’80s Fantasy Classic On Tubi Stars Musical Legend

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 28 seconds ago

There’s a strangely persistent online joke that our world has only been getting worse since David Bowie died. To use the Deadpool and Wolverine He was supposedly our anchor, and ultimately his death in 2016 unleashed the horrors of 2020 and beyond. There is little substance to the joke, but it touches on our collective nostalgia; need to remember Bowie and the peaceful joy of days gone by. And if you love this musical legend and scratch the itch of nostalgia, here’s great news: his extraordinary fantasy classic. Labyrinth now streaming for free on Tubi.

Labyrinth On Tubi

Those that cover Labyrinth for the first time on Tubi are sure to be fascinated by this story about a teenage girl who really loves a fantasy book in the universe called The Labyrinth. When the half-brother she’s supposed to babysit gets a little too wild, she makes the mistake of wishing the goblins she’s been reading about come and take the little tyke away. When real goblins come and actually escape with the child, their King gives the teenager just 13 hours to solve the titular labyrinth, or the brother she thought was so monstrous will be transformed for never a scary goblin.

Labyrinth It has the kind of amazing cast you don’t usually associate with films on Tubi, including Shelley Thompson (best known for her role in Trailer Park Boys) as the teenager’s tyrannical stepmother. Meanwhile, the teenager is played by ’80s icon Jennifer Connelly, the Academy Award-winning actor who has starred in blockbusters such as Requiem for a Dream a Beautiful Mind as well as a more popular price 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 lively songs written specifically for the film.

A Lot Of Jim Henson Puppets

One of those reasons Labyrinth has so few actors on the screen that the film is, like the popular TV show Farscape (also currently streaming on Tubi), full of colorful creatures designed by Jim Henson. In fact, the Muppet master directed the film, and Star Wars guru George Lucas served as the executive producer. Their combined genre expertise helped bring this fantasy world to stunning life, and it’s a special testament to Henson’s skills that each of these creatures and their effects hold up so well decades after the release of the this 1986 film.

While Labyrinth had been impressing audiences on Tubi, it didn’t create quite the same splash when it was released, especially compared to its budget. The film ended up earning $34 million against a $25 million budget, and while it technically made a profit, this was considered a very poor box office, especially for a film with Henson’s weight and Lucas behind him. Fortunately, the film later found massive success on home video, and has become a staple of fantasy filmmaking for movie nerds who love sorcery more than swords.

A True Cult Classic

It may have taken a while for general audiences to warm up Labyrinthbut the film cast its spell on critics immediately. Ar Rotten tomatoesthe film has a critical score of 77 percent, with critics generally praising the film’s brilliant visuals and director Jim Henson’s unparalleled imagination. The film also has an even more impressive audience score of 86 percent through the Popcornmeter, proving that this is one fantasy film that has managed to captivate almost everyone who has seen it.

Will you find Labyrinth just as magical when you watch it is Tubior is this one film you’d rather see turned into a goblin? You won’t know until you spend a night under Jareth’s spell. Sure, that 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 offer.