MEDIA STUDIES - FILM REVIEW CHