I had never heard of dark crystal before they announced the Netflix series taking place in the same universe. I got curious and watched the film first and I am so not disappointed.
Few years after the first Star Wars and the first alien, special effects didn't look so realistic compared to today. But what they achieved visually is worth the 200 millions of CGI a film nowadays requires. Amazing designs and colours. There is a feeling of immersion, which I have rarely achieved watching films from early 80's.
The Story-telling is good and enjoyable once you accept this universe's basic rules, which are kind of dumb, but I'll give it a pass. This is a very enjoyable hero's journey before the era of comic-book movies and you can really feel that because everything in this film feels so honest and genuine. The film makers had really a lot of freedom and I believe there should be more films with such creative freedom in the 21st Century.
The film aged well, but you can see that the characters move and special effects are old, despite a clever use of the camera to hide it as well as possible.
An excellent surprise to discover this film, I had a great time!
308 Reviews
The Epitome of 80s Dark Fantasy
PyroSikTh29 September 2019
I didn't know a lot about The Dark Crystal before going in, other than it being created completely with puppetry, involving a giant crystal of some kind, and being reasonably dark for something aimed at kids. The story is pretty basic, especially considering how much thought and care went into everything else about this movie. Jen, the last of his kind, must find a shard of the crystal, and slot it back into place. Why? He doesn't know, but he embarks on the journey nonetheless, a journey that has him meet a variety of characters and creatures along the way. That's literally it; the entire story.
Thankfully there's heaps more to this movie than just its superficial story. For starters, the world created for the movie is quite unlike anything I've ever seen. It's a wholly original affair from the ground up. We're told through an opening narration that we are on a different planet, in a different time, and that it used to be peaceful and beautiful, but something happened when the crystal fractured and two brand new species emerged. The Skeksis are dark and greedy, vain and selfish. They hoard all they can and constantly fight amongst themselves, but they're a dying race, quite literally decaying as time goes on. Now there's only ten of them, who spend their time holed up in a macabre castle in a wasteland. On the flipside are the urRu, a group of placid, lumbering, four-armed creatures who live amongst the life magic around them. Jen is a Gelfling, the last of his kind after the Skeksis wiped the rest of them from the face of the planet. There's also the Podlings which are a small and timid people hunted by the Skeksis and exploited as slaves, the Garthim, a race of giant arachnid beetles who the Skeksis use as their muscle, and lastly Aughra, an ogre-like oracle who studies the planets and brews potions for trade.
Immediately I was struck by how dark this movie really is. Of course I've always found 80s fantasy movies to be of a darker calibre than any other period, but The Dark Crystal is darker than most. The Skeksis are a truly villainous race, with a frightening appearance, and a disturbing penchant for sucking the life out of their victims before using the zombified husks as slaves, not to mention the off-screen genocide they committed against the Gelflings. And this is a movie for kids! Of course, being aimed at a younger audience means it's not as horrific as it could be for adult eyes, but it still manages to skirt the line just enough.
But of course the single biggest lure for The Dark Crystal are the technical aspects. This was the first live-action movie not to feature humans at all. The closest it gets is with people dressed up as Jen and Kira in longshots to make running and climbing more feasible. To make up for the distinct lack of people, the puppetry department goes all out. I don't think I've ever seen puppetry this amazing, not even in other Jim Henson productions. There's so much detail put into every aspect of this movie. Each of the ten Skeksis are resplendently designed in such a way to be distinctly different to one another. They have different facial features, wear different clothes, and even act differently (as portrayed in a fantastic dinner scene displaying how varied their eating habits are). The urRu also have an incredible amount of detail just on their faces alone, but also the way they slowly lumber about and their four arms interact with one another. The sheer amount of practice this must have taken from their dual performers is impressive alone. The settings and world around the characters are also brimming with life. There's a staggering amount of creatures and animals here, each with their own role in the local ecosystems. You may only see one briefly in the background, but even they enjoy the same attention to detail. There's just so much here. It's a full and brimming world that's so easy to be immersed into. They even wrote fictional languages for each of the main races! I would love to have seen a version with this, but even I can admit that maybe would have been too much for a movie with already risky prospects at the time.
I'm hard-pushed to called The Dark Crystal a masterpiece, because there are some deep flaws here. The story is incredibly simplistic and is far from original, the Gelflings for some reason don't seem to enjoy the same attention to detail as everyone else, despite being the heroes of the whole story, and the dialogue and narration is a little lacking in places. Beyond that, this movie was still amazing to watch today and it's technical achievements still hold up. I'm looking forward to delving into Age of Resistance later. I give Dark Crystal a really, really good 8/10
Thankfully there's heaps more to this movie than just its superficial story. For starters, the world created for the movie is quite unlike anything I've ever seen. It's a wholly original affair from the ground up. We're told through an opening narration that we are on a different planet, in a different time, and that it used to be peaceful and beautiful, but something happened when the crystal fractured and two brand new species emerged. The Skeksis are dark and greedy, vain and selfish. They hoard all they can and constantly fight amongst themselves, but they're a dying race, quite literally decaying as time goes on. Now there's only ten of them, who spend their time holed up in a macabre castle in a wasteland. On the flipside are the urRu, a group of placid, lumbering, four-armed creatures who live amongst the life magic around them. Jen is a Gelfling, the last of his kind after the Skeksis wiped the rest of them from the face of the planet. There's also the Podlings which are a small and timid people hunted by the Skeksis and exploited as slaves, the Garthim, a race of giant arachnid beetles who the Skeksis use as their muscle, and lastly Aughra, an ogre-like oracle who studies the planets and brews potions for trade.
Immediately I was struck by how dark this movie really is. Of course I've always found 80s fantasy movies to be of a darker calibre than any other period, but The Dark Crystal is darker than most. The Skeksis are a truly villainous race, with a frightening appearance, and a disturbing penchant for sucking the life out of their victims before using the zombified husks as slaves, not to mention the off-screen genocide they committed against the Gelflings. And this is a movie for kids! Of course, being aimed at a younger audience means it's not as horrific as it could be for adult eyes, but it still manages to skirt the line just enough.
