By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
There’s a strangely persistent joke online that our world has only gotten worse since David Bowie died. To use the Deadpool and Wolverine In common parlance, he was our primary being, and his death in 2016 ultimately unleashed the horrors of 2020 and beyond. The joke doesn’t have much substance, but it touches on our collective nostalgia; a need to remember both Bowie and the peaceful happiness of days gone by. And if you love this musical legend and scratch the nostalgia itch, here’s some great news: his fantastic, quirky classic. Labyrinth is now streaming for free on Tubi.
Labyrinth On Tubi
Those who explore Labyrinth for the first time on Tubi, you will definitely be enchanted by this story of a teenager who really loves a fantasy book in the universe called The labyrinth. When the stepbrother she’s supposed to babysit becomes a little too annoying, she makes the mistake of wishing the goblins she heard about would come and take the little boy away. When real goblins come and run away with the child, their king only gives the teen 13 hours to solve the titular maze, otherwise the brother she thought was so monstrous will be transformed into a fearsome goblin forever.
Labyrinth has the kind of incredible cast you don’t normally associate with movies on Tubi, including Shelley Thompson (best known for her role in Trailer Park Boys) as the teenager’s overbearing stepmother. The teenager, meanwhile, is played by ’80s icon Jennifer Connelly, the Academy Award-winning actress who starred in heavy films like Requiem for a dream And A beautiful spirit as well as more populist dishes like Top Gun: Maverick. But for many, the real The star of the show is musical icon David Bowie, whose performance as Jareth the Goblin King includes catchy songs written explicitly for the film.
Lots of Jim Henson Puppets
One of the reasons why Labyrinth has so few actors on screen is that the film is, like the popular television show Distant landscape (also currently streaming on Tubi), filled with colorful creatures designed by Jim Henson. In fact, the Muppet master directed the film and Star Wars guru George Lucas served as executive producer. Their combined genre expertise helped bring this fantasy world to life, and it’s a special testament to Henson’s skills that all of these creatures and their effects hold up so well decades after this 1986 film’s release.
While Labyrinth impressed audiences on Tubi, it didn’t create quite the same buzz when it was released, especially in relation to its budget. The film ultimately grossed $34 million on a $25 million budget, and although it technically made a profit, this was considered a very poor box office take, especially for a film with the weight of Henson and Lucas behind him. Fortunately, the film went on to be a huge success on home video and became a fantasy cinema staple for moviegoers who love sorcery more than swords.
A true cult classic
It may have taken some time for the general public to get used to Labyrinthbut the film immediately won over the critics. On Rotten TomatoesThe film has a critical rating of 77 percent, with critics generally praising the film’s fantastic visuals and director Jim Henson’s unparalleled imagination. The film also has an even more impressive 86% audience rating via the Popcornmeter, proving that it is a fantastic film that has managed to captivate almost everyone who has seen it.
Will you find Labyrinth just as enchanting when you look at it on TubiOr is this a movie you’d rather see made into Goblin? You will only know it when you spend an evening under the spell of Jareth. Of course, it won’t be enough to bring Bowie back, but it might do the next best thing: give you a taste of simpler days and the warm nostalgia that only the ’80s can truly deliver.
