[...] on whether you’ve seen or read them, you’ll see echoes of Labyrinth (both in the plot and a later character, Strong-Strong, who is reminiscent of Ludo), Star Wars, [...]

[...] of Labyrinth, Tokyopop will be doing an anthology of Labyrinth stories beginning in March 2009. The number of [...]

[...] was looking forward to this sequel because I loved the movie so much, but I think that’s also what got in my way. This doesn’t have the charm of [...]

As for your question, I don’t think there’s a difference. I rented one version, then bought another, it seemed the same to me.

Thanks for the additional insight, Luis. You’re not the only one who risked wrist fractures. :)

-Jake

Watched both Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal as a child — and again, recently, on DVD — and in my experience, Labyrinth holds up and Crystal doesn’t. As Dave pointed out, “the puppetry isn’t as expressive,” which really hampers the suspension-of-disbelief thing. I mean, not that the fantastic creatures in Labyrinth are realistic or anything; it’s just that you accept them as characters right away, which never quite happens with, say, the gelflings. (Funny, when you consider that they weren’t even interacting with human actors, so they should have had an easier time being convincing).

Beyond the technical aspects, Labyrinth just offers more, conflict-wise and story-wise; it has an emotional complexity that seems missing from Crystal. Sarah’s initial selfishness, her retreat into fantasy, her strange attraction to the Goblin King, even the bittersweet “happy ending” — it all adds up to something that affected me deeply then, and now.

Of course, owning both is a good thing. :) Am just saying, I was a little disappointed when I finally re-watched The Dark Crystal after so many years.

Oh, and btw, my friends and I nearly broke our wrists trying to copy The Goblin King’s crystal juggling moves, in high school. ;p

There’s always the Labyrinth manga adaptation, too, which I’m really curious about but have to wait until fall for.

(And although I’ve grown to really enjoy Bowie’s music, both in this film and otherwise, I’m still a bit frightened whenever I see him; the first thing I think of is the Goblin King, with that disaffected malevolence and, well, that codpiece, of which the less said, the better.)

Sorry to say I can’t help you with your first question; I have an old edition–the same as you, I suspect–from the early days of DVD, when “Scene Selections” and “Interactive Menus” were selling points.

As for The Dark Crystal, though, I’d say it’s well worth seeking out for anyone who enjoyed Labyrinth (and, if I recall, you’re a Muppet fan too, right?). The Dark Crystal is, in general, bigger, which means it’s more sensational, but it’s also less subtle, something which might turn off an older viewer. Each of the puppets is big and bold, almost like set pieces unto themselves, though they lack the detail and body language of those in Labyrinth. And it’s thematically large, too, not as grand in scope as the simple “growing up” concerns of Labyrinth, which can be off-putting if you’re not in the mood for Epic. So I’d say it’s not as good as Labyrinth, but it’s still pretty good, for all that.