But of course the single biggest lure for The Dark Crystal are the technical aspects. This was the first live-action movie not to feature humans at all. The closest it gets is with people dressed up as Jen and Kira in longshots to make running and climbing more feasible. To make up for the distinct lack of people, the puppetry department goes all out. I don't think I've ever seen puppetry this amazing, not even in other Jim Henson productions. There's so much detail put into every aspect of this movie. Each of the ten Skeksis are resplendently designed in such a way to be distinctly different to one another. They have different facial features, wear different clothes, and even act differently (as portrayed in a fantastic dinner scene displaying how varied their eating habits are). The urRu also have an incredible amount of detail just on their faces alone, but also the way they slowly lumber about and their four arms interact with one another. The sheer amount of practice this must have taken from their dual performers is impressive alone. The settings and world around the characters are also brimming with life. There's a staggering amount of creatures and animals here, each with their own role in the local ecosystems. You may only see one briefly in the background, but even they enjoy the same attention to detail. There's just so much here. It's a full and brimming world that's so easy to be immersed into. They even wrote fictional languages for each of the main races! I would love to have seen a version with this, but even I can admit that maybe would have been too much for a movie with already risky prospects at the time.
I'm hard-pushed to called The Dark Crystal a masterpiece, because there are some deep flaws here. The story is incredibly simplistic and is far from original, the Gelflings for some reason don't seem to enjoy the same attention to detail as everyone else, despite being the heroes of the whole story, and the dialogue and narration is a little lacking in places. Beyond that, this movie was still amazing to watch today and it's technical achievements still hold up. I'm looking forward to delving into Age of Resistance later. I give Dark Crystal a really, really good 8/10
Interesting movie.
Michael_Ransom16 September 2019
A well crafted and interesting movie! It was good but lacked a bit of world building so that this magical world of Thra feels a bit empty! The 2019 Netflix Show shads light into this "empty" world and impoves upon it greatly! So I recommend watching the Show first.
This is just my opinion, comming from a guy who is a few years to young to have watched the movie back in the 80s.
Finally I would like to say to the critics of puppeteering: JUST GIVE IT A CHANCE! It is really good!
Finally I would like to say to the critics of puppeteering: JUST GIVE IT A CHANCE! It is really good!
I can never get enough of this!
Mitora-san21 December 2000
Finally,I was looking to write a review on one of my favourite Non-Asian Fantasy movies of all time and here I found it!The Dark Crystal is definitely that!
Hmmmmmmm,where to start?Well,we have heard a similar story of good vs. evil from J.R.R Tolkien,but not one so realistic though!But probably the high point is the very deep character development.Probably have to agree with Riza about the skeksis here.They do seem like the most intresting of all the characters (save for Augra). I would not want to run up into them in the dark,or the light for that matter.Jen and Kira are very cute,but I think Kira is a little more interesting than Jen (no,I'm not sexist,I just think that Jen seemed rather emotionless most of the time,but then again,that's what you get by being raised by emotionless creatures).
Not too many flaws in the film.The story is great,the characters are fantastic,the soundtrack is uplifting,the SFX are more real that anything in "The Phantom Menace" and the ending.....well,it needed to be a little realistic,and the lengh needed to be a little bit longer,but other than that,we have a near-flawless masterpiece right up here!
Hmmmmmmm,where to start?Well,we have heard a similar story of good vs. evil from J.R.R Tolkien,but not one so realistic though!But probably the high point is the very deep character development.Probably have to agree with Riza about the skeksis here.They do seem like the most intresting of all the characters (save for Augra). I would not want to run up into them in the dark,or the light for that matter.Jen and Kira are very cute,but I think Kira is a little more interesting than Jen (no,I'm not sexist,I just think that Jen seemed rather emotionless most of the time,but then again,that's what you get by being raised by emotionless creatures).
Not too many flaws in the film.The story is great,the characters are fantastic,the soundtrack is uplifting,the SFX are more real that anything in "The Phantom Menace" and the ending.....well,it needed to be a little realistic,and the lengh needed to be a little bit longer,but other than that,we have a near-flawless masterpiece right up here!
If only Jim were still with us...what magic he'd make!
Phil_H25 April 1999
When this movie first came out (1982) I was 13 years old, and remember seeing it in the theatre with friends. I loved it then and love it now. It remains one of the best fantasy films of all time, but only because of the sheer effort given to it by the Henson company; only he could have made this all work. His genius is timeless. If only he were still alive now to make more films like this (and better!)
Our world is a dimmer place without Jim Henson.
Our world is a dimmer place without Jim Henson.
A Dream
winstonsmith_8423 December 2000
This movie is like an odd, but wonderful dream. It takes place in a fantasy world, created by the talented duo, Frank Oz and Jim Henson. Everything in this film is so meticulously done, that it still lives on to this day. Computer effects be damned. This film has texture, and it is pleasing to watch. This movie, as you will see, was made for kids. But really, it is a masterpiece in film-making. True, good, story-telling. Sure, kids will love it, but the film isn't really aimed at them like most kid movies are. It is complicated, eerie, beautiful, and intelligent... most of all, mystical. I reccomend this to anyone seriously interested in film, especially fantasy... not to be missed!
Beautifully made but sometimes overwhelmingly disturbing
trixie-k-885 March 2012
The Dark Crystal is a fantastic film made by Jim Henson. It truly is one of those movies that prove what a genius he was, and that his genius stretched past Kermit and Big Bird. However
I always have mixed feelings about this movie.
The Dark Crystal takes place in a fantasy land that has fallen out of balance and turned evil because "the dark crystal" has lost a shard. Then comes Jen, a "gelfling", a small creature with a sweet face and long hair. Jen has has been raised by the "mystics" large, peaceful creatures that tell him he is the last of his kind. He is the last of his kind because the "skeksies" have killed all the gelflings due to a prophesy that a gelfling will overthrow their reign. The skeksies are evil, bird/reptile like creatures that are the complete opposite of the mystics. Simultaneously, the leader of the skeksies and leader of the mystics die, and Jen goes on a quest to find the missing shard in the Dark Crystal. On his journey Jen finds Kira, a female gelfling raised by "podlings", who also believed she was the last of her kind. Together, Kira and Jen must find a way to restore the shard to the dark crystal, therefore creating balance in their world once more.
This movie is a visual feast. It is absolutely amazing what Henson managed to do with the muppets and the worlds he created. As many have said it is even more amazing to see it in comparison to today's CGI and advanced special effects, and appear superior. The plot is also solid, with lots of meaning and spirit. However I personally always found the film difficult to enjoy. As a child this movie gave me horrible nightmares, as it did for many other people. This is probably high on the list of traumatizing children's movies! So parents be forewarned, this shouldn't be shown to children under age 8, or even those a bit older who scare easily. In fact, adults can still find many aspects of this film disturbing, including scary characters, music, voices, and actions. One of the most disturbing aspects is how the skeksies would suck the "essence" (soul) out of podlings, drink it to prolong their own youth, and then make the podlings into slaves. As an adult I can look past the scary parts to recognize how well the film is made and written, but I still find it difficult to enjoy. That aside, it's definitely worth a watch.
The Dark Crystal takes place in a fantasy land that has fallen out of balance and turned evil because "the dark crystal" has lost a shard. Then comes Jen, a "gelfling", a small creature with a sweet face and long hair. Jen has has been raised by the "mystics" large, peaceful creatures that tell him he is the last of his kind. He is the last of his kind because the "skeksies" have killed all the gelflings due to a prophesy that a gelfling will overthrow their reign. The skeksies are evil, bird/reptile like creatures that are the complete opposite of the mystics. Simultaneously, the leader of the skeksies and leader of the mystics die, and Jen goes on a quest to find the missing shard in the Dark Crystal. On his journey Jen finds Kira, a female gelfling raised by "podlings", who also believed she was the last of her kind. Together, Kira and Jen must find a way to restore the shard to the dark crystal, therefore creating balance in their world once more.
This movie is a visual feast. It is absolutely amazing what Henson managed to do with the muppets and the worlds he created. As many have said it is even more amazing to see it in comparison to today's CGI and advanced special effects, and appear superior. The plot is also solid, with lots of meaning and spirit. However I personally always found the film difficult to enjoy. As a child this movie gave me horrible nightmares, as it did for many other people. This is probably high on the list of traumatizing children's movies! So parents be forewarned, this shouldn't be shown to children under age 8, or even those a bit older who scare easily. In fact, adults can still find many aspects of this film disturbing, including scary characters, music, voices, and actions. One of the most disturbing aspects is how the skeksies would suck the "essence" (soul) out of podlings, drink it to prolong their own youth, and then make the podlings into slaves. As an adult I can look past the scary parts to recognize how well the film is made and written, but I still find it difficult to enjoy. That aside, it's definitely worth a watch.
Still a great fantasy tale
davidbeoulve27 April 2002
The Dark Crystal holds well against the test of time. It has been only recently that movies that take place in a completely different fantasy world ("The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring") have become more feasible. Still, the Dark Crystal stands as an excellent tale of good versus evil.
Jim Henson and crew spent much to much time creating this movie, and the depth of their effort shows. However, some adults might find the story simplistic, and it is in the same manner that Labyrinth is. However, like Labyrinth, Dark Crystal succeeds in taking you to another place and immersing you in another world.
If you are a viewer interested in fantasy worlds, Dark Crystal will please you well. If you haven't seen it in years, get the DVD. It has a wonderful "making of" section, deleted funeral scenes, and isolated musical score.
Jim Henson and crew spent much to much time creating this movie, and the depth of their effort shows. However, some adults might find the story simplistic, and it is in the same manner that Labyrinth is. However, like Labyrinth, Dark Crystal succeeds in taking you to another place and immersing you in another world.
If you are a viewer interested in fantasy worlds, Dark Crystal will please you well. If you haven't seen it in years, get the DVD. It has a wonderful "making of" section, deleted funeral scenes, and isolated musical score.
Henson's masterpiece
Leofwine_draca8 April 2015
You know, I'm not a fan of the majority of Jim Henson's work. I despise THE MUPPETS and generally all related things, finding them twee and unfunny; I was the same when I was a kid. Call me a curmudgeon, or old before my time, but this shouty, over the top type of humour just isn't my cup of tea at all. What a surprise, then, that Henson should make THE DARK CRYSTAL, one of the finest dark fantasy films of the 1980s!
I had this film on video as a child and it's a memorable film when you watch it as a kid - and for all the wrong reasons! That's because THE DARK CRYSTAL is a completely HORRIFIC film for a child to watch. I remember being scared out of my wits by the stuff on show here - the crumbling corpse, the enforced stripping sequence, the striders dying, and of course the essence-stealing scene, which is still disturbing even when I watch this back as an adult.
The level of cruelty and violence on display makes THE DARK CRYSTAL stand out from other, more twee stuff like LEGEND and LABYRINTH, and indeed I think this gives it an edge to the competition. Otherwise, the production values are strong, the characters memorable and the quest-style storyline fits with the material just right. THE DARK CRYSTAL is an underrated children's movie and one which beats every other animation or puppet film I can think of from the 1980s.
I had this film on video as a child and it's a memorable film when you watch it as a kid - and for all the wrong reasons! That's because THE DARK CRYSTAL is a completely HORRIFIC film for a child to watch. I remember being scared out of my wits by the stuff on show here - the crumbling corpse, the enforced stripping sequence, the striders dying, and of course the essence-stealing scene, which is still disturbing even when I watch this back as an adult.
The level of cruelty and violence on display makes THE DARK CRYSTAL stand out from other, more twee stuff like LEGEND and LABYRINTH, and indeed I think this gives it an edge to the competition. Otherwise, the production values are strong, the characters memorable and the quest-style storyline fits with the material just right. THE DARK CRYSTAL is an underrated children's movie and one which beats every other animation or puppet film I can think of from the 1980s.
The beginning of the new and improved Muppets; one of Henson-and-company's best
Quinoa198415 September 2000
This sprawling, part-homage-part-totally original fantasy brings us Jen, the last of a group of near extinct creatures who is the only one who can save all existence by bringing a crystal shard back into the balance of the dark crystal, in order to save the world from the evil Skekses. This is quite an enthralling film, and like with the other full-on Muppet films this works on different levels for kids and for adults. Kids may be both scared and enthralled by the scope and details, not to mention the graphic nature of the darker elements portrayed (as a kid I cringed a bit when the 'vital essence' scenes came up). And for adults there's a lot of great craftsmanship that goes into the story, which is with all of the effects and over-the-top creations very well told by directors Henson and Oz. Without the massive usage of CGI or the more controlled visuals from the past fifteen or so years, the mix of the production design (maybe some of the best ever in any fantasy film) and the inventiveness put into the set-pieces and character-creations, is a knockout even by today's standards. It's almost a shame looking back on how a film like this that employs so many people and such time is now spent clicking away on a computer to get it all done. As it is, the Dark Crystal is one of those few examples in post-modern cinema that it does seem something like a sci-fi novel come to life.
This movie surprised me.
yusufpiskin31 December 2019
Jim Henson and Frank Oz take us on a magical journey to the dark and surreal world of Thra. Beautifully scored and visually captivating, The Dark Crystal is one of the great works of fantasy filmmaking. But the real stars of the show are the puppets, everyone is full of life and character, in particular, the Skesis who steals the scene with every appearance. Special mention goes to Barry Dennen as the Chamberlain who delivers one of the great performances of voice acting and truly helps bring the puppet to life.
Loved this movie for many ages....
Angel_Meiru21 January 2004
Though I love the Muppets and other works of Jim Henson, I still say for years since my birth in 1982, The Dark Crystal has always grown on me. From interesting characters to surreal environments, this movie will capture the eyes of the imaginative and Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans. Though it may move slow at times, but it does not bother me. It gets me more into the world of the Dark Crystal, named Thyra.
It was also good for it's symbolism as well. The Dark Crystal like many classic children's shows and movies of its time did not talk down to kids nor underestimate their intelligence for that matter. In fact, the morals and symbolism appeals to non-discriminating adults as well.
P.S. I think the Skeksis are awesome! Especially the General, Chamberlain and the Mad Scientist Skeksis!
It was also good for it's symbolism as well. The Dark Crystal like many classic children's shows and movies of its time did not talk down to kids nor underestimate their intelligence for that matter. In fact, the morals and symbolism appeals to non-discriminating adults as well.
P.S. I think the Skeksis are awesome! Especially the General, Chamberlain and the Mad Scientist Skeksis!
Fun movie but....
wicher-bos19 April 2020
Not at all impressed
TheDoomSong5 February 2008
I'm really not fond of this movie. I watched it as a ten year old and i didn't like it then. Now I'm 24 and tonight i've watched it again and I still don't like it, except now I know why. Believe me, I am not the kinda guy that goes, *blergh* puppets, it's for children, or who does not appreciate visual artwork or a good fantasy story. I am a big fan of Labyrinth, which (obviously) shares visual components to The Dark Crystal. But unlike this one Labyrinth was witty, full of funny and interesting characters and plenty of good dialogue. Something that (imho) The Dark Crystal lacks completely. For a good part of the movie the dialogue seems made up on the spot, often you just hear grunts, howls or something similar. I understand that the movie is mainly about its visuals, but that does not justify the obvious lack of story and dialogue, which, when happening, is often very very flat and boring. A script suitable for minors (I'm thinking primary school) turned into a film for age 12+, for there are some scary characters in it i wouldn't want my (little) kid to watch. Oh, one other thing: I thought the Gelfling looked and sounded incredibly moronic. On the good side: The music by Trevor Jones is pretty awesome.
TOLKIEN would love this movie !
Alcaminhante9 September 1999
This must be, along with KRULL, one of the most forgotten fantasy movies ever ! I´ve been searching for a VHS copy of DARK CRYSTAL, for years now ! Nobody seems to have ever released this on tape !
WHY, is this movie so hard to find ?!! I´m fortunate enough to have a copy of it, but it isn´t a very good copy at all, because it was taped about 10 years ago, from a movie channel, and it´s got tons and tons of satelite interferences and "rain" in the image. At least i get to own the movie. I guess...
The first time i´ve seen anything about DARK CRYSTAL, was back in 1982 when i was 12 years old. I wento to see Spielberg´s - ET, and before it, the presentation movie trailer for DARK CRYSTAL came on the screen. I remember that i was much more impressed by it, than by ET. By the end, all i wanted to know was when DARK CRYSTAL would be on the theater. I was so impressed by it, that those 2 minutes from the presentation stayed in my mind ever since, and all that i remember from the day i went to see ET, was that i watched 2 minutes of something that i never thought it existed or would be possible. Remember it was 1982, and in those days, children´s programs on tv didn´t included the amount of fantasy stuff that it is showned today, so watching that was somehow a revelation for me.
Anyway 6 year later i got to finaly see it, on a forgotten childrens matinee, and i loved every minute of it, altough i felt even then that it had some dull parts in it. Somehow there is something diferent with the pace this story is told. Even now i feel this, each time i watch DARK CRYSTAL.
But this is just a minor thing. Maybe i´m being just picky. Because DARK CRYSTAL is a masterpiece, it might have its flaws, but that doesn´t prevent it from being one of the greatest fantasy movies ever. Even though is so forgotten by everyone. Even i forget i have it. In a way, this is an Historical movie, because to my knowledge this was the first time that the atmosphere from the now common fantasy novels was portraited in a movie. And what a begining !!! Jim Henson got it right, right at the first try !
Every time i watch this i only wished he had lived enough time to adapt TOLKIEN´s - LORD OF THE RINGS to the movies. He would make a fantastic job for sure.
With DARK CRYSTAL ,Jim Henson achieved a perfect balance between a kids movie and a fantasy movie for adult viewers. This only added credibility to the world he created for this story. Just for this alone he should be praised. He showed the way, a fantasy movie should be made, but nobody in Hollywood seem to have learned anything from it.
I have read that DARK CRYSTAL, was a comercial flop, because it was released during the ET days, and not many people went to see it. Wich is a sad thing, because a masterpiece like this deserved to have filled the theaters. Maybe adults thought it was just for kids and the kids wanted to see ET, so it flopped. I read that even american reviews attacked DARK CRYSTAL. Maybe it was the usual in america, when a movie can´t be put in a category, nobody makes many efforts to publicize it. And i bet this was a nightmare to some people who had to publicize it. How would they present it ?
So if, you can find it, you have to see this movie ! I f you like fantasy, you´ll go nuts with it. Only the landscapes are enough to make anyone drool. The story is very,very good and much more adult oriented than it might seem at first, the pecial effects are pefect for it, the soundtrack is excelent, and the characters are very lifelike and believable. I only don´t like very much of the hero, it feels to much like a pupet. Compared to the others is a bit strange.
It´s time DARK CRYSTAL gets the atention it desrerves, this is a brilliant movie.
WHY, is this movie so hard to find ?!! I´m fortunate enough to have a copy of it, but it isn´t a very good copy at all, because it was taped about 10 years ago, from a movie channel, and it´s got tons and tons of satelite interferences and "rain" in the image. At least i get to own the movie. I guess...
The first time i´ve seen anything about DARK CRYSTAL, was back in 1982 when i was 12 years old. I wento to see Spielberg´s - ET, and before it, the presentation movie trailer for DARK CRYSTAL came on the screen. I remember that i was much more impressed by it, than by ET. By the end, all i wanted to know was when DARK CRYSTAL would be on the theater. I was so impressed by it, that those 2 minutes from the presentation stayed in my mind ever since, and all that i remember from the day i went to see ET, was that i watched 2 minutes of something that i never thought it existed or would be possible. Remember it was 1982, and in those days, children´s programs on tv didn´t included the amount of fantasy stuff that it is showned today, so watching that was somehow a revelation for me.
Anyway 6 year later i got to finaly see it, on a forgotten childrens matinee, and i loved every minute of it, altough i felt even then that it had some dull parts in it. Somehow there is something diferent with the pace this story is told. Even now i feel this, each time i watch DARK CRYSTAL.
But this is just a minor thing. Maybe i´m being just picky. Because DARK CRYSTAL is a masterpiece, it might have its flaws, but that doesn´t prevent it from being one of the greatest fantasy movies ever. Even though is so forgotten by everyone. Even i forget i have it. In a way, this is an Historical movie, because to my knowledge this was the first time that the atmosphere from the now common fantasy novels was portraited in a movie. And what a begining !!! Jim Henson got it right, right at the first try !
Every time i watch this i only wished he had lived enough time to adapt TOLKIEN´s - LORD OF THE RINGS to the movies. He would make a fantastic job for sure.
With DARK CRYSTAL ,Jim Henson achieved a perfect balance between a kids movie and a fantasy movie for adult viewers. This only added credibility to the world he created for this story. Just for this alone he should be praised. He showed the way, a fantasy movie should be made, but nobody in Hollywood seem to have learned anything from it.
I have read that DARK CRYSTAL, was a comercial flop, because it was released during the ET days, and not many people went to see it. Wich is a sad thing, because a masterpiece like this deserved to have filled the theaters. Maybe adults thought it was just for kids and the kids wanted to see ET, so it flopped. I read that even american reviews attacked DARK CRYSTAL. Maybe it was the usual in america, when a movie can´t be put in a category, nobody makes many efforts to publicize it. And i bet this was a nightmare to some people who had to publicize it. How would they present it ?
So if, you can find it, you have to see this movie ! I f you like fantasy, you´ll go nuts with it. Only the landscapes are enough to make anyone drool. The story is very,very good and much more adult oriented than it might seem at first, the pecial effects are pefect for it, the soundtrack is excelent, and the characters are very lifelike and believable. I only don´t like very much of the hero, it feels to much like a pupet. Compared to the others is a bit strange.
It´s time DARK CRYSTAL gets the atention it desrerves, this is a brilliant movie.
Marvelous tale in which to be showed a fabulous sense of wonder , being stunningly directed by early deceased Jim Henson
ma-cortes13 December 2014
This wonderful movie filled with fantasy and color was compellingly directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz . An incredible as well as elaborate flick about a young Gelflin , a mythic and valiant hero fighting heinous forces of evil . A world light-years beyond your imagination . This is a tale of magic , death , blood and fights ; set in a mythical primitive world and wild age . A good necromancy/witchery/sorcery story dealing with another planet, another time . Many creatures and races inhabit the planet but the dominant race is the UrSkeks who are the guardians of the Crystal of Truth . But 1000 years ago the Dark Crystal was damaged by one of the Urskeks and an age of chaos began . Now the time of the great conjunction of the three suns is near . If the crystal is not healed now the control of the evil Skekses will last forever . Jen the last of the Gelflings nearly exterminated by monsters controlled by the grotesque Skekses starts his dangerous journey to find a missing piece of the powerful dark crystal and so restore order to his world . Jen enacts classic quest and he wanders the ancient lands, seeking out his beloved Kira , and pitting his intelligence against various tyrant monsters . As he embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal that must be found or evil will take over the world.
This lavish fantasy picture in the style of JRR Tolkien packs thrills , imagination , impressive frames , a love story , fantastic creatures and special effects galore . As the picture results a be a crossover between Tolkien , Brothers Grimm tales and Jim Henson's Muppets . This amusing movie packs witchery , wizardly , necromancy , fairy tale , magnificent production values and lots of adventures and action . The visual beauty of the breathtaking scenarios give the movie a real sense of wonder and surprise . Thrills, action , imaginative roles , and adventures are brilliantly presented , using the film magic that brought ¨Yoda¨ of ¨Empire strikes again¨ to life and edited to offer the maximum impact . Conceptual designer Brian Froud was behind the look and feel of virtually every aspect of the film's production, from creatures and landscapes right down to the font of the opening title. In total, it took up five years of his life . Brian Froud's fascination with lobsters led to many crustacean touches in the design of the film, particularly in the design of the Garthim, the henchmen of the Skeksis. From a budget of $15 million, the film made slightly over $40 million, a rather disappointing figure , this was put down to the fact that many parents felt the film was too scary for their children and also because it opened against the box office juggernaut that was E.T. In spite of, the movie achieved world success and it was the highest-grossing box office release of 1983 in France and Japan. Colorful and brilliant cinematography by Oswald Morris . Rousing and sensitive musical score by Trevor Jones .
This entertaining film was well directed by Jim Henson , appointing the accent on the fantastic adventures and weird world . Henson early deceased at 53 years old , though his final feature film and ¨Swang Sing¨ was the excellent , ¨labyrinth¨ , however, being continued his work by his son Brian Henson . Jim established the Creature Shop, a puppet studio and as he directed the successful "The Muppet Show" (1976) , it became a smash hit and would eventually become the most widely watched series in television history. Hungry for a new challenge, Henson made The Muppets movie(1979), defying the popular industry opinion that his characters would never work in a movie . The film became a hit and spawned a series of features which included the moody fantasy Dark Crystal (1982), which was a drastic and bold departure from the amiable tone of his previous work . And , of course , ¨labyrinth¨ (1986) with Jennifer Connolly and David Bowie . The most successful TV work in the 1980s was "Fraggle Rock" (1983), that became renowned for being as brilliant with puppetry as ILM was at special effects . When he died all too soon in 1990, he was indisputably one of the geniuses of puppetry. More importantly, he was a man who achieved his phenomenal success while still retaining his social conscience and artistic integrity as his work in promoting environmentalism and his brilliant "The story teller" (1988) series respectively attest to and , especially , this ¨Dark crystal¨ . It's a delight for children of all ages .
This lavish fantasy picture in the style of JRR Tolkien packs thrills , imagination , impressive frames , a love story , fantastic creatures and special effects galore . As the picture results a be a crossover between Tolkien , Brothers Grimm tales and Jim Henson's Muppets . This amusing movie packs witchery , wizardly , necromancy , fairy tale , magnificent production values and lots of adventures and action . The visual beauty of the breathtaking scenarios give the movie a real sense of wonder and surprise . Thrills, action , imaginative roles , and adventures are brilliantly presented , using the film magic that brought ¨Yoda¨ of ¨Empire strikes again¨ to life and edited to offer the maximum impact . Conceptual designer Brian Froud was behind the look and feel of virtually every aspect of the film's production, from creatures and landscapes right down to the font of the opening title. In total, it took up five years of his life . Brian Froud's fascination with lobsters led to many crustacean touches in the design of the film, particularly in the design of the Garthim, the henchmen of the Skeksis. From a budget of $15 million, the film made slightly over $40 million, a rather disappointing figure , this was put down to the fact that many parents felt the film was too scary for their children and also because it opened against the box office juggernaut that was E.T. In spite of, the movie achieved world success and it was the highest-grossing box office release of 1983 in France and Japan. Colorful and brilliant cinematography by Oswald Morris . Rousing and sensitive musical score by Trevor Jones .
This entertaining film was well directed by Jim Henson , appointing the accent on the fantastic adventures and weird world . Henson early deceased at 53 years old , though his final feature film and ¨Swang Sing¨ was the excellent , ¨labyrinth¨ , however, being continued his work by his son Brian Henson . Jim established the Creature Shop, a puppet studio and as he directed the successful "The Muppet Show" (1976) , it became a smash hit and would eventually become the most widely watched series in television history. Hungry for a new challenge, Henson made The Muppets movie(1979), defying the popular industry opinion that his characters would never work in a movie . The film became a hit and spawned a series of features which included the moody fantasy Dark Crystal (1982), which was a drastic and bold departure from the amiable tone of his previous work . And , of course , ¨labyrinth¨ (1986) with Jennifer Connolly and David Bowie . The most successful TV work in the 1980s was "Fraggle Rock" (1983), that became renowned for being as brilliant with puppetry as ILM was at special effects . When he died all too soon in 1990, he was indisputably one of the geniuses of puppetry. More importantly, he was a man who achieved his phenomenal success while still retaining his social conscience and artistic integrity as his work in promoting environmentalism and his brilliant "The story teller" (1988) series respectively attest to and , especially , this ¨Dark crystal¨ . It's a delight for children of all ages .
A very imaginative tale that's easy to love.
Zan-tastic12 October 2005
"Another world. Another time. In the Age of Wonder." So begins the classic fantasy story that is The Dark Crystal, Henson's best and, to date, only all-creature film. My father bought this movie for me the day I was born, so I quite literally grew up watching it. It's a story that never gets old. The characters are unforgettable, with a wonderful musical score that sticks in the head. Jen, the main character, finds that he is ordained to fulfill a prophecy finally revealed to him by his master, the wisest of the Mystics. A single crystal shard was lost long ago, and must be recovered before the three suns align in the sky. But Jen must first find the shard, and then figure out what to do with it once he has it, all the while trying to stay one step ahead of the cruel Skeksis. And time is running out. The thing that I think makes this movie so memorable is the fact that it is so unlike other fantasy films. It exists in a world all its own, with new creatures and characters you don't find in other films. If looking for a companion to the film, I recommend the book of the same name. It goes into more detail about the world of Thra, and I feel it greatly enhances the immersion into the film. I recommend this film to any fantasy fan who has not seen it, and if you have seen it, I find it worth seeing again.
Wonderful storytelling and world-building; an '80s Kids Classic for the ages
pere-253662 May 2019
I never saw The Dark Crystal (1982) as a kid, but seeing it now in my 20s I was in awe by the marvellous attention to detail and creativity that went into every frame of this creation. Helmed by Puppeteer legends Jim Henson and Frank Oz ("The Muppets Show"), the film takes its viewer on a visually stunning and enthralling adventure to the land of Thra where we meet the elf-like Geiflings, gentle beings known as Mystics and lizard-like bird monsters called Skeksis. It's all even more dreamlike than you'd think - a truly fun journey that is a bittersweet reminder of how inventive child films used to be 👍
A major accomplishment!
CuriosityKilledShawn1 October 2006
It took an infinity of imagination to make The Dark Crystal, a film so overflowing with invention that you literally have to watch it about 100 times just to take it all in. Everyone involved, from the director to the best boy gave the film such loving affection and made it the best it could possibly be. Kid's movies (if you want to call it that) these days simply are not what they used to be and probably never will be again. This is yet another thing that makes The Dark Crystal so damn precious.
The film is set in another world, in another time in an age of wonder. It has been 999 years and 1 year since the powerful, life-giving crystal cracked and stopping shining. Since then the land has become barren and the Urskeks (a race of God-like beings) have split into two separate races, the peaceful Uru 'Mystics' and the evil Skeksis-a horrific cross between bird and reptile. The three suns that shine upon the land are about to line up in a great conjunction that only happens once every 1000 years. If the crystal is not repaired before then the cruel Skeksis will rule the land forever.
Jen is a Gelfling (a sort of fairy creature), believed to be the last of his race. A prophecy tells of a single Gelfling defeating the Skeksis and restoring peace to the land. Raised by the Uru, Jen begins a journey to repair the crystal when the Skeksis Emperor dies (in a truly disturbing scene). On his way he meets Aughra, a sort of witch creature and Kira, another Gelfling and her race of Podling people (sort of like Fraggles). Though there is no specific love scene between them, there is a very nice romance developing through-out the story.
Filmed in gorgeous locations across England and Scotland (with the use of a lot of matte paintings of course) the film really, really does take you to another world. There's not a single human in sight (a perfect world or what) and, with exception to the awful Skeksis, almost every creature is cute and fluffy (such as Kira's Fizzgig). The production design, in particular the genius contributions by Brian Froud, is so immense and impressive that you wish you could jump through the screen and actually be there in order to appreciate it more.
Trevor Jones' breathtaking, beautiful score is among his best work (tying with Merlin in 1998) and is surely some of the best film music you are ever likely to hear. Ever! There was a limited edition of the score put on CD a few years ago but only 5000 were ever printed. It's sure to be quite expensive now but it's so goddamn worth it! Henson, Oz and Froud teamed up again a few years later to make Labyrinth which seems to be more fondly remembered as it's not as sinister as The Dark Crystal and has human actors in it to make it more accessible to those with narrower minds. I prefer this one though (no fruity songs, no David Bowie!) as it has a certain edge to it that Labyrinth lacks.
An epic. A masterpiece. An unforgettable classic. The Dark Crystal is magical, mystical timeless classic. I can't recommend it enough. If only we still had movies like this. I'll take risk-taking The Dark Crystal over PC drek like The Shaggy Dog any day.
The film is set in another world, in another time in an age of wonder. It has been 999 years and 1 year since the powerful, life-giving crystal cracked and stopping shining. Since then the land has become barren and the Urskeks (a race of God-like beings) have split into two separate races, the peaceful Uru 'Mystics' and the evil Skeksis-a horrific cross between bird and reptile. The three suns that shine upon the land are about to line up in a great conjunction that only happens once every 1000 years. If the crystal is not repaired before then the cruel Skeksis will rule the land forever.
Jen is a Gelfling (a sort of fairy creature), believed to be the last of his race. A prophecy tells of a single Gelfling defeating the Skeksis and restoring peace to the land. Raised by the Uru, Jen begins a journey to repair the crystal when the Skeksis Emperor dies (in a truly disturbing scene). On his way he meets Aughra, a sort of witch creature and Kira, another Gelfling and her race of Podling people (sort of like Fraggles). Though there is no specific love scene between them, there is a very nice romance developing through-out the story.
Filmed in gorgeous locations across England and Scotland (with the use of a lot of matte paintings of course) the film really, really does take you to another world. There's not a single human in sight (a perfect world or what) and, with exception to the awful Skeksis, almost every creature is cute and fluffy (such as Kira's Fizzgig). The production design, in particular the genius contributions by Brian Froud, is so immense and impressive that you wish you could jump through the screen and actually be there in order to appreciate it more.
Trevor Jones' breathtaking, beautiful score is among his best work (tying with Merlin in 1998) and is surely some of the best film music you are ever likely to hear. Ever! There was a limited edition of the score put on CD a few years ago but only 5000 were ever printed. It's sure to be quite expensive now but it's so goddamn worth it! Henson, Oz and Froud teamed up again a few years later to make Labyrinth which seems to be more fondly remembered as it's not as sinister as The Dark Crystal and has human actors in it to make it more accessible to those with narrower minds. I prefer this one though (no fruity songs, no David Bowie!) as it has a certain edge to it that Labyrinth lacks.
An epic. A masterpiece. An unforgettable classic. The Dark Crystal is magical, mystical timeless classic. I can't recommend it enough. If only we still had movies like this. I'll take risk-taking The Dark Crystal over PC drek like The Shaggy Dog any day.
Beautiful, inventive, impressive...and dull
matthewssilverhammer7 September 2019
Dark Crystal is a fantastic background movie. That probably sounds like (and is meant as) a bit of a back-handed compliment. Visually, it's a marvel. The puppet-work is not only impressively seamless, but just plain cool. The gelflings, skeksis mystics, and their world are imaginative creations, filling the screen with imposing fantasy brilliance. The story, however, is...well, another story. Slow, familiar, and much too dense, I found myself having to reference the Henson-Wiki to keep up. Sure, I'm not that bright...but neither are the children this is aimed at.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a young gelfling is given the task to repair a magical crystal in order to restore balance to his world. Much like Star Wars, or any number of other fantasy films, it's a common hero's journey tale, with so much backstory and universe explaining it can easily get bogged down in convoluted exposition. Where those other stories are given longer runtimes or multiple movies to breathe, Dark Crystal tries to shove a bunch of stuff into a condense package of 90 minutes, making it hard to decipher. Nonetheless, the natural creepiness and complex lore are noble, and once understood, really work well.
But what really keeps this movie from being a near-disaster is the puppet creations themselves. Henson and co.'s ability to give believable life to his felted friends can't be overstated. All these Muppet productions really serve to prove the emotive power and reality of puppets in the film medium. Why we don't utilize them more in modern times is beyond me, so getting to revisit these early films is worth the wading through overly complicated storytelling to enjoy.
Only for us.
sibelian14 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
It's difficult to see how a film like this could ever have mass popularity. It's melodramatic, poorly scripted, mechanically plotted and hasn't got any people in it.
But I *love* it.
This is a dark, ponderous, elegant, film. The emotional tones are murky, sometimes quiet, sometimes startlingly loud, always alien and dreamlike and only ever vaguely comprehensible. The design is just drop-dead gorgeous, and entire alien WORLD brought to life. It's mesmerising, and more details can be found buried deep within it on every viewing. Thick layers of meaning were woven into this movie, revealed only when reading the accompanying coffee-table book, which records in a painstaking watchmaker's manner every tiny bit of "iceberg" under the surface of this story.
There ought to be a word for the feelings aroused by this film, a word that means "alien yet hauntingly familiar". I still get the same dreamy mood as I did when I first saw this film many years ago when this movie begins, the first crash of the cymbal and the first recital of the theme of the Skekses sounding as if from terribly far away, a high, yearning phrase on a single horn, lonely and beautiful, calling from another time. The Age of Wonder.
It's what this film's all about, Wonder. There's no explaining it to people who don't like that sort of right-brain thing, they just won't like it.
Why does it make sense that staring into the reflection of a cracked crystal from deep within the bowels of a tortured castle will, with the aid of some ugly machinery, suck out your very soul? That the Trial Stone glows when it's cleaved completely in two by the General? That the shard responds to the notes of Jen's pipe? It doesn't, of course, but it DOES.
I also love the pace and the mechanical plot. This is the one film whose mechanical plot I must forgive, and even love, as it's supposed to be mechanical. The sand painting diagram at the beginning of the movie is a representation of the history of the entire world, including the events to come. The whole world is one huge piece of metaphysical clockwork, and so the film is as well, the tension building clearly and slowly towards the extraordinary climax, which still gives me the shivers... Prophecies are stupid things to have in films, except this film, in which the prophecy is the entire point of the movie instead of an unnecessary condiment. The slow machinery of this movie lends a great weight to it, the feeling that vast, invisible forces are at work intensifies pace by implacable Mystic pace...
I also approve of the ending's inherent mysticism, taken straight from Jung, the key to transcendence being the joining of the Ego with the Shadow, the Skekses and Mystics representing these structures respectively. It's true, and this film says so, pretty much in so many words.
It's not at all surprising that it's not very popular with people who don't particularly buy into the things I've outlined above. It's geologically slow. It's inhuman. It's VERY weird. But it does all these things *deliberately* with an artistry rarely seen these days.
And I just love the music...
But I *love* it.
This is a dark, ponderous, elegant, film. The emotional tones are murky, sometimes quiet, sometimes startlingly loud, always alien and dreamlike and only ever vaguely comprehensible. The design is just drop-dead gorgeous, and entire alien WORLD brought to life. It's mesmerising, and more details can be found buried deep within it on every viewing. Thick layers of meaning were woven into this movie, revealed only when reading the accompanying coffee-table book, which records in a painstaking watchmaker's manner every tiny bit of "iceberg" under the surface of this story.
