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The Dark Crystal

  • 19821982
  • PGPG
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
66K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,354
100
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Sean Barrett, Barry Dennen, Percy Edwards, Stephen Garlick, Dave Goelz, Miki Iveria, Lisa Maxwell, Patrick Monckton, Brian Meehl, Kathryn Mullen, Susan Westerby, and Billie Whitelaw in The Dark Crystal (1982)
Rediscover the age of wonder inspired by Jim Henson's groundbreaking vision. Netflix Original Series 'The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance' coming soon.
Play trailer0:56
4 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Adventure
  • Family
  • Fantasy

On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and to restore order to his world.On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and to restore order to his world.On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and to restore order to his world.

IMDb RATING
7.1/10
66K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,354
100
  • Directors
    • Jim Henson
    • Frank Oz
  • Writers
    • David Odell(screenplay by)
    • Jim Henson(story by)
  • Stars
    • Jim Henson
    • Kathryn Mullen
    • Frank Oz
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Jim Henson
    • Frank Oz
  • Writers
    • David Odell(screenplay by)
    • Jim Henson(story by)
  • Stars
    • Jim Henson
    • Kathryn Mullen
    • Frank Oz
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 291User reviews
    • 119Critic reviews
    • 66Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 2 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos4

    Teaser
    Trailer 0:56
    Teaser
    The Dark Crystal
    Trailer 0:44
    The Dark Crystal
    The Dark Crystal: 25th Anniversary Edition
    Trailer 0:50
    The Dark Crystal: 25th Anniversary Edition
    Prequels, Sequels, and How the New "Dark Crystal" Fits In
    Clip 3:54
    Prequels, Sequels, and How the New "Dark Crystal" Fits In

    Photos213

    Jim Henson, Percy Edwards, Stephen Garlick, Dave Goelz, Lisa Maxwell, and Kathryn Mullen in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Jim Henson, Percy Edwards, Stephen Garlick, Dave Goelz, Lisa Maxwell, and Kathryn Mullen in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Barry Dennen, Percy Edwards, Stephen Garlick, Dave Goelz, Lisa Maxwell, and Kathryn Mullen in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Jim Henson, Sean Barrett, Stephen Garlick, and Brian Meehl in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Frank Oz and Billie Whitelaw in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Sean Barrett and Brian Meehl in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Jim Henson, Percy Edwards, Stephen Garlick, Dave Goelz, Lisa Maxwell, and Kathryn Mullen in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Frank Oz and Barry Dennen in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Stephen Garlick, and Billie Whitelaw in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Barry Dennen, Miki Iveria, Patrick Monckton, and Susan Westerby in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Jim Henson, Dave Goelz, Michael Kilgarriff, and Jerry Nelson in The Dark Crystal (1982)
    Lisa Maxwell and Kathryn Mullen in The Dark Crystal (1982)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jim Henson
    Jim Henson
    • Jen, a Gelfling (performer)as Jen, a Gelfling (performer)…
    Kathryn Mullen
    Kathryn Mullen
    • Kira, a Gelfling (performer)as Kira, a Gelfling (performer)
    Frank Oz
    Frank Oz
    • Aughra, a Keeper Of Secrets (performer)as Aughra, a Keeper Of Secrets (performer)…
    Dave Goelz
    Dave Goelz
    • Fizzgig, a Friendly Monster (performer)as Fizzgig, a Friendly Monster (performer)…
    Steve Whitmire
    Steve Whitmire
    • Scientist (performer)as Scientist (performer)
    • (voice)
    Louise Gold
    • Gourmand (performer)as Gourmand (performer)
    Brian Meehl
    Brian Meehl
    • Ornamentalist (performer and voice)as Ornamentalist (performer and voice)
    • (as Brian Muehl)
    • …
    Bob Payne
    • Historian, Scrollkeeper (performer)as Historian, Scrollkeeper (performer)
    Mike Quinn
    Mike Quinn
    • Slave Master (performer)as Slave Master (performer)
    Tim Rose
    Tim Rose
    • Treasurer (performer)as Treasurer (performer)
    Jean-Pierre Amiel
    • Mystic Weaver (performer)as Mystic Weaver (performer)
    • (as Jean Pierre Amiel)
    Hugh Spight
    • Mystic Cook (performer)as Mystic Cook (performer)…
    Robbie Barnett
    • Mystic Numerologist (performer)as Mystic Numerologist (performer)…
    Swee Lim
    • Mystic Hunter (performer)as Mystic Hunter (performer)…
    Simon J. Williamson
    • Mystic Chanter (performer)as Mystic Chanter (performer)
    • (as Simon Williamson)
    Hus Levant
    • Mystic Scribe (performer)as Mystic Scribe (performer)
    Toby Philpott
    • Mystic Alchemist (performer)as Mystic Alchemist (performer)
    David Greenaway
    • Mystic Healer (performer)as Mystic Healer (performer)
    • (as Dave Greenaway)
    • Directors
      • Jim Henson
      • Frank Oz
    • Writers
      • David Odell(screenplay by)
      • Jim Henson(story by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Another planet, another time. One thousand 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, 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 Skeksis their power and restore the balance of the universe. —Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
    • puppetry
    • magical crystal
    • crystal shard
    • cult favorite
    • puppet
    • 46 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • When evil screams throughout the world, when all three suns converge, when all that's fair and fine seems lost... a hero will emerge!
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Family
      • Fantasy
    • Certificate
      • PG
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jim Henson's plan with this movie 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 with which to deal.
    • 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).
    • Quotes

      Aughra: End, begin, all the same. Big change. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening credits show only the credits for the crew.
    • 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.
    • Connections
      Edited into The World of 'The Dark Crystal' (1983)
    • Soundtracks
      Gelfling Song
      (uncredited)

      Written by Trevor Jones

      Performed by Lisa Maxwell

    User reviews291

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Beautifully made but sometimes overwhelmingly disturbing
    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.
    helpful•12
    8
    • trixie-k-88
    • Mar 5, 2012

    FAQ2

    • Does Kira speak a real foreign language or is it made up?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 17, 1982 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Site
      • Starz Encore
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Crystal
    • Filming locations
      • Highland, Scotland, UK
    • Production companies
      • Incorporated Television Company (ITC)
      • Jim Henson Productions
      • Henson Organisation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $41,613,957
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,657,335
      • Dec 19, 1982
    • Gross worldwide
      • $41,630,431
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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    Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Sean Barrett, Barry Dennen, Percy Edwards, Stephen Garlick, Dave Goelz, Miki Iveria, Lisa Maxwell, Patrick Monckton, Brian Meehl, Kathryn Mullen, Susan Westerby, and Billie Whitelaw in The Dark Crystal (1982)
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