Co-written and lovingly directed by Muppet master Jim Henson, 1986's Labyrinth has never seemed like more than a reasonably engaging fairy tale. But it's a bona fide cult favorite, and Sony's oddly timed “anniversary edition” (commemorating 21 years?) will surely find an eager audience. The preternaturally bright and beautiful Jennifer Connelly stars as overly imaginative teenager Sarah, who resents babysitting for her slightly younger brother Toby (Toby Froud) and therefore conjures up goblins from her hyperactive mind to whisk him away. Understandably dismayed when her wish comes true, Sarah follows the boy into a fantasy land on a quest to rescue him from the Goblin King (David Bowie), whose castle is surrounded by the Labyrinth, a mystical maze peopled with bizarre and outrageous characters. This double-disc release boasts an all-new high-definition transfer of the film, as well as audio commentary by conceptual design artist Brian Froud, the original hour-shy “making-of” documentary, and two featurettes with newly rediscovered footage from Henson's home in England and recently shot interviews with executive producer George Lucas, Brian Froud, and various cast and crew members. Despite my ambivalence about the film itself, this is a very handsome and comprehensive presentation, one that is sure to delight Labyrinth's legion of loyal fans. A strong optional purchase. (E. Hulse)[Blu-ray Review—Oct. 13, 2009—Sony, 105 min., PG, $27.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1986's Labyrinth sports a great transfer and a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. Blu-ray extras include an all-new “The Storytellers” picture-in-picture track featuring interviews with various crew members, plus earlier DVD special features including audio commentary by conceptual design artist Brian Froud, the original hour-shy “making-of” documentary, and the behind-the-scenes documentaries “Journey Through the Labyrinth” (58 min.) and “Inside the Labyrinth” (56 min.), which together feature newly rediscovered footage from Henson's home in England and interviews with executive producer George Lucas, Froud, and various cast and crew members. Bottom line: a beloved if uneven fantasy film makes a fine debut on Blu-ray.][Blu-ray/DVD Review—Oct. 4, 2016—Sony, 101 min., PG, DVD: $14.99, Blu-ray: $19.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 1986's Labyrinth features an excellent transfer and Dolby Atmos audio on the Blu-ray edition. DVD/Blu-ray extras new to this release include the behind-the-scenes featurettes “The Henson Legacy” (11 min.), and “Remembering the Goblin King” (5 min.); extras carried over from previous releases include audio commentary with conceptual designer Brian Froud, an “Inside the Labyrinth” making-of documentary (56 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are an anniversary Q&A (42 min.), a “Reordering Time: Looking Back” retrospective featurette (10 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film; extras carried over from previous releases include the behind-the-scenes documentary “Journey Through the Labyrinth” (58 min.), and a picture-in-picture track. Bottom line: a visually sparkling Blu-ray edition of Jim Henson's popular fantasy film.]
Labyrinth
Sony, 2 discs, 101 min., PG, DVD: $24.98 Volume 22, Issue 6
Labyrinth
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