Almost four decades ago, David Bowie graced the world on the big screen with the tightest pants known to man as he sang and danced with goblins as Jareth the Goblin King in “Labyrinth” directed by Jim Henson.

Nothing says spooky season like goblins invading your room and a menacing king offering you a crystal orb in exchange for forgetting your baby brother. I discovered this movie last year thanks to my TikTok “For You” page showing me videos on videos with the iconic line, “You remind me of the babe” from David Bowie’s “Magic Dance” song.

“Labyrinth” is a coming-of-age story that follows Sarah, a young teenager who prefers the fantasy world over reality as she travels through a fantastical world with un-ordinary residents as she tries to rescue her baby brother from the clutches of the Goblin King, Jareth. Given only thirteen hours, she must reach the castle at the center of the labyrinth before her baby brother becomes a goblin forever.

As the film progresses, Sarah befriends three of the residents of the underground: a dwarf named Hoggle, a gentle beast named Ludo and a knight named Sir Didymus who all help Sarah navigate through the Bog of Eternal Stench, the enchanted forest, a masquerade party and the Goblin city itself. As she faces the goblin king, she learns to grow up and embrace reality as she discovers the goblin king has no power over her. Ultimately, she rescues her brother and the film concludes with her and all the residents having a party in her bedroom.

The story of “Labyrinth” was told by Hensons’s puppets and practical effects, which, compared to other films, is an excellent refresher. This was also because CGI was in its infancy at the time of making the film. The only CGI part of the movie was the Owl at the beginning of the film.

All the practical effects add to the fantastical, strange and dream-like atmosphere of “Labyrinth.” One example is the Bog of Stench: all the elements had to be built from scratch, and many creatives helped make this come to life, according to an article from Shondaland. The practical effects help enhance the story and the setting of the underground.

Now, you may be wondering how rockstar David Bowie got involved with a children’s movie, especially one directed by Jim Henson, whose previous works include “The Dark Crystal,” “The Muppets” and “Sesame Street.”

Well, firstly, he wasn’t the only choice. Initially, his character was going to be a puppet until Henson scrapped the idea and decided he needed a charismatic star. Some potential candidates included Prince, Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger before he eventually landed on David Bowie, according to a 2016 article from Vox.

“David was my first choice for the part,” Henson said in a 1985 interview with Entertainment Tonight.

Bowie acted in the film and composed five songs for the soundtrack, including “Magic Dance” and “As the World Falls Down.” The songs enhance the magical atmosphere of the film and his performance as the goblin king of the underworld.

“I’d always wanted to be involved in the music-writing aspect of a movie that would appeal to everyone, and I must say that Jim gave me a completely free hand with it,” Bowie said in an interview with Shondaland.

Based on the soundtrack, Bowie did his job as “Magic Dance” and “As the World Falls Down” are the most iconic songs. During the “Magic Dance” scene, Jareth sings with his goblin citizens as they entertain the baby, while “As the World Falls Down” happens during the most magical, dream-like sequence of a masquerade ball scene between Jareth and Sarah, which was inspired by a masquerade ball he hosted for his employees, according to Vox.

While the film is geared toward children, it is one that anyone can enjoy. It is a perfect way to ease into the spooky season with some goblin shenanigans. This movie is great for those who are still children at heart and get excited about Halloween night. While the film shows Sarah accepting growing up, it does not mean we can’t enjoy the parts of our childhood that we enjoyed and loved.

According to a 2016 article from Entertainment Tonight, despite initially flopping at the box office, the movie soon became a cult classic after it premiered in June 1986. After rewatching the film, I give the soundtrack a 10/10.

Even if you only watched the movie once or twice, you can still see the film inside your head when you listen to the soundtrack. Now, for the acting and story, I would give it a 10/10. The film tells the story of learning to grow up ideally by blending the real world with the fantasy world through practical effects and various memorable characters that make “Labyrinth” unique.