Jim Henson's fantasy epic The Dark Crystal doesn't take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but like Star Wars it takes the audience to a place that exists only in the imagination and, for an hour and a half, ... more »on the screen. Recalling the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, Henson tells the story of a race of grotesque birdlike lizards called the Skeksis, gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. A prophecy tells of a Gelfling (a small elfin being) who will topple their empire, so in their reign of terror they have exterminated the race, or so they think. The orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of peace-loving wizards called the Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal (which gives the Skeksis their power) and restore the balance of the universe. Henson and codirector Frank Oz have pushed puppetry into a new direction: traditional puppets, marionettes, giant bodysuits, and mechanical constructions are mixed seamlessly in a fantasy world of towering castles, simple huts, dank caves, a giant clockwork observatory, and a magnificent landscape that seem to have leaped off the pages of a storybook. Muppet fans will recognize many of the voice actors--a few characters sound awfully close to familiar comic creations--but otherwise it's a completely alien world made familiar by a mythic quest that resonates through stories over the ages. --Sean Axmaker« less
A Jim Henson classic! Unfortunately, something is missing to make this great!
0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Nick W. (Nick1899) from FORT WORTH, TX Reviewed on 4/29/2014...
This is an important movie to add to my collection. It was a staple to my childhood and I simply had to have it. It's almost like watching the Muppets on acid. It's great for families and the kid in all of us. It puts us in the middle of a world clearly not our own and takes us on a journey we do not expect. Congrats to Jim Hensons studios for making something that sticks with us that know from our youth. It goes hand in hand with Labyrinth. A must have.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Jennifer D. (jennicat) from ST AUGUSTINE, FL Reviewed on 3/29/2014...
This movie was very well done. I saw it at the theatre and had to have it in my library when it was released.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Cathleen W. (meionnamei) from OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Reviewed on 2/13/2011...
I hadn't seen this since I was a child. It had been so long ago when I saw it that when I ordered this and started watching it, it was like I was experiancing it for the first time. It was all new and magical to me. Despite it being made in the eighties, the imagery and storyline and puppetering can still be apreciated today. I believe that they were ahead of their time when they made Dark Crystal that i doupt at the time that they knew what they had on their hands. And I strongly hope that no one goes and makes a remake of Dark Crystal. They would ruined everything and the magic of this little film. Five stars I gave it because it deserves it.
2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
ROBIN D. (springbird43) from ROCKFORD, IL Reviewed on 10/1/2010...
what can I say muppets!love all the different characters
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Sheila H. from BENTON, KY Reviewed on 6/22/2010...
i had seen this movie before many years ago and it still scares me. it is so intense for it to be made by jim henson. i love it.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Sonia B. from MILILANI, HI Reviewed on 5/5/2010...
Fantasically imaginative, ahead of it's time!
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Cherie' B. (playinrough65) from SOUTH BEND, IN Reviewed on 9/1/2009...
Your really going to love this movie and watch it over and over again. Jim Henson has really out done himself with all the great characters in this movie.The graphics are great and I swear every time you watch it,you'll see something new. The story itself deals with a race that has split into two when a piece of their beloved crystal brakes off.The crystal shard was lost long ago,but a young Gelfling is sent on a quest to find the lost shard.The crystal must be healed and the two races united as one once again,before it's to late and darkness is forever!!Now I don't want to tell you to much but there is a lot of adventure and suspense along the quest to find the shard.This Is a must see movie and a real keeper!!!!Enjoy!!!
2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Darlene S. from FLORISSANT, CO Reviewed on 8/22/2009...
Excellent movie this one is a keeper. Jim Henson does a wonderful job with the characters. Long ago the dark crystal was broken. A shard was lost. Two races emerged. The last of his kind searches for the shard and heals the crystal. Two races reunite to one being. Not going to tell you much because a lot of adventure along the way.
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
A true fantasy classic that looks born anew on blu-ray
D. White | NY USA | 03/28/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The timeless excellence of this fantasy classic has been well-described over the decades, so instead this quick little review will just make notes regarding the recent blu-ray incarnation.
Put simply, the film overall looks incredibly sharp, colorful, and vibrant. Swords gleam with the sharpest of edges, the most exquisite details of the often ornate clothing become clear, forests burst in luxuriant green. The age of the film is still treated with appropriate respect, as film grain can be seen in wider outside daytime shots that always make it more visible, as well as occasional flat grey-suffused zones where background art was later overlaid. I can't imagine a better balance in bringing an older movie to--not just adequate, but top-flight--blu-ray quality while staying so true to the original state.
Audio is also nicely improved in terms of clarity for the blu-ray, though there is less opportunity for improvement here than for the visuals. In addition, a great many welcome extras complete the package. Highlights from the past include the nearly one-hour archival documentary "The World of the Dark Crystal", an aged but still entertaining and thorough look behind the scenes of the original film production.
Finally, there are a few blu-ray specific extras. Best of these is the superb "Storyboard Track - Picture-in-Picture" function, wherein panels will pop onscreen (such as "Concept Art - The Castle of the Crystal") to provide background info or concept art for immediate comparison to the currently playing scene."