THE DARK CRYSTAL **** (out of four)
"Another world, Another time... In the age of wonder."
-a review by Bill Chambers
(Shampoo + conditioner in ONE website!
Film Freak Central-
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/7504
Check out my idiotic film journal, and don't forget to
recommend a movie in the 'Can't Miss' section.)
screenplay by David Odell
directed by Jim Henson & Frank Oz
When Jim Henson passed away, he left behind diverse legions of fans
and a company whose ultimate success, it now seems, hinged on his
input. Jim Henson Productions and The Creature Shop are still thriving
financially, but as the last two Muppet films (or that silly
computer-generated monkey from Lost In Space) demonstrate, the thrill
and genius are gone. I'm not sure THE DARK CRYSTAL, made today, would
generate from an audience of kids five to fifty the same awe-filled
response.
An all-powerful crystal has cracked, causing the leaders of the green
world to split apart into two beings: the big, gentle Mystics, and the
vulture-like Skeksis. The Mystics send Jen, a naive Gelfling boy, on a
mission to find the shard that cracked away, which must be reinserted
into the crystal before the Skeksis become eternal rulers, before the
great "conjunction" of three suns. Along the way, Jen encounters and
teams up with the only other Gelfling alive, the Rebecca DeMornay-like
Kira, an ogre-witch named Aughra, who removes her eyes to look at
things, and a spastic-but-friendly, tumbleweed-like animal named
Fizzgig.
Much of the beauty in THE DARK CRYSTAL, which is a simple tale (though
it does not condescend to any viewer), lies in its art direction and
creature design. The puppeteering is phenomenal--observe the scenes in
which Jen plays his flute, or the landwalker chase--but I must stress
that any thoughts of strings and hands and remote controls all but
vanish in the opening moments of the picture, a delicately-narrated
(by John Baddeley), absorbing prologue. The voice work in the film, by
Muppet regulars and irregulars, is tone-perfect. As well, Trevor
Jones' score should not be discounted: it contributes to the film
almost as an unseen character. I suppose, due to the complexity
involved in executing a movie of this nature, that it couldn't be
helped, but I wish the film was longer. Jen and Kira have
wonderful...well, chemistry, and more scenes of them quietly
conversing would have been appreciated.
THE DARK CRYSTAL has a very small cult following. The weaker Labyrinth
is probably better-known, which is upsetting. A friend of mine related
a story to me that Henson was pressured into planting humans among
Labyrinth's creatures due to the financial failure of people-less THE
DARK CRYSTAL. That film never quite found its footing; it played like
an acid-trip episode of "The Muppet Show" with David Bowie as
guest-host, borrowing from Tolkien and pandering to Tolkien's
fan-base. (I suppose I just made Labyrinth sound appetizing to a
certain sector of the public.) THE DARK CRYSTAL deserved (and still
deserves) a bigger audience. It's the best kind of children's
entertainment: elegant, fantastical, and courageously un-hip. Brian
Henson, fortunate son, keep looking back at this, your father's
masterpiece.
-May, 1998.
Have I seen this movie: Yes
And what did I think: The Dark Crystal is a wonderful fantasy
film featuring great puppeteeing from the masters, Jim Henson
and Frank Oz, with the story by Jim Henson and David Odell. This
was Jim Henson's first non-Muppet feature film and took 5 years
to make. It's the classic good vs. evil story set in a mythical
land full of magic and strange creatures. The main character
here is a male Gelfling named Jen who must go on a quest to heal
the Dark crystal and bring change to his world or else darkness
will rule forever. Along the way he meets Kira, the only other
Gelfling in the world, and a female to boot. Together they must
work together and avoid the evil Skeksis who are out to kill
them and stop the prophecy of the big change happening. This is
a very dark story and is similar to Jim Henson's other great
film, "Labrynth". But while Labrynth isn't that suited for young
children, The Dark Crystal is. Yet, adults will also enjoy this,
especially ones that were kids when this movie first came out.
Even though Jim Henson is long gone, his great work remains here
on film. Recently, The Dark Crystal was re-released on video and
on DVD. I suggest adding the DVD to your collection because
there are a number of nice extras on it, including the trailers,
the deleted funaral scenes and an hour long documentary on the
making of the film which is quite good and informative. A must
add to any good movie collection.
Review written December 24, 1999
I give The Dark Crystal 4 out of 5 stars
