More about this DVD  •  DVD Info  •  Movie Main Page  •  Message Board

Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is an attractive teenager who, quite inexplicably, is not dating. She spends her time lost in self-indulgent reading and fantasizing, frequently submerged in her room full of stuffed animals. She seems spoiled and resentful when her father and stepmother (Christopher Malcolm and Shelley Thompson) ask her to baby-sit her infant half-brother, Toby (Toby Froud), as they prepare for a Saturday night outing. Sarah is, in fact, so provoked by the child's crying, that she voices a fantasy wish that just happens to be the right combination of words. The child is taken by goblins. Panicked, she's confronted by Jareth (David Bowie), the Goblin King. When she insists that she wants her brother back, he gives her thirteen hours to navigate a labyrinth; at the center of his diabolical maze is his castle, and there she may reclaim her brother. If she fails, Jareth will keep him.

On her way, Sarah meets many whimsical and bizarre creatures, some of which help and some of which sabotage her quest. Ultimately, she finds three allies: Hoggle, a dwarf with mixed loyalties who enjoys knocking fairies out of the sky with a spray of insecticide; Ludo, a gentle monster with horns and long red fur; and Sir Didymus, a noble fox whose trusty mount is a sheepdog. Together, they fight and outfox (no pun intended) their way to Jareth's lair.

Children will enjoy the fantasy. Older members of the audience will appreciate Monty Python's Terry Jones' wit - he wrote the screenplay - and Sarah's journey, challenging herself, befriending unlikely allies, and growing emotionally. Jennifer Connelly was only fifteen when she made this movie and we can already perceive a developing talent that will ultimately earn an Academy Award. But the film does have an annoying flaw. The filmmakers chose to insert several musical numbers that stop the action dead in its tracks. I assume that Bowie's participation inspired the inclusion of the songs; he did, after all, write them. The film would have been better served if the music had been omitted and the Jareth character made a more compelling threat. The Goblin King is a hollow villain.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment originally released this film on DVD on October 11, 1999, then a Superbit release, which used the same master as this third version. Presented in the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1, it appears similar in quality to The Dark Crystal, also recently released the same day as this disc. But since this version drops the DTS track and there aren't all that many extras, the bit rate for the video is not all that diminished. Edge halos are present but are rarely seen and never intrude. Small object detail and textures are first-rate. Color accuracy based on flesh tones is very good. Bright colors are vivid and are devoid of chroma noise and smearing. Shadow detail is excellent. I noticed no compression artifacts. This is another fine film-like presentation that is so revealing that the optical special effect matte lines leap out at you.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

Instead of just doing a single "Superbit Deluxe" release, Columbia has opted to release the previous Superbit and this new Collector's Edition six months apart. Gone is the DTS track, with only a Dolby Digital 5.1 option. new collector's edition is a single-disc set that drops the DTS track on the previous Superbit. Like The Dark Crystal, very deep bass is absent, but the top end is a bit better here. There is more bass apparent in the music than in the sound effects. Trevor Jones score is spacious but still lacks outstanding fidelity. Dynamic range is compressed, resulting in an unfortunate loss of sonic impact. The voices were overwhelmingly looped, so dialog remains extremely clear throughout. There remains a veil over the sound, a subtle haze or distortion that robs the audio of extreme clarity.

The audio is supported by subtitles in Spanish and English, for which Closed Captions are also included.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Like the original DVD release, this new Collector's Edition also includes the televised documentary Inside the Labyrinth in it's entirety. It's an excellent show, and a great look into the making of the film with plenty of interviews and behind the scenes footage with all of the major cast and crew, including the late Jim Henson. There is also a single low quality, full frame trailer for the film, one for 'The Dark Crystal' and a Video Commercial for Jim Henson's 'The Storyteller' series. However, where is the additional footage that so well supported the film from the A/V press kit? There was so much more that wasn't covered in "Inside the Labyrinth," and given the fact that this is the third time the film has been released by Columbia - the original studio that distributed the film theatrically - this is clearly a missed opportunity. In addition, there was a terrific music video of the Bowie song "Underground" that featured original footage shot on the set with the characters from the film. If my memory serves, this video also featured original sequences of cartoon animation that is unlike anything in the film and is outstanding.

As for imagery, there was a book published called "Goblins Of The Labyrinth" that featured the designs for the characters in the film by Brian Froud, but none of it appeared on the previous DVDs, nor did any of the interesting poster concepts for the film. This new edition rectifies that to some degree - included is an Image Gallery totaling a hundred stills, including conceptual art, sketches, publicity photos, storyboards and posters. However, like the gallery that appeared on The Dark Crystal, it really isn't enough for this type of film. There seems to be a world of material that could have been included, and its presentation is too ho-hum - no explanatory text, just a succession of images. Also included in the package proper - a deluxe book-like keepcase - are six physical card reproductions of Fround's illustrations, plus a nice 12-page color booklet and a special Scene Composite reproduction card.

Rounding it are standard filmographies and theatrical trailers for Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts