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The Dark Crystal

1982

Jim Henson, Frank Oz

Animation, Voice: Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw ...

7.0

16,167

Fantasy. Animation. Adventure Another planet, another time. 1000 years ago the Dark Crystal was damaged by one of the Urskeks and an age of chaos began. Now the time of the great conjunction of the three suns is near. If the crystal is not healed now the control of the evil Skekses will last forever. Jen the last of the Gelflings nearly exterminated by monsters controlled by the Skekses starts his dangerous journey to find the missing shard of the crystal. Will he ... [+]

	Media	Author	Review
		Richard Corliss Time	"Henson has devised a luxuriantly original fantasy world (...) As narrative, the incidents in The Dark Crystal are unremarkable; as the excuse for special effects, fanciful decor and eccentric characters, they do nicely enough
		Ian Nathan Empire	"A hippyish dreamlike movie that entirely succeeds as a children’s adventure (...) Well-paced and stunningly shot (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Vincent Canby The New York Times	"[It] aims, I think, to be a sort of Muppet 'Paradise Lost' but winds up as watered down J.R.R. Tolkien (...) It's without charm as well as interest."
		Variety Staff Variety	"Besides being a dazzling technological and artistic achievement (...) [it] presents a dark side of Muppet creators Henson and Oz that could teach a lesson in morality to youngsters at the same time it is entertaining their parents."
		Dave Kehr Chicago Reader	"A cute gimmick, but the puppets are so stiff and inexpressive that the film drops dead. The soundtrack is full of shrieking voices and unpleasant noises"
		Rob Hunter Film School Rejects	"[It] remains a wonderfully crafted adventure from a simpler time. (...) even thirty years later I’m still impressed by the epic-ish scale, the dramatic intensity, and more than a few of the puppet designs."
		Tasha Robinson AV Club	"25 years later, the fledgling video effects look awful, but the puppetry is still impeccably convincing, and the worlds retain their homemade, handcrafted, meticulously realized charm (...) Henson had an unequalled talent for crafting worlds"

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