in the bog’s waters.
And though I’m loath to bring this up at all, David Bowie’s costume designer didn’t do audiences any favors by putting the man in a pair of spandex pants (which was completely intentional). Jareth’s character is the epitome of an ‘80s rock star—which is why Bowie was chosen to begin with—but some of Bowie’s own gender fluidity makes its way into his performance here. It’s not subtle, and it’s not meant to be.
Now, I could go on to discuss some of the more intricate complexities of Bowie’s character and performance in this film—namely Jareth’s sexuality and his influence over the teenage Sarah. In fact, countless articles and online forums have been dedicated to this very subject. But much like the leaders of those discussions, I’d be speculating at best, drawing my own conclusions which may be inherently different from the creators’ original intent.
So, I’ll just leave it at this. Labyrinth is truly a cult classic. You’ll either love it or hate it. But based on the information here, it may well be a nonstarter for some families.
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
