The Dark Crystal
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Movie Reviews of The Dark Crystal
Movie Review: A real world of puppets
Summary: 5 Stars
This have to be Jim Henson's best movie - too bad it is hard to find or unknown by a large number of people - I was shocked to find this movie in a walmart - I thought the muppets, big seasame street and the other characters from the late 80s onwards were Jim Henson's only work (Labyrinth was a except - I saw it in high school class) - I only caught fleeting images of his other works from old Sci Fiction vhs ads which I either rented or watched at other people's home. This movie is amazing - I meant amazing into that it show even ecosystems - not digitalized or anything that are made of puppets or props (no real plants were used or large amount of fake plants) - I can't just stop thinking of that scene which show a fast turtle - like creature chasing fireflies - like creatures into the mouth of a creature which have the vague resemble to Jabba the Hutt that live in the ground which showed its sastify of the meal by blowing and moving the coral/sponge thing on its back in an alien forest ecosystem that is like a hybrid of a coral reef and a tropical rainforest. And that's just the short sideshow - the other characters, while rather clique like other sci fi movies moves and behave like any other modern movies. And that is not to even say of the crab - like golem? guards which are just a secondary character which are able to move its multi legs using just strings and other stage props - no digital erasing - the stage props are invisible to us - the viewer and behave like a creature/machine hybrid with jerking motions and then when it moves away it moves like a living creature. And then there's the ending to this movie - amazing.
I would like to recommend this movie to those who like special effects and the work the crew of Jim Henson put in this movie - the story is stale but the special effects and puppets are worth watching
Movie Review: Eloquent, Artistic and Heart-wrenching
Summary: 5 Stars
I repeatedly watched this movie as a child and saw it again recently. And, still, I believe this is the best fantasy movie ever made. As Tolkien is to fantasy books, Oz's Dark Crystal is to fantasy movies.The story is that of Jen and Kira, two young heros who are the only male and female left of their kind. Jen is set with a task to battle against the odds to find a missing shard of the Dark Crystal to be placed into the crystal to make it whole again. All this, in order to restore balance to the world and allow all creatures to live in peace and harmony ever after from the magic-sucking creatures who destroy all. And of course, all of this has to be done before the three suns meet in the sky. In his journey, Jen discovers not only himself, but also meets some interesting and unsavoury characters, as well as the lovely Kira, who joins his quest. Jen needs to decide who to trust and finds himself in some very sticky situations.
The director on this film must have had tremendous patience and vision, since all the characters are puppets. Although initially distracting, we soon forget about the puppetry as we become caught up in the fascinating story. Ne'er have I rooted so hard for a hero. The ending is both sweet and sad at once.
The puppets allow a tremendous amount of creativity for developing all the different kinds of creatures, both good and evil. To some who don't like puppets, this could be kind of scary, but I find this unusual approach refreshing amidst a time when computer generated graffics are often bad and over used. The artistry of something that is created by humans is both touching and charming and has a genuine/honest feel to it.
A predecessor of fantasy film that has yet to be matched by its successors. Truly eloquent. Without doubt, a classic.
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Movie Review: An Exciting Adventure on an Alien Planet
Summary: 5 Stars
Long before CGI, the late Jim Henson, along with Frank Oz, spent five years creating a remarkably detailed alien planet, endearing and bizarre creatures, and an adventurous story for the film "The Dark Crystal" using the power of puppetry.The film begins with a brief narration providing an introduction to the alien world where the lives of its inhabitants are linked to the power of a massive crystal. Those most influenced by the crystal are the gentle Mystics and the evil Skeksies. Over the past 1000 years, the Skeksies harnessed the power of the crystal to enslave others, mostly the Gelflings (whom they fear) and the Podlings. The Skeksies systematically hunted down and destroyed nearly all of the Gelflings because an ancient prophecy foretells that a Gelfling will destroy them. One Gelfling, Jen, whose family was destroyed by the Skeksies, survives and is found and raised by the Mystics. The Mystics send him forth on an odyssey to find the crystal shard--a piece of the venerated, powerful crystal. Jen must find the shard and put it back into the crystal before the world's three suns eclipse one another in a great conjuction. If the crystal is incomplete at the great conjuction, their world will forever be plunged into darkness; but if the crystal is restored, their world will be reborn. Jen does not initially fully understand the significance of his quest, but he proceeds and discovers many great and terrible things along the way. Will Jen succeed? Let the story of "The Dark Crystal" unfold before you and find out!
Jim Henson's vision of the "The Dark Crystal" is a masterpiece capturing the imaginations of children and adults alike.
Movie Review: A gem of fantasy, a true cinematic masterpiece.
Summary: 5 Stars
Those who haven't seen The Dark Crystal have been missing out on what may be the greatest live-action fantasy film of all time (or at least the '80s). A completely alien world is presented as vivid, believable reality via the deceptively "simple" technique of puppeteering. The result is very unlike a Muppet film as some might expect, much more like something truly out of this world; it is a storybook brought to life. The tale is simple and enjoyable enough for children, but deep and layered enough for adults as well.Fans of the movie should own this DVD not just for the exceptional crispness of the picture and the virtues of the ultra-widescreen format (2.35:1) but for the bonus materials. In particular the documentary explaining the production process gave me a whole new appreciation for the difficulty of making this film, and the incredible artistry and talent that was poured into it. The complexity of getting everything to work just right seems to have given the piece a strong sense of unity; the creature effects don't fight the plot nor do the characters fail to convey emotion in ways ordinary actors might. Because the technical challenges of working entirely with puppets have been somewhat scrapped in favor of CGI over the last decade, I think we're unlikely ever to see another movie like it--more's the pity.
If you liked the movie on VHS, buy the DVD. If you just like fantasy and would like to see a worthy film in the genre, buy the DVD. If you're a fan of the late Jim Henson's work and want to see something different from his other stuff, buy this DVD. This one is worth every penny.
Movie Review: Incredible!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Dark Crystal is one of those rare, fantastic, intelligent films that takes full advantage of the power of imagination. So few films immerse you in a completely other world so well. It is a classical tale of good and evil. This story sees Jen and Kira, last of the elf-like Gelfling race, on a journey to the Palace of the grotesquely evil Skeksis in order to heal the fractured Dark Crystal. It is a simple enough story for young chidren to grasp, yet pertinent enough to engross adults.This is not your typical Jim Henson fare. Incredibly real and life-like, every creature in the film was brought to life by puppeteers. Some of the creatures and situations are rather frightening and could give a young child nightmares. Giant, black, crab-like soldiers called Garthim are shown breaking suddenly into peaceful areas and causing panic and destruction. There are scenes of evil, vulture-like Skeksis torturing defenseless Podlings (little gnome-ish people). The Skeksis also have sharp, jagged teeth and some make menacing noises. I watched this film countless times as a young child, and while the creatures were frightening, I don't remember ever being afraid to watch the film. This is a film which does not underestimate the viewer's ability to think and wonder.
The wise, peaceful, four-armed Mystics are as fascinating a film creature as any I've ever seen. The lush, other-worldly settings and beings of The Dark Crystal will continue to fascinate me as they have done all my life.
The DVD version is in widescreen (thank god!). What an incredible difference! Twice as full of life and mystery.