Labyrinth review
Nathan:
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new installment of Monstermater13 reviews, Ihave some big plans for this month and October in terms of reviews and the like. First I will be doing a series of reviews of Stephen King adaptions as well as character profiles on iconic King characters and I will also be giving my opinion on the 2017 version of It as well as the Dark Tower, I have already reviewed Misery so I might take a look at the It mini series, Green Mile, The Stand, Carrie, Christine, Pet Semetary, Stand By Me and Thinner as well as well as Cujo - I have already talked about Ghosts which was a movie directed by Stan Winston and based on a concept by Michael Jackson and Stephen King, ooh and I will defnitiely talk about Sleepwalkers as well and also i've got HP Lovecraft movie reviews planned as well in particular the main theatrical or tv made adaptations of his works as well as works that are influenced by Lovecraft in general. Followed by the Shape Of Water, ooh yes...i've been waiting to do a review on that masterpiece In case you're wondering I have already talked about horror themed video games since I have talked about Five Nights At Freddy's, but I will definitely talk about Darkstalkers.
or now though....I am going to be talking about a movie that I have meaning to do a review of for years but never got around it and that movie is Labyrinth. Yeah, I KNOW that others have tackled this movie before me but better late than never, am I right? But first before I start the review itself, I think it is time for a little backstory behind my love of this movie.
2005 Nathan:
Alright class, since it is raining we don't have to do any lessons today. Instead we all get to pick a movie to watch. I've got a few movies that we can all watch but I have brought Shrek 2. Don't you worry there are others which I have picked. *a few minutes later*...Woah, you guys picked Labyrinth. I'm curious....what is it about this movie that is so enthralling? *he watches it* Wow, I like the bad guy in this....he's a genuinely talented singer, I wonder if he has done anything else.
2006 Nathan:
*looks up the singer* Ah here we go, it says here the singer's name is David Bowie. Woah...I didn't know my parents were fans of this guy. He must be pretty awesome. *catches Labyrinth on Disney Channel one night* That's odd...what is this movie doing on the Disney Channel? And on Father's Day nonetheless? Oh well, I guess nothing quite says happy father's day like David Bowie. Woooah, this movie is amazing. I must own this on dvd. *gets it on dvd* Ooooh, yes, this is fantastic. I must ask someone to get me the soundtrack. *gets the soundtrack* Oooh, so many wonderful songs. I'm definitely going to add this to my favorites.
2007 Nathan:
*gets a Bowie CD as a gift* Ehhhh...thanks. 'Heroes'? This is a bit drerary and misleading to me, where are the monsters and comic book characters? This isn't exactly what I wanted at all when I said I wanted to hear more of him. *is given another one* Best Of Bowie, huh? Oooooooh, now we're talking. I think I like this guy. Scratch that, I love this guy.
2008-2013 Nathan:
Woah....looks like I have underestimated this guy, he isc clearly a brilliant and gifted musician. And to play a character like the goblin king in that movie...he's pretty good, I LOVE this man. *sees Neca has made a toy of him* Oooh, a figure of him as the character from the movie? *buys the figure* Ooh, I think i'm starting to get really into it. I'm even starting to dream of this movie a lot.
2016 Nathan:
Okay, this got a little bit depressing. I didn't think that such a high body count would be so prominent...but look at all the poor people who have passed in this year. But still...never expected Bowie to be one of them. And yet, I still can't help but think about it. *a few weeks later* *wakes up from a dream* I'm telling you guys, I heard him singing to me in my dream, and i'm not crazy either.
Present Nathan:
See? I told you I wasn't insane. I saw and heard Bowie speaking to me in my dreams and he told me that I should talk about his performance in the movie Labyrinth, I saw his ghost and his ghost possessed me and I turned into him numerous times.
Nathan:
And that's basically how it all came down to this. With that out of the way, let's talk about the movie itself. The movie was directed by Jim Henson with help from George Lucas (pre Star Wars prequels era Lucas), and it starred Jennifer Connolly in her first movie role and with songs by David Bowie and a score by Trevor Jones. The movie was released in 1986 and while it wasn't successful in America it soon developed a cult following which to this day is still growing.
I still think that 2005 era me was a bit of a fool considering that he wanted Shrek 2 to be the movie his class watched but hey...this was before the memes and 2007 me really shouldn't have estimated Bowie like that. Now...what is the movie about, you ask? Well, sit yourself down and i'll explain.
This movie tells the story of a girl named Sarah who has to take care of her brother Toby, who is being a bit of a pain in the neck and causing her a lot of problems. Furious about this, she decides to play around and she tells a story that mirrors her own life before wishing that her brother be taken away. Of course what she doesn't realize is that there are goblins watching her, and the goblins comment on the incantation, of course she says the correct incantation with the words 'I wish' at the beginning and thus just like that, Toby is captured by goblins.
A barn owl swoops in through the windows as she begins to panic, and the barn owl shapeshifts into a humanoid, not just any humanoid though...but one of the supernatural variety. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Jareth! Jareth is our antagonist and he is played by...who else? David Bowie. Look at him, everything about him is seductive and alluring, he's menacing but charismatic and hypnotic as well. And definitely giving off a vampire vibe especially when you look at the outfit he wears when he makes his big entrance.
Originally this character was supposed to be a puppet and be more monster-like in appearance, and in one of the drafts of the original script after Sarah rejects him he was to turn into an actual goblin but i'm glad that they went with the idea of making him a humanoid who happens to be a singer. And also there is this trope known as 'Evil Is Sexy', where being a villain is made out to be glamorous and appealing and not to mention sexy as well, and this includes characters like Dracula, Queen Chrysalis, Mosenrath, Mirage, Santanico Pandemonium, Akasha, and even characters like Pinhead and Freddy Krueger have their share of fan-girls. But I definitely think that it's Jareth that helped kickstart the idea of a villain that has fan-girls or the idea of the sexy MALE villain, well...him and 1985 Jerry from Fright Night (2011 Jerry isn't even in the same league).
There were many other singers that were considered for this role including Rod Stewart, Ted Nugent, David Lee Roth, Sting, Freddie Mercury, MichaelJackson and Mick Jagger among others. I'm glad they went with Bowie though. As I much I love Rod, Freddie and MJ I can't see any of them as Jareth.
I love Michael Jackson and all but I can't see someone as pure and cheerful as him playing a character like that, and yeah....he did play the Mayor in Ghosts (as well as the Maestro), but nah....can't see him as Jareth. I like the Rolling Stones but can't see Miick Jagger or Keith Richards in that role either (besides, Keith already has an iconic movie role...as Jack Sparrow's father).
Bowie was by far the right choice for this role as he brings the right combination of menace and charisma to the character and really brings the character to life. You can see Jareth's face pop up throughout the movie constantly, even at the beginning when you see a photo of Sarah's real mother with Bowie. In the novel this character is called Jeremy. I'm sensing sort of a Captain Hook/Mr Darling ordeal here.
Jareth informs Sarah that he has taken Toby to his castle and that she has 13 hours (I suppose that's different than the typical 'before midnight' rule), to solve the labyrinth and to get the castle, if she fails Toby will become a goblin forever. And what ensues is a brilliant adventure that you just have to see to believe and it's one filled with tricks, treats, surprises, and wonderful and fascinating creatures and catchy and memorable songs.
Would you believe that this movie still holds up today? I'm not the only one who thinks that. And the soundtrack has songs that once they get into your mind will never let go and you will be unable to resist them. And you certainly will not be able to resist Bowie either...but in case any of you tries to do anything...*his eyes glow* Look into my eyes and listen to my voice, my voice is all you should be focusing on, that and Bowie...focus on either one of those two things. Now relax, drift off and let me guide you...you are becoming more relaxed with each word I say, now...you like Bowie a lot, you love him, you think he is/was beautiful and enchanting, there is no singer that could compare to him, you adore Bowie...oh so much, you want to hear his songs. Imagine you are there and watching him in concert, or that he is here. Imagine you are the one heis singing to, as he tells you all is going to be alright and that he really cares for you. That's it now, now relax and drift away. *his eyes return to normal* Yessss! I knew that all those vampire lessons and hypnosis videos would pay off.
Everything about this movie is breathtaking and it makes you wish that it was real, and of course you cannot forget the wonderful creatures like the Fieries, Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Diddymus. There is a sequel/spin-off comic series about a teenage Toby titled Return To Labyrinth and also the music video for 'Underground' is basically the origin story of Jareth, if you are a fan of the movie you should check these out.
Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History is definitely a book you should look into buying as well. I know there have been talks of a sequel or remake but the thing is I cannot see the movie being made today at all. If you haven't seen Labyrinth at all...what dimension have you been living in for the past several centuries? And if you haven't heard of it, dude...what planet have you just crashed down from? If you have seen this movie and want to revisit it, give it a go. You might never know what you might find.
I heavily reccomend this film to lovers of the fantasy genre and give it ten of ten and 100 out of 100, definitely check it out if you have the chance. I'm Monstermaster13 and this has been my review of the cult classic Labyrinth, stay tuned for the rest of the reviews I will be working on.
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new installment of Monstermater13 reviews, Ihave some big plans for this month and October in terms of reviews and the like. First I will be doing a series of reviews of Stephen King adaptions as well as character profiles on iconic King characters and I will also be giving my opinion on the 2017 version of It as well as the Dark Tower, I have already reviewed Misery so I might take a look at the It mini series, Green Mile, The Stand, Carrie, Christine, Pet Semetary, Stand By Me and Thinner as well as well as Cujo - I have already talked about Ghosts which was a movie directed by Stan Winston and based on a concept by Michael Jackson and Stephen King, ooh and I will defnitiely talk about Sleepwalkers as well and also i've got HP Lovecraft movie reviews planned as well in particular the main theatrical or tv made adaptations of his works as well as works that are influenced by Lovecraft in general. Followed by the Shape Of Water, ooh yes...i've been waiting to do a review on that masterpiece In case you're wondering I have already talked about horror themed video games since I have talked about Five Nights At Freddy's, but I will definitely talk about Darkstalkers.
or now though....I am going to be talking about a movie that I have meaning to do a review of for years but never got around it and that movie is Labyrinth. Yeah, I KNOW that others have tackled this movie before me but better late than never, am I right? But first before I start the review itself, I think it is time for a little backstory behind my love of this movie.
2005 Nathan:
Alright class, since it is raining we don't have to do any lessons today. Instead we all get to pick a movie to watch. I've got a few movies that we can all watch but I have brought Shrek 2. Don't you worry there are others which I have picked. *a few minutes later*...Woah, you guys picked Labyrinth. I'm curious....what is it about this movie that is so enthralling? *he watches it* Wow, I like the bad guy in this....he's a genuinely talented singer, I wonder if he has done anything else.
2006 Nathan:
*looks up the singer* Ah here we go, it says here the singer's name is David Bowie. Woah...I didn't know my parents were fans of this guy. He must be pretty awesome. *catches Labyrinth on Disney Channel one night* That's odd...what is this movie doing on the Disney Channel? And on Father's Day nonetheless? Oh well, I guess nothing quite says happy father's day like David Bowie. Woooah, this movie is amazing. I must own this on dvd. *gets it on dvd* Ooooh, yes, this is fantastic. I must ask someone to get me the soundtrack. *gets the soundtrack* Oooh, so many wonderful songs. I'm definitely going to add this to my favorites.
2007 Nathan:
*gets a Bowie CD as a gift* Ehhhh...thanks. 'Heroes'? This is a bit drerary and misleading to me, where are the monsters and comic book characters? This isn't exactly what I wanted at all when I said I wanted to hear more of him. *is given another one* Best Of Bowie, huh? Oooooooh, now we're talking. I think I like this guy. Scratch that, I love this guy.
2008-2013 Nathan:
Woah....looks like I have underestimated this guy, he isc clearly a brilliant and gifted musician. And to play a character like the goblin king in that movie...he's pretty good, I LOVE this man. *sees Neca has made a toy of him* Oooh, a figure of him as the character from the movie? *buys the figure* Ooh, I think i'm starting to get really into it. I'm even starting to dream of this movie a lot.
2016 Nathan:
Okay, this got a little bit depressing. I didn't think that such a high body count would be so prominent...but look at all the poor people who have passed in this year. But still...never expected Bowie to be one of them. And yet, I still can't help but think about it. *a few weeks later* *wakes up from a dream* I'm telling you guys, I heard him singing to me in my dream, and i'm not crazy either.
Present Nathan:
See? I told you I wasn't insane. I saw and heard Bowie speaking to me in my dreams and he told me that I should talk about his performance in the movie Labyrinth, I saw his ghost and his ghost possessed me and I turned into him numerous times.
Nathan:
And that's basically how it all came down to this. With that out of the way, let's talk about the movie itself. The movie was directed by Jim Henson with help from George Lucas (pre Star Wars prequels era Lucas), and it starred Jennifer Connolly in her first movie role and with songs by David Bowie and a score by Trevor Jones. The movie was released in 1986 and while it wasn't successful in America it soon developed a cult following which to this day is still growing.
I still think that 2005 era me was a bit of a fool considering that he wanted Shrek 2 to be the movie his class watched but hey...this was before the memes and 2007 me really shouldn't have estimated Bowie like that. Now...what is the movie about, you ask? Well, sit yourself down and i'll explain.
This movie tells the story of a girl named Sarah who has to take care of her brother Toby, who is being a bit of a pain in the neck and causing her a lot of problems. Furious about this, she decides to play around and she tells a story that mirrors her own life before wishing that her brother be taken away. Of course what she doesn't realize is that there are goblins watching her, and the goblins comment on the incantation, of course she says the correct incantation with the words 'I wish' at the beginning and thus just like that, Toby is captured by goblins.