There ought to be a word for the feelings aroused by this film, a word that means "alien yet hauntingly familiar". I still get the same dreamy mood as I did when I first saw this film many years ago when this movie begins, the first crash of the cymbal and the first recital of the theme of the Skekses sounding as if from terribly far away, a high, yearning phrase on a single horn, lonely and beautiful, calling from another time. The Age of Wonder.
It's what this film's all about, Wonder. There's no explaining it to people who don't like that sort of right-brain thing, they just won't like it.
Why does it make sense that staring into the reflection of a cracked crystal from deep within the bowels of a tortured castle will, with the aid of some ugly machinery, suck out your very soul? That the Trial Stone glows when it's cleaved completely in two by the General? That the shard responds to the notes of Jen's pipe? It doesn't, of course, but it DOES.
I also love the pace and the mechanical plot. This is the one film whose mechanical plot I must forgive, and even love, as it's supposed to be mechanical. The sand painting diagram at the beginning of the movie is a representation of the history of the entire world, including the events to come. The whole world is one huge piece of metaphysical clockwork, and so the film is as well, the tension building clearly and slowly towards the extraordinary climax, which still gives me the shivers... Prophecies are stupid things to have in films, except this film, in which the prophecy is the entire point of the movie instead of an unnecessary condiment. The slow machinery of this movie lends a great weight to it, the feeling that vast, invisible forces are at work intensifies pace by implacable Mystic pace...
I also approve of the ending's inherent mysticism, taken straight from Jung, the key to transcendence being the joining of the Ego with the Shadow, the Skekses and Mystics representing these structures respectively. It's true, and this film says so, pretty much in so many words.
It's not at all surprising that it's not very popular with people who don't particularly buy into the things I've outlined above. It's geologically slow. It's inhuman. It's VERY weird. But it does all these things *deliberately* with an artistry rarely seen these days.
And I just love the music...
Worth seeing, but be prepared to be disappointed!
JohnHowardReid27 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Magical, yes, but this is an almost unrelievedly grotesque world which will both frighten or bore the kiddies for whom the film seems intended. For a starter, there is far too much dialogue – and most it is very insipidly or flatly delivered. In fact, the film seems to be nothing more than a self-indulgent exercise for actor-director- producer-writer Jim Henson. Unfortunately, Henson's direction, although helped out by Frank Oz, is rather flat-footed, and the pace is undeniably slow. Despite all its imaginative touches and ideas, the effect is rather grotesquely pedestrian. Fizzgig, the "dog", is undoubtedly the most lively character. All told, I thought the movie worth seeing, but more than somewhat disappointing.
A truly fantastic film, that is rich in detail, and is Jim Henson's masterpiece!
TheLittleSongbird13 July 2009
Jim Henson had brought us the immortal Muppets and films like Labryrinth, but The Dark Crystal is a wonderful film, that was part of my childhood, as well as my brother's. A lot of effort clearly went into this, and it really does show, with the rich details of the characters. It tells the story of Jen, a Geffling who must return the Crystal shard to the dark Crystal, before the conjunction of the three suns, or the skeksies will rule forever. The film is recognised as fantastic by people, because of its clear symbolism and themes such as the personifications of good (the mysties) and the evil (the skeksies). The film is directed by the immensely talented duo Jim Henson and Frank Oz. The film looks dazzling,with fabulous visuals and very well staged sequences, and Jen and Kira are very engaging as title characters. The mysties are very mysterious, and the Skeksies are very, very scary. There is a well-above average script, and a sweeping music score that is phenomenal. The characters are well voiced by some Muppet regulars such as Oz himself, and they are tone-perfect. The story may be a little simplistic and some elements a little too frightening for youngsters, but visually and audibly, it is an absolute treat, and should be recognised as a truly wonderful film. 10/10 Bethany Cox.
Excellent world, cliched story
briancham19942 June 2020
The world of this film was fascinating and visually imaginative. I liked the setting, backstory, creatures, well everything really. However, the story was just too typical to get into. To be honest, the most memorable thing was Chamberlain's "hmmmm!"
meh ... muppet mania
m00ser4 September 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Reading all the comments here I have only seen very few who dared to criticise this "brilliant masterpiece and epic story about the battle of good against evil".
So I'll try to point out the positive side of this movie first. It's the puppetry that makes this movie worth a look. Jim Henson created a whole world here, and everything from the actors and the animals down to the smallest critters and plants are fluffy animated puppets. My favourite was the dog creature, although or maybe just because it was a rip off of Animal from the Muppet Show. Oh, and the Mystics are cute, too.
Now on the flip side, the story was just shallow. The evil is truly evil and repugnant in every way and the good Mystics are a dying race of indigenous shamans. Very new agey. The black and white moral here made me angry actually. A main character who lacks any depth gets sent on a mission to repair the dark crystal and **SPOILERS** succeeds in doing so. No character development or twist whatsoever. Hey, a film can have levels and still be understood by children.
The simpleness of the story and the beauty of animation makes it in fact ideal for small children to watch BUT I can see how some of the scenes are very scary. Getting your life energy sucked out? Stabbing? A horse-bunny eaten by gargantuan roaches? I wouldn't recommend Dark Crystal for children under 5. Children older than 14 might find it boring again. (Obviously some don't as the rave reviews here on the board suggest)
So I'll try to point out the positive side of this movie first. It's the puppetry that makes this movie worth a look. Jim Henson created a whole world here, and everything from the actors and the animals down to the smallest critters and plants are fluffy animated puppets. My favourite was the dog creature, although or maybe just because it was a rip off of Animal from the Muppet Show. Oh, and the Mystics are cute, too.
Now on the flip side, the story was just shallow. The evil is truly evil and repugnant in every way and the good Mystics are a dying race of indigenous shamans. Very new agey. The black and white moral here made me angry actually. A main character who lacks any depth gets sent on a mission to repair the dark crystal and **SPOILERS** succeeds in doing so. No character development or twist whatsoever. Hey, a film can have levels and still be understood by children.
The simpleness of the story and the beauty of animation makes it in fact ideal for small children to watch BUT I can see how some of the scenes are very scary. Getting your life energy sucked out? Stabbing? A horse-bunny eaten by gargantuan roaches? I wouldn't recommend Dark Crystal for children under 5. Children older than 14 might find it boring again. (Obviously some don't as the rave reviews here on the board suggest)
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