For me, Tom Cruise has two distinctly separate but equally encompassing personas the unstoppable, eternally cool flyboy that he became the year after this film was released, and the kooky scientologist nutcase that he has become. That being said, I find it difficult to fit a third personality onto his overflowing iconography, that of a sprightly, forest-dwelling manifestation of innocence that he plays in this movie, although there are times in the movie where he really inhabits his role.
I will admit that the first half of the film bored me almost to tears, but it is impossible to deny the set design, the fairy world that was created on sound stages for the film. The atmosphere is simply astonishing, and although many of the costumes and situations are a little too cartoonish (Tom Cruise, for example, punches Satan in the movie), the characters are all clever, there are amazing performances, and Ridley Scott takes one or two opportunities that he still knows how to make you cringe with creepy, slimy, long-fingered creatures. Tim Curry, as the Lord of Darkness, is absolutely phenomenal. This has to be one of the best performances I've ever seen from him.
Also in the movie's defense, it is brilliantly written. It is full of powerful statements whose meaning goes far beyond the film as a whole ("What is light without darkness? What are you without me?"). My understanding is that the movie was a box office disappointment, and I would just like to say that, despite this movie's popular failure (and I do think that it is better than it's popular reputation), I am certainly glad that they decided to go ahead with the production and release of Labyrinth the following year!
I will admit that the first half of the film bored me almost to tears, but it is impossible to deny the set design, the fairy world that was created on sound stages for the film. The atmosphere is simply astonishing, and although many of the costumes and situations are a little too cartoonish (Tom Cruise, for example, punches Satan in the movie), the characters are all clever, there are amazing performances, and Ridley Scott takes one or two opportunities that he still knows how to make you cringe with creepy, slimy, long-fingered creatures. Tim Curry, as the Lord of Darkness, is absolutely phenomenal. This has to be one of the best performances I've ever seen from him.
Also in the movie's defense, it is brilliantly written. It is full of powerful statements whose meaning goes far beyond the film as a whole ("What is light without darkness? What are you without me?"). My understanding is that the movie was a box office disappointment, and I would just like to say that, despite this movie's popular failure (and I do think that it is better than it's popular reputation), I am certainly glad that they decided to go ahead with the production and release of Labyrinth the following year!