review: LABYRINTH

Sony Pictures  //  Buy from Amazon.com Labyrinth tells the story of Sarah (Jennifer Connolly), a young teenager with an active imagination, who, when frustrated with babysitting her baby brother, summons the goblins to take him away. Be careful what you wish for, because when little Toby disappears, Sarah must follow him into a puzzling fantasy world to rescue him from the Goblin King (David Bowie). Guarding the castle is The Labyrith itself: a complex and twisted maze of trickery, including outrageous characters and inexplicable dangers that Sarah must get through in time to save Toby. This film was one of the Top 10 films that I rented over and over again as a kid, joining other titles such as "Transylvania 6-500," "It Came From Hollywood," "Weird Science" and, of course, "The Dark Crystal" (review for that anniversary edition coming soon.) "Labryinth" was a film that absolutely kept me riveted with its storytelling, puppetry, and music (to this day, "Dance Magic Dance" is still a favorite.) In fact, this film was one of very few that both me & my little sister would watch together and enjoy equally. Watching it now, with my own young boys, it's apparent that the magic is still there, evident for new generations to enjoy just as I myself did all those years ago. It's a classic, timeless tale, with all the right elements of fairytale & adventure to hold your attention whether its your first time watching, or your 20th. This super-deluxe anniversary edition DVD is phenomenal, with a gorgeous transfer and a plethora of extras. There's been no shortage of DVDs released for this film, but this is absolutely the best one yet, and definitely the one to add to your collection. Video This beloved classic gets a newly-remasted 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that is a sight to behold. I grew up with watching a crummy ol' pan & scan VHS copy, so to see this film restored to its original glory, leaping off the screen of my plasma TV, is amazing. The lush, rich color palette is gorgeous and the level of detail surprised me - what a truly great looking transfer! Audio The Dolby 5.1 surround mix included here is dynamic and immersive, with the rich soundscape (not to mention Bowie's singing) bursting out of the full surround speaker set up. Very nice. Extras audio commentary w/ conceptual designer "Inside the Labyrinth" hour-long making-of featurette 2-part retrospective documentary multiple galleries trailers Closing Thoughts Truly timeless fairy tale + bonus disc of extras (including 2 feature-length documentaries) = definitive version of this epic film!