Labyrinth Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Labyrinth Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 23, 2016

Sony previously released 'Labyrinth' to Blu-ray in 2009. This 30th anniversary reissue arrives in attractive DigiBook packaging and features several new supplements, a restored 1080p transfer from a 4K scan, and a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

For a full film review, please click here.

Labyrinth Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Brian Henson, via a leaflet included with the release, writes this about the new picture presentation for Labyrinth:

Using the original 35mm camera negative as the source, the film was scanned and fully restored at 4K resolution.This resulted in a significant increase in detail, color and vibrancy -- key elements to the film's unique and sophisticated visuals, from the layers in Jareth's costume as he starts Sarah on her adventure to the intricate features of the goblins that inhabit the labyrinth itself. It has been exciting to bring the look of the film back to how it was originally intended -- if not better! Using both the color detail from the negative and my father's personal print of the film as a reference, we were able to carefully match the look and feel for each scene throughout.

The image lives up to those words. Sony's 4K restoration, even on the standard 1080p Blu-ray, is a thing of beauty. The picture delights with a finely grainy, highly detailed, accurately colorful, effortlessly sharp, and beautifully cinematic picture. Grain is complimentary and light, constant and visible, and the image serves as a reminder of film's inherent beauty over today's digital photography. Details are fantastic. Everything is clear, focused, and intimately textured. Even in the beginning around the house, things like wallpaper, a lamp, wooden accents, and very light wear on paint stand out with breathtaking definition. Of course, it's when the action shifts to the labyrinth when the image really solidifies itself. The puppet textures are gorgeously revealing, showcasing both the finest material definition as well as the inherent artistry in the craftsmanship. Every fine little detail is visible, even in medium-distance shots. Likewise, stonework around the labyrinth -- walls and ground tiles -- are very finely textured and every little rough edge and uneven surface feature and pit are plainly visible. Makeup and skin textures delight and costumes are a playground of fine fabric and accentuating detail. Colors are excellent, natural and pleasing with a wide array of bright, robust primaries and accurate earthy support shades scatted about equally throughout. Black levels hold deep and true, with only a slight spike in grain intensity in the very darkest moments. Skin tones appear accurate, if not ever so slightly red, at times. The image suffers from no perceptible wear and tear to the original elements or obvious problems with the encode. This is a beautiful presentation from Sony. Fans are going to be ecstatic.

Labyrinth Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Labyrinth features a brand-new Dolby Atmos track, replacing the previous release's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 presentation. There are a few good moments of overhead support in the track. Thunder seems to roll through, and a bit above, the listening area during the rainstorm in which Sarah is caught to begin the film. Several deep, heavy rumbles and Ludo's bellowing saturate the stage on all planes about midway through, resulting in the movie's most potent sonic moment and the most intense and immersive example of the Atmos track's capabilities. Combine that overhead support with full saturation surround and the thunderous, but well-maintained, bass, and it's practically a reference worthy moment. A few vocal reverberations penetrate with a nice sense of top layer support, one of which comes moments following the previously mentioned Ludo scene. The overhead portion of the track is largely complimentary, however. That's not surprising, but the track chooses its moments wisely and the limited overhead elements add quite a bit to the experience, as needed. The rest of the track is magnificent. Music embodies all of the good qualities the track has on offer, including spacious front side presence, a healthy and balanced surround support structure, and more pleasantly robust bass. Clarity is terrific, instrumental and vocal alike, with the latter staying firmly entrenched in the front-center channel. Smaller support atmospherics are well integrated and positioned. Dialogue is clear and detailed, always well prioritized and, like the musical lyrics, remaining in the front-center unless situation dictates otherwise. This is a fantastic soundtrack that, literally, brings a new layer of excellence to the Labyrinth sound experience.

Labyrinth Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony's 30th anniversary release of Labyrinth contains a mixture of new and carryover supplements from the 2009 disc. Beyond the on-disc extras, the release contains the note mentioned above in "video" from Brian Henson as well as an ad for a Labyrinth board game and a voucher for a UV digital copy.

Unlike the UHD release, which comes in a standard black UHD case, this 1080p Blu-ray arrives in an attractive DigiBook presentation. 28 full color glossy pages include original concept artwork; an introductory text from Karen Falk, Archives Director at The Jim Henson Company; essays; actor bios; character descriptions; production stories; written anecdotes; and more. It's a mini treasure-trove that fans should find to be of great value. It's a shame the UHD didn't release with the same content.

New supplemental materials are marked as such, and reviewed. Write-ups on carryover extras can be found by clicking here.

• Audio Commentary with Brian Froud: A carryover supplement from the 2009 release.
• NEW! Reordering Time: Looking Back at Labyrinth (1080p, 9:31): Jennifer Connelly, Brian Henson, Lisa Henson, Cheryl Henson, The Center for Puppetry Arts' Vincent Anthony, and Jim Henson in vintage clips look back on the film and experiences on-set and making the movie, the movie's originality, Jim Henson's style and imagination, Connelly's performance, working with puppets, anecdotes from the shoot, and more.
• NEW! The Henson Legacy (1080p, 10:36): Many of the same interviewees (including, again, vintage Henson clips) from the previous supplement share their thoughts on Henson's creativity, Henson family life in and out of the workplace, transplanting Henson's collection of physical puppets and props to The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, restoring and maintaining the collection, and Henson's legacy. The piece also includes an interesting glimpse through part of the Henson Collection at The Center, both items on display and tucked away in the back for restoration work.
• NEW! Remembering The Goblin King (1080p, 4:48): Interviewees share their thoughts on David Bowie, the man and the character he portrayed in Labyrinth. The piece looks at casting, Bowie's contributions to the film, his presence and persona on set, and his performance.
• NEW! Anniversary Q&A (1080p, 41:24): Moderator Adam Savage hosts Muppeteers Brian Henson (who departs early), Karen Prell, Dave Goelz, and later, Labyrinth Actress Shari Weiser, who discuss the art of puppetry and, of course, much about Labyrinth. They also field a few audience questions. Some archival footage and clips from the film are interspersed throughout.
• "Inside the Labyrinth" Making of Documentary (480i, 56:28): A carryover supplement from the 2009 release.
• Journey Through the Labyrinth: "Kingdom of Characters" (480i, 27:57): A carryover supplement from the 2009 release.
• Journey Through the Labyrinth: "The Quest for the Goblin City" (480i, 30:03): A carryover supplement from the 2009 release.
• The Storytellers - Picture in Picture (1080p): A carryover supplement from the 2009 release.
• NEW! Theatrical Trailers (1080p, 4:08 total runtime): A trio of trailers for the film.

Labyrinth Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Labyrinth is a good movie that's earned a great Blu-ray. The picture quality is a work of art, the Atmos soundtrack is fine, and the mix of new and old supplements make this a complete package. The handsome Digibook is the proverbial icing on the cake. Here's hoping Sony sees fit to release more titles like this, restored in 4K, containing a new Atmos soundtrack, packaged in a Digibook, and featuring some good new extras. The studio really nailed this one, and one can only hope that The Dark Crystal isn't far behind. This release of Labyrinth earns my highest recommendation.