About

The evolution of fairy tales on screen from the 1970s onwards was influenced by master craftsman, puppeteer and filmmaker Jim Henson. Labyrinth is a fairy tale from the viewpoint of Sarah, a sulky teenager who envisions herself as a put-upon princess while babysitting her infant stepbrother. Sarah (Jennifer Connolly) wishes to be free of the crying child, and the wretched obligation to her (not so wicked) stepmother. Her wish is granted by the Goblin King (David Bowie), who takes the baby, thrusting Sarah into an adventure in a parallel world – filled with an ever-changing labyrinth, talking creatures, a peach of forgetting, and an otherworldly ballroom sequence – to retrieve him. The dreamlike logic of the film shifts between states of childhood and adulthood as Sarah realises she is not as ready as she thought to be grown up.

PG | Mild fantasy themes