A Gelfling embarks on a quest to find a missing shard
of a magical crystal and restore peace to his world. FAMILY/FANTASY
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The Dark Crystal (1982)Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz
Written by David Odell Starring Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, Barry Dennen, Michael Kilgarriff, Jerry Nelson |
The 80's was really a great decade for film, especially films geared towards a family audience. I say this due to the fact that there seemed to be a lot more freedom as what was allowed for children to see. But, what does this have to do with Jim Henson and Frank Oz? They are both world famous puppeteers whose creations are recognized by kids all over the world. Enter The Dark Crystal, a movie which is both famous for its very advanced puppeteer work and dark tone. The latter being significant due to it being geared towards a family audience. A fame which has lasted all the way to today where Netflix is getting ready to release a prequel series.
As I stated, the film is well known for its puppeteer work. And rightly so. The Dark Crystal’s characters and world look absolutely amazing. This is seriously a great argument for why practical effects will always look better than CGI. The puppets move fluidly and look quite realistic. The actors do a great job of helping bring them to life by giving great performances across the board. Like most fantasy, The Dark Crystal also does a great job of immersing you into this world. Add the in-depth backstory, and it’s very easy to get sucked into the world and conflict at large. If there is one thing that has not aged well, unfortunately, it is the few select CGI shots used sparingly throughout the film. I’ll admit, I’ve slept on this film for a long time. I heard of it. I was aware of it. What made me finally watch this? Well, Netflix dropped the trailer for their upcoming prequel series. It looks amazing and I knew I had to finally check this out. I’m glad I did. The puppeteer work is legendary and, personally, I love the dark tone. Jim Henson and Frank Oz did an outstanding job bringing this world to life. I can definitely see why this film has endured for so many years and has continued to amass a huge fanbase. Let’s hope the Netflix series is just as good. |