Rediscovering Labyrinth: 13 Things to Notice

Screencap from TriStar Pictures

CGI: Not Quite Next Gen

Everyone loved CGI in the 1980s. As computers became the de facto technological invention of the modern era, every movie studio employed it in their films. Two main sequences have aged the worst: the opening credits and the still terrible “Chilly Down” dance number. The credits give audiences their first glimpse at a CGI owl, who looks like the love child between a Gateway computer and Bubo from Clash of the Titans. It’s odd that for such a fantastical number, the titles are so stock and generic.

Later, when Sarah is separated from her friends, she runs afoul of a group of dismembered weirdos called the Fierys who enjoy taking their bodies apart and throwing heads at each other. I’m assuming this is the point when Henson and screenwriter Terry Jones did some illegal substances and started spitballing ideas. This scene employs early blue screen technology and the layering is evident. Sarah and the puppets look like they’re laid on top of the background…because they were. The scene stands out for sucking, but also because it looks fake as can be. Though not entirely timeless, the effects are the most dated element within Labyrinth.

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