A barn owl swoops in through the windows as she begins to panic, and the barn owl shapeshifts into a humanoid, not just any humanoid though...but one of the supernatural variety. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Jareth! Jareth is our antagonist and he is played by...who else? David Bowie. Look at him, everything about him is seductive and alluring, he's menacing but charismatic and hypnotic as well. And definitely giving off a vampire vibe especially when you look at the outfit he wears when he makes his big entrance.
Originally this character was supposed to be a puppet and be more monster-like in appearance, and in one of the drafts of the original script after Sarah rejects him he was to turn into an actual goblin but i'm glad that they went with the idea of making him a humanoid who happens to be a singer. And also there is this trope known as 'Evil Is Sexy', where being a villain is made out to be glamorous and appealing and not to mention sexy as well, and this includes characters like Dracula, Queen Chrysalis, Mosenrath, Mirage, Santanico Pandemonium, Akasha, and even characters like Pinhead and Freddy Krueger have their share of fan-girls. But I definitely think that it's Jareth that helped kickstart the idea of a villain that has fan-girls or the idea of the sexy MALE villain, well...him and 1985 Jerry from Fright Night (2011 Jerry isn't even in the same league).
There were many other singers that were considered for this role including Rod Stewart, Ted Nugent, David Lee Roth, Sting, Freddie Mercury, MichaelJackson and Mick Jagger among others. I'm glad they went with Bowie though. As I much I love Rod, Freddie and MJ I can't see any of them as Jareth.
I love Michael Jackson and all but I can't see someone as pure and cheerful as him playing a character like that, and yeah....he did play the Mayor in Ghosts (as well as the Maestro), but nah....can't see him as Jareth. I like the Rolling Stones but can't see Miick Jagger or Keith Richards in that role either (besides, Keith already has an iconic movie role...as Jack Sparrow's father).
Bowie was by far the right choice for this role as he brings the right combination of menace and charisma to the character and really brings the character to life. You can see Jareth's face pop up throughout the movie constantly, even at the beginning when you see a photo of Sarah's real mother with Bowie. In the novel this character is called Jeremy. I'm sensing sort of a Captain Hook/Mr Darling ordeal here.
Jareth informs Sarah that he has taken Toby to his castle and that she has 13 hours (I suppose that's different than the typical 'before midnight' rule), to solve the labyrinth and to get the castle, if she fails Toby will become a goblin forever. And what ensues is a brilliant adventure that you just have to see to believe and it's one filled with tricks, treats, surprises, and wonderful and fascinating creatures and catchy and memorable songs.
Would you believe that this movie still holds up today? I'm not the only one who thinks that. And the soundtrack has songs that once they get into your mind will never let go and you will be unable to resist them. And you certainly will not be able to resist Bowie either...but in case any of you tries to do anything...*his eyes glow* Look into my eyes and listen to my voice, my voice is all you should be focusing on, that and Bowie...focus on either one of those two things. Now relax, drift off and let me guide you...you are becoming more relaxed with each word I say, now...you like Bowie a lot, you love him, you think he is/was beautiful and enchanting, there is no singer that could compare to him, you adore Bowie...oh so much, you want to hear his songs. Imagine you are there and watching him in concert, or that he is here. Imagine you are the one heis singing to, as he tells you all is going to be alright and that he really cares for you. That's it now, now relax and drift away. *his eyes return to normal* Yessss! I knew that all those vampire lessons and hypnosis videos would pay off.
Everything about this movie is breathtaking and it makes you wish that it was real, and of course you cannot forget the wonderful creatures like the Fieries, Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Diddymus. There is a sequel/spin-off comic series about a teenage Toby titled Return To Labyrinth and also the music video for 'Underground' is basically the origin story of Jareth, if you are a fan of the movie you should check these out.
Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History is definitely a book you should look into buying as well. I know there have been talks of a sequel or remake but the thing is I cannot see the movie being made today at all. If you haven't seen Labyrinth at all...what dimension have you been living in for the past several centuries? And if you haven't heard of it, dude...what planet have you just crashed down from? If you have seen this movie and want to revisit it, give it a go. You might never know what you might find.
I heavily reccomend this film to lovers of the fantasy genre and give it ten of ten and 100 out of 100, definitely check it out if you have the chance. I'm Monstermaster13 and this has been my review of the cult classic Labyrinth, stay tuned for the rest of the reviews I will be working on.
Comments
Post a Comment