The Dark Crystal (1982)

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Directed by Jim Henson, Frank Oz.

Starring John Baddeley, Stephen Garlick, Dave Goelz, Kathryn Mullen, Jim Henson, David Buck, Brian Muehl.

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Jim Henson ventures into Tolkien territory in his all-Muppet fantasy feature The Dark Crystal. The titular Crystal maintains equilibrium in a mythical kingdom. When the Crystal is broken, the evil Skeksis take over, killing off the good-guy Gelflings and enslaving everyone else. Two of the Gelflings have survived: Jen was raised by the all-knowing Mystics, while Kira grew up amongst the swamp-dwelling Podlings. Jen and Kira join forces to "heal" the precious Dark Crystal and restore order to their world. Adults may find the whole affair a little precious, while children may be disturbed by the film's mortality rate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Reviews and discussions

Dear Guillermo del Toro, Work y ...
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"(photo: La Jetée, Hellboy II: The Golden Army) Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army hits theaters this Friday. Del Toro is a rare filmmaker who, despite his unique vision, often works on projects based on material from an outside source (Pan’s Labyrinth being a notable exception). Assuming all the legal issues get ironed out, he’ll next direct a two part film adaptation of Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the most prestigious property to date to get the del Toro treatment. Here are seven either failed or unjustly obscure movies ripe for being remade by Hellboy’s father. 1. Spawn - Todd McFarlane’s comic about a Hell-trotting anti-hero indebted to the Devil opened my young eyes to genuinely dark storytelling. While the 90s were a simpler time in terms of comic to movie adaptations, I was already dreaming about a big screen adaptation after reading the first issue. Unfortunately, my dream came true in 1997, when Mark A.Z. Dippé’s god-awful Spawn slumped into theaters. 2. The Nev ... " [More]

The Dark Crystal
by tallquasimodo in tallquasimodo Blog

is neutral about it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. [What do you think?]
"Somehow missed this one as a kid, though that's excusable merely because it was made before I was born. I enjoyed the fleshed-out fantasy world and the general lack of human actors. While I admire it for being incredible for the time in which it was made, it has not held up particularly well over the years. I hate to say it because I believe there is more artistry in puppet-work than in CGI, CGI has really spoiled me. All the puppets were wood and plastic, lacking even the facial emotion of the earliest Pixar movies. The guys in suits were really cool, but were still just guys in suits. The seams were just a little bit too visible. Not a bad movie, but I am niether the target audience nor close enough to the era in which it was made. " [More]

The Dark Crystal (1982)
by JJ79 in JJ79 Blog

hasn't rated it.

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"Release Year: 1982Director: Jim Henson, Frank Oz*****Imagine watching The Lord of the Rings, chopped down to 93 minutes. Now, imagine LotR with muppets. Not one or two, like Yoda is the Star Wars trilogy, but a full cast of muppets. Good guys, bad guys, creatures...every last speaking part is for a muppet. Essentially, The Dark Crystal is the muppet version of Lord of the Rings. A quest film, a big bad meanie that has to be destroyed, a somewhat elaborate backstory, wondrous-ish looking sets, elements of science fiction and fantasy. The only thing left out of this 1982 film is an appearance by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. I'm going to level with you: I'm not sure who The Dark Crystal is aimed at. Is it kids? Probably not, since the material is too dark and complex for them to comprehend. Is it adults? More of a possibility, but still not likely. What adult in their right mind wants to watch an action movie hamstrung by the very nature of the film. (We get very few fu ... " [More]

The Dark Crystal
by yojimbo73 in yojimbo73 Blog

loved it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. [What do you think?]
"1982 may have been the greatest year ever. At least for a 9 year old movie geek it was. Sure, '81 brought us the births of Indiana Jones and Snake Pliskin and '83 would wrap up the Star Wars trilogy and introduce us to the glaive and Tom Cruise, but '82 gave us E.T., Fast Times, Rocky III, Conan, The Thing, First Blood, Tron, Wrath of Kahn and Blade Runner . To close out the year was a little movie called the Dark Crystal. I saw a few of these in the theatre, but as I was only 9 (and funds were slim), most would have to wait for VHS. I did get to see The Dark Crystal in the theatre however, most likely because it was from mother approved Jim Henson and company. And really, that's all I needed to know. It was by the father of the Muppets and the voice of Yoda. Does a kid need to know any more than that? For the uninitiated the Dark Crystal follows Jen and Kira as they traverse Thra on a mission to return a crystal shard to the dark crystal so balance will be ... " [More]

The Dark Crystal (1982) Jim Hen ...
by kristen in kristen Blog

hasn't rated it.

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"I heard from a multitude of people that "If you like Labyrinth, youll love The Dark Crystal". They misunderstood everything that I love about Labyrinth. Not only does this movie lack heart, it is boring and predicable. I did love that Labyrinth has cool looking puppets, and in this movie, the same puppets are not as cheesy, but in exchange, they are dry. Labyrinth has a spark of life. The music, the riddles, and most importantly the acceptance of fantasy make Labyrinth the most enjoyable "kids" movie that "adults" will watch. The Dark Crystal, on the other hand, tries to pass a serious adventure fantasy plot in a kids story, marketing both adults and children. It fails to achieve any message worthy of appreciation, and in attempting seriousness, it never finds a life of its own. The Dark Crystal may try to create a unique world with its sets and puppets, but new worlds have life. This is the most dead and atrociously boring film I have seen for a while ... " [More]

Underrated And Underwatched
by JakeStevens in JakeStevens Blog

loved it.

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"I'm shocked and a little dismayed that more people I know haven't ever seen this film, or even heard about it. It's a real shame, as it is one of the better sci-fi/fantasy films ever made, especially since there are no "real" actors in the film - only hands puppets. A masterpiece that scared the living crap out of me as a kid...PLEASE give it a watch! " [More]

FilmBlur: Movies and Memory
by porcupine in missing a film

liked it.

"Thinking about movies and memories, I thought of a twist on the Missing and Film dilemma. What about those movies you saw a long time ago that you do remember, but it's been so long that they begin to blur together with other similar movies? For me there are a group of fantasy films produced in the 80s that I saw as a child but haven't seen since. I'm now having trouble distinguishing characters and plot points from one to the next. Here are the films that are running together in my mind:The Dark CrystalLabyrinthWizardsWillow So film friends, which movies blur together in the distant recesses of your memory? " [More]

Re: My Top 5
by patches in Top 5

loved it.

"1.) Poltergeist (Poltergeist's detail page) wasn't allowed to stay in the room when "the adults" watched this during a family get together, but I hid behind the couch and watched anyhow, scared the **** out of me for sure. 2.) Dark Crystal (TheDarkCrystal's detail page) Ugh... don't get me started here... 3.) E.T. (ETTheExtraTerrestrial's detail page) When the older brother finds ET in the river... he's all white a sick... there's a raccoon trying to eat him... damn, that messed me up for months. 4.) Labrynth (Labyrinth's detail page) I'm a fan of David Bowie now, but when that first came out, I was terrified. 5.) The Last Unicorn (TheLastUnicorn's detail page) With voices by Christopher Lee for heaven's sake. " [More]

Re: My Top 5
by Indie in Top 5

is neutral about it.

"1. Superman 3- I didn't think that would end up being a common fear but yeah the machine swallowing the old woman and making her freaky about did me in. 2.Willy Wonka- The nervous breakdown on the boat- too out of left field. Thats when I figured Willy was messing with stuff I didn't want to know about. 3. Evil Dead 2- I watched it when I was 11or 12 because at that point I thought I was impervious, but the laughing deer head got me bad. 4.Mr. Boogedy (sp)- it was a Disney thing on ABC when I was very small. My parents let me watch it after they made me promise it wouldn't scare me. I don't think I've ever told anyone that it actually freaked me out. 5. Dark Crystal- Eye-popping old lady + Giant Beetles= one squirming kid close 6. The Secret of Nimh- because the great owl for some reason has wierd demon eyes and crunches on live animals (I know owls do that, but come on!) " [More]

Review by All Movie Guide

All Movie Guide

is neutral about it.

A technical masterpiece, The Dark Crystal is a fantasy-adventure entirely populated by puppets, with no onscreen humans or animation. While better known for his cheery gang of Muppets, Jim Henson and his talented staff of puppeteers create a bleak fantasy world where evildoers have taken over. The tale is slow-moving at times, with a lack of action and urgency that is necessary for most fantasy films, and the standard adventure story is grim throughout, with little attempts at comic relief. However, the showcase of the film is the amazing complexity of the visual world hand-crafted with only puppets, matte paintings, and some miniature sets. Without available CGI technology, the special effects and creature designs are still wildly imaginative. While it could be seen as dated, The Dark Crystal remains a high point in the almost extinct art form of live-action puppeteering. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Tags: fantasy , muppets , quest , henson , personal-childhood-classic
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