Amazon.com: Jim Henson's fantasy epic The Dark Crystal doesn't take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but like Star Wars it takes the audience to a place that exists only in the imagination and, for an hour and a half, on the screen. Recalling the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, Henson tells the story of a race of grotesque birdlike lizards called the Skeksis, gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. A prophecy tells of a Gelfling (a small elfin being) who will topple their empire, so in their reign of terror they have exterminated the race, or so they think. The orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of 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. Henson and codirector Frank Oz have pushed puppetry into a new direction: traditional puppets, marionettes, giant bodysuits, and mechanical constructions are mixed seamlessly in a fantasy world of towering castles, simple huts, dank caves, a giant clockwork observatory, and a magnificent landscape that seem to have leaped off the pages of a storybook. Muppet fans will recognize many of the voice actors--a few characters sound awfully close to familiar comic creations--but otherwise it's a completely alien world made familiar by a mythic quest that resonates through stories over the ages. --Sean Axmaker
Gelflings Rule! This was an entertaining movie. For its generation, the animation is pretty darn good. I plan to watch it more than once, more than twice, more than...well, you get the picture.
Dark for Jim Henson, but a must for his hardcore fans! A lot of people dont like this movie..then I meet a lot who do..I love this movie because I am a big kid and a fan of both fantasy in general and Jim Henson so it really is a dark thrill. Might be a little scary for VERY small kids under 5.
PRETTY DARN GOOD... I was not at all interested in getting this movie until my fiance saw it. She says it was one of her favorites as a child, so I had to grab it up and see for myself. I must say, it was very interesting. NOT BAD AT ALL!
Holds up surprisingly well; fun for the whole family Dark Crystal / B000R8YC1I
Having missed out on the majority of the 1980's fantasy flicks, for various reasons, I've been backfilling my knowledge in this area, with mixed results. I definitely enjoyed Conan - The Complete Quest and Red Sonja was fun, but Willow (Special Edition) was, in my opinion, a bit campy. I wasn't sure what to expect from a "kid's movie" like Dark Crystal, but I love the Muppets, so I was willing to give it a go.
Dark Crystal is, in my opinion, a surprisingly good film, even watched 'for the first time' nearly thirty years after its debut. The plot is easy enough for a child to follow, but engaging enough to maintain an adult's interest. The idea that extreme good and extreme evil are two sides of the same coin is not a new one, but it is fascinating to explore the implications here.
The characters are vibrant and imaginative; I was thoroughly sucked in by the quiet and kind Mystics, the bickering and vicious Skeksis, and the plucky and hopeful Gelflings. The puppet-work here is truly superb and really makes the viewer reminiscent for the old days - they just don't do puppet work like this anymore. (And though I love CGI-Yoda battles as much as the next person, there's just something more `real' about the puppets, somehow. But I'm showing my age now, I suppose.) Most appreciated of all, I was pleased and delighted to see that the heroine is - in many ways - even more capable and just as crucial to the fulfillment of the prophecy as our sweet Gelfling hero is. It is very nice to see a role for women in a fantasy movie that extends beyond "needs rescuing" or "looks great in a chainmail bikini".
I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone looking for a good fantasy film, particularly one that is child-friendly and fairly non-violent. There is some scary material here - such as the crystal that removes the "life essence" of the captives - but everything is put right in the end. I actually enjoyed Dark Crystal more than the more recent City of Ember, and for a movie that is past its twenty-fifth anniversary mark, that's saying something.
This movie provides captions for the hearing impaired.
Fantasy Classic This film is one of my early memories, perhaps the first (coherent) memory I have of anything. I remember suddenly being aware of fantastic, amazing creatures and scenes. I'm sure this had an influence over my development.
This is not a stupid, immature kid movie. It is filled with wonder, complexity and imagination. At times, it has an almost Miyazaki atmosphere. If there is any complaint, it is that the movie is too short. It is interesting, amazing and startling.
The story centers on a Gelfling - which is an amazing looking elf like creature. It is the task of the Gelfling to mend an object with mythic power known as the Dark Crystal. Adults watching the film will soon catch on to what is happening. The crystal was intentionally broken with supposedly good intentions. It was an attempt to split apart the essence of a semi-divine entity so that it could be rid of its evil side. However, it goes horribly wrong...
It is a film of contrasts and startling moments. Beautiful elf creatures in fantasy settings clash with scenes of torture and vile totalitarian behavior. Suddenly, the landscape itself could spring to life. Amazing patterns reveal themselves on the walls and pillars.
This might be a stunning film - even a scary film - for a child used to the shallow, derivative, watered down (overprotective) garbage that is the usual kids fare these days (like a certain kind of derivative, lame and played out computer animated movie or its equivalent). One thing is for sure though - after watching this for the first time in many, many years - The Dark Crystal is an absolute must see.
If you like this movie check out: Nausicaa (or any Miyazaki film) Lord of the Rings Final Fantasy series Zelda Legend (the Ridley Scott film)
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