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Review #19: The Dark Crystal.
One of my childhood favourites.
Designed, written and directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, The Dark Crystal is based on an imaginary land that has been plunged into darkness when an all-powerful crystal was shattered.
A young Gelfling called Jen, a kind of Elf type creature, has to take a legendary journey to repair the crystal and stop the evil forces known as the Skeksis race, from ruling forever. That's really about it for the story, there are a few extras thrown in, but not much.
The movie itself took 5 years to make, mainly due to the fact that the entire thing is made with puppets. There are no real living things on screen.
It looks fantastic, Henson and Oz really know how to build a world based on imagination and being that it’s the first movie of its kind, it’s as well made as it probably could have been.
The puppetry, not just in how they’re used, but also how they’re made is fantastic, the Skeksis and Mystics are wonderfully realised and brilliantly modelled.
As for the story, it’s a strange one this, it works on so many levels yet is incredibly simplistic, to the point that a child could have written it.
It’s very open too as most of the mysterious happenings and characters are very quickly explained leaving nothing really to build on in a mystical way. It’s a shame really though there is a small twist at the end that even I didn’t see coming.
Some of the dialogue is childlike too, though it doesn’t take away that the Skeksis and some of the other characters are genuinely disturbing and also very engaging.
The movie as a whole is definitely a kids movie, it’s rated PG in Britain though personally I’d refrain from showing it to under 5s, but it will still appeal to adults just the same with the darker characters and darker subject matters involved.
All in all, not a brilliant movie but worth watching for the brilliantly conceived puppets and puppet work and the fact that the world created by Henson is a wonderful trip to take.
My rating 65%
One of my childhood favourites.
Designed, written and directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, The Dark Crystal is based on an imaginary land that has been plunged into darkness when an all-powerful crystal was shattered.
A young Gelfling called Jen, a kind of Elf type creature, has to take a legendary journey to repair the crystal and stop the evil forces known as the Skeksis race, from ruling forever. That's really about it for the story, there are a few extras thrown in, but not much.
The movie itself took 5 years to make, mainly due to the fact that the entire thing is made with puppets. There are no real living things on screen.
It looks fantastic, Henson and Oz really know how to build a world based on imagination and being that it’s the first movie of its kind, it’s as well made as it probably could have been.
The puppetry, not just in how they’re used, but also how they’re made is fantastic, the Skeksis and Mystics are wonderfully realised and brilliantly modelled.
As for the story, it’s a strange one this, it works on so many levels yet is incredibly simplistic, to the point that a child could have written it.
It’s very open too as most of the mysterious happenings and characters are very quickly explained leaving nothing really to build on in a mystical way. It’s a shame really though there is a small twist at the end that even I didn’t see coming.
Some of the dialogue is childlike too, though it doesn’t take away that the Skeksis and some of the other characters are genuinely disturbing and also very engaging.
The movie as a whole is definitely a kids movie, it’s rated PG in Britain though personally I’d refrain from showing it to under 5s, but it will still appeal to adults just the same with the darker characters and darker subject matters involved.
All in all, not a brilliant movie but worth watching for the brilliantly conceived puppets and puppet work and the fact that the world created by Henson is a wonderful trip to take.
My rating 65%
