On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and so restore order to his world.
A 16-year-old girl is given 13 hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue her baby brother when her wish for him to be taken away is granted by the Goblin King.
Another planet, another time. 1000 years ago the mysterious Dark Crystal was damaged by one of the Urskeks and an age of chaos has began! The evil race of grotesque birdlike lizards the Skeksis, gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. Meanwhile the orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of the peace-loving wizards called the Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal which gives the Skesis their power and restore the balance of the universe.Written by
Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
Jim Henson's plan with the film was to get back to the darkness of original Brothers Grimm fairy tales. He felt that children liked the idea of being scared and that this was a healthy emotion for them to deal with. See more »
Goofs
The Gelfling puppets have three fingers and one thumb on each hand. When Kira and Jen make their way into the castle via a mouth-like entrance, Kira's right hand has five fingers in the long shot (actors, not puppets, were used for long shots of the Gelflings). See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Narrator:
Another world, another time, in the age of wonder. A thousand years ago, this land was green and good - until the Crystal cracked. For a single piece was lost; a shard of the Crystal. Then strife began, and two new races appeared: the cruel Skeksis, the gentle Mystics. Here in the castle of the Crystal, the Skeksis took control. Now the Skeksis gather in the sacred chamber, where the Crystal hangs above a shaft of air and fire. The Skeksis with their hard and twisted bodies, their ...
[...] See more »
Crazy Credits
The opening credits show only the credits for the crew. See more »
Alternate Versions
The original home video release replaced the theatrical end credit roll (the credits rolled over an image of the last shot of the film) with a different, video-based one (end credits rolling over an image of Aughra's face.). Subsequent home video releases restored the original end credit roll. See more »
"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.
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"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.