THE LABYRINTH

You may (or may not) be surprised to find out I only recently discovered this film even existed. I finally found this little gem on my cousin’s facebook status of all places and Max if you’re reading this (and knowing you, I sincerely doubt it but still) I mean you. Thanks mate. It was a revelation – I have evidently had a very deprived childhood…
Oh yes. This is a children’s film – it was meant as one anyway. But see, just like the animation, I like children’s films. A lot of the time, they are nostalgic. And sometimes, ideal for relaxing to. So is this one. Starring David Bowie (of all people) and a pint-sized Jennifer Connoley (aged ?? at the time)The Labyrinth is THE best dollop of gorgeous, kitsch 80’s yum I have seen in a very VERY long time.
This is the story of Sarah (Jennifer Connoley). She is a pretty regular teenager; she is into fairy stories and doesn’t like being left at home alone to babysit her little brother. On one such night when her baby brother Toby is being particularly grizzly and tiresome she inadvertently says the magic words – and the goblins carry off her baby brother. Confronted by Jareth, The Goblin King (guess who) she finds out that she has to solve the magic labyrinth, pass through the goblin city and get to Jareth’s castle in just 13 hours if she wants to see her brother again. If she fails, he will turn into a goblin and there will be no turning back…
Now, there are certain things to say about this film. For instance, the rest of the cast (except Toby, Sarah, Jareth and Mother – who appears very briefly at the beginning of the film) is made up entirely of puppets. The visual effects are… Well, very 1986 (not surprisingly, the year the film was made). And Terry Jones (again of all people. What do you mean which Terry Jones – the one from Monty Python! Oh for Heaven’s sake, you knew that, right??) wrote the thing. And that means, children’s film though it is, it is crammed full of very Python-esque and VERY British VERY dry humor. Not excessively mind you, but for some constitutions even a small smidgen of British humor is too much. I almost rolled around on the floor in places. And, and, if you are a David Bowie fan, he makes, in a word, THE BEST, the most leodard-clad and glam make-upped goblin king you could ever, possibly, remotely imagine. He is pure yum in himself.
In short, I cannot begin to explain how strongly I advise you to watch this film. I recognize it’s a niche and you may find it completely silly, but if you like this kind of film, you will bitterly regret not having watched it. And if you are among those folk (I believe they exist) that are gob-smacked I have never heard of this, well just re-watch it. Go on, you know you were looking for an excuse! =)

SHORT - BUT VERY SWEET : "9"

Now, one thing you guys may not be aware of is the fact that I am a MASSIVE animation fan. Of any sort. From Pixar to Miyazaki – I’m your gal. That is why I have been chomping at the bit to watch the Oscar ® nominated animation 9 for a VERY long time. Especially with Tim Burton’s name as producer on the credit block. (Guess what, massive fan of Tim Burton aswell!) I have finally achieved this goal and believe me it was everything I expected of it and more…

As is usual, first the plot: It is the aftermath of the classic sci-fi plot “man against machines”. Only the machines have won and the human race has been wiped out. All that remain that are vaguely human are 9 rag dolls that have somehow come alive. Unfortunately none of them know where they came from or how the came alive, they just know of the world they are born into. It is important to add that the rag dolls didn’t all appear at once and 9 is the last one to appear. He is by far the most inquisitive and adventurous of all the dolls and starts a chain reaction of events that will change the world…

I know, that sounds like a cliché. And I am the first to admit, there is a lot in the film that is cliché: the “sassy chick” the “jaded leader” and “his goon” the “wise old scientist” and many more… As for the storyline it is an imaginative dystopia set in an alternative reality with some rather obvious allusions to Nazi Germany and Somewhere Over The Rainbow figuring in it. And I have to admit that I could see where the story was going from the middle onwards. That seems like rather a lot wrong with the movie if you think about it. The point, however, is that I seriously doubt you are meant to think about it for any length of time. Not in that much detail. I mean, “men against machines” themed horror / sci-fi flicks have been prominent since the 70’s for God’s sake, if you go down that route just don’t watch it. If you do that, you will be missing alot. ALOT. The film for one thing, is an absolute visual feast. You could randomly pick a frame and hang it on your wall as an art piece, it’s that good. The “holes” in the story are very easy to complete with basic imagination (and I assume anyone into watching animations has at least a basic imagination!). The characters are in a word lovable. I have heard people say “they aren’t developed” but really, they are just your good old staple animation / Hollywood film characters we watch in every film of this sort. Plus, with talented actors like Elijah Wood, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau and Jennifer Connolly lending them their voices the rag dolls do a much better job “coming alive” on screen than some “live” actors do!

So it will not change your life. I have always said that all movies are not meant to. I will go as far as saying this though: Director Shane Aker has done an excellent jop and if you watch 9 and fail to enjoy it on some level, there is very probably something seriously wrong with you…