film

A famous and utterly magnetic performance from David Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King, lights up Labyrinth and has taken it to great cult-classic heights, but there's so much else to love in Jim Henson's 1986 fantasy romp too. The groundbreaking puppetry in the film - many of the characters are played by puppets produced by Henson's Creature Shop - and its delightful visual effects weave a truly dreamlike, parallel-universe atmosphere with oodles of texture and wonder.

The story follows Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), a teenager who accidentally wishes her baby brother, Toby, away to Jareth's labyrinth. To save him, she must navigate a sprawling, surreal maze within 13 hours, encountering quirky creatures and strange challenges. Terry Jones's screenplay moves the action along with flair and humour, and the characters Sarah befriends along the way, led by the grumpy but loyal dwarf Hoggle, are a delight. And then there are Bowie's soundtrack contributions. A joy from start to finish.