‘The Dark Crystal’ Starring .
Written by Jim Henson & David Odell.
Directed by Jim Henson & Frank Oz.
Genre: Fantasy
Released: 1982
Running time: 93 mins.
Rated: PG (American rating).
IMDb link:
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0083791/
For some reason, the 1980s was a great time for fantasy films…or at
least, it was for the production of fantasy films. Despite the fact
that they bombed over and over again, they continued getting made.
‘Legend’, ‘Willow’, ‘The Labyrinth’. All great films, all commercial
failures.
But there’s one less-than-hugely-successful fantasy
film of the 1980s that’s always held a special place in my heart, and
that would be 1982’s ‘The Dark Crystal’. Envisioned by Jim Henson, ‘The
Dark Crystal’ tells the story of Jen, a young Gelfling living in a
fantastic realm, raised by a group of kindly old wizards known only as
the Mystics. One day, the oldest of the Mystics takes ill, and before
he dies, he tells Jen of the Dark Crystal, an object that will give
eternal power to the evil overlords of the land, the Skekses. That
terrible fate will be avoided, however, if Jen can find the missing
shard of the crystal and make the Dark Crystal whole once more.
I love Jim Henson. When you look at his work, you get a real sense of
how much imagination he had, as well as how much passion he had for his
work. He elevated puppetry to a level that it had never experienced
before, and gifted the world with beautiful and striking stories. His
is truly an amazing legacy.
Personally, I have a hard time deciding which of his works is my
favourite. Of coursed I loved ‘Sesame Street’ as a kid, and ‘The
Muppets’ will always be a favourite. But it was Henson’s darker work
that had a special hold over me. The television series ‘Jim Henson’s
The Storyteller’ was something my family and I would circle around the
TV to watch, captivated by each episode. ‘The Labyrinth’ was a film
that fuelled both my imagination and my nightmares. And then, there was
‘The Dark Crystal’.
‘The Dark Crystal’, to me, was even more
ominous than ‘The Labyrinth’. ‘The Labyrinth’ at least had a sense of
normality to it, starting and ending in the real world and having an
actual human girl as its protagonist. ‘The Dark Crystal’ had none of
these things. ‘The Labyrinth’ also had a cartoonish sensibility to it
that, for the most part, is missing from ‘The Dark Crystal’.
But like all of his productions, ‘The Dark Crystal’ shows how talented
Henson and his collaborators are. Before the advent and popularisation
of CGI, Jim Henson Productions were creating worlds and characters that
would draw you in and leave you truly believing in their existence.
These weren’t puppets; these were living, breathing creatures. This
wasn’t a soundstage; this was an actual place. This wasn’t a movie;
this was a fable for the ages.
Jim Henson died too young. But he left us with such a rich tapestry of
stories and characters that the sadness that’s left by his loss is one
that’s mixed with a great deal of happiness. We may not have Jim
anymore, but we have his work to remember by, to marvel at, and to love.
And how can you not love ‘The Dark Crystal’? If you haven’t ever seen
it, I highly recommend you check it out. You have no idea what you’re
missing out on.
Next week: I’m thinking I’m going to do something along the lines of a movie review…you know, just to mix it up a little…
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