the dark crystal (1982) review
Sword-fighting demon puppets? Sign me up. The Dark Crystal is a fairly simple fantasy tale of Good versus Evil. That which elevates it to such beloved status within its genre is Jim Henson’s singular, otherworldly ability to create believable worlds that aren’t really there and to do it all in-camera. Henson is legendary for a reason. The character designs are all variations of interesting, beautiful, nightmarish or haunting and each puppet moves as differently as individual humans do. The film smacks of similarly toned fantasy classic The Neverending Story in being targeted at least partially to children while providing a smattering of unnerving sequences terrifying in their own right. I've watched the film just once and the imagery is seared into my brain forever. The immersion and attention to detail is so overwhelming you truly forget you are watching animatronics after a few minutes. Each puppet and their animations drip with real life dread and seem hostile and dangerous. Sesame Street this is not. Experiencing The Dark Crystal in present day makes one wonder why filmmakers have largely abandoned puppets (I know - it sounds quaint just typing the word). Could they achieve the same results more cheaply and believably with practical in-camera effects a la Predator, Aliens and this film? Necessity is truly the mother of invention. Rest in Peace, Jim.
The Dark Crystal is a visual feast and timeless fantasy classic just as mesmerizing today as it was almost 40 years ago. It receives a score of 8.5/10 for general audiences and 9.5/10 for fantasy aficionados.