Favorite Line?


For me, it's No, I said "'allo," but that's close enough.

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I don't think movie has strong lines but I can't get the David bowies music number out of my head

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Yeah, there aren't a lot that really stick out, are there? To me, that's either a sign of mediocre writing or really good writing. If bland, that's bad, but if it's uniform because it just all feels natural, that's good. This one, I think it's maybe more of the latter.

The film's lines, generally, seem to be "faerie story platitudes", where every moment seems to need a bit of a moral, or fable-istic "point" to it. Either its stuff directly lifted out of old tales and riddles (the lying/truth doors) or its little adages created for the film (you have no power over me). Much like faerie stories, there are a lot of repeated-points/lines, too. "It's not fair!" sticks out.

Now, after all that, there are still a few lines that elevate themselves and stick out in my head, although they're hardly of the sort I quote every day or anything.

I do like when Sarah (for the thousandth time) says, "That's not fair!" and Jareth responds, "I wonder what your basis of comparison is?" That's a good line, it's ironic tone is good delivery, but it also highlights a crucial flaw with Sarah and her (start of film) self-centredness. I also like it, I think, because a lot of people struggle with this problem of assumptions based on personal (false) impressions, and they might learn a good deal about the world and themselves by considering why they feel so dumped-on.

I also find the constant misnaming of Hoggle amusing.

But, generally, I'd stand by the idea that the dialogue is all pretty good, generally, so doesn't have many stand-outs. They don't stand-out because they all stand-up, as it were. I'm entertained by the fieries "hey, lady!" and babble about heads, just as I love Sir Diddymus' constant "knightly" chatter, but I can't pick one line because all of their interjections are just in-character and elevate the moment.

So, overall, it's very good dialogue...

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The basis of comparison line is clever and wise indeed.

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“If she’d kept on going down that way she’d of gone straight to that castle”.

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Growing up I thought he said "she'd of gone straight to that car I saw". That cockney accent! Lol.

Jareth: "Nothing? Nothing?! Nothing TRA LA LA?!"

Fiery: "Hey lady, where you goin' with a heeead like that?!"

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lol that would’ve been funny!

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My favourite line - mmmm so many.
1. Allo’ - anything the worm said
2. You say that so often I wonder your basis of comparison is.
3. Sure rocks friends
4. The whole conversation with the red and blue doors
5. The opening dialogue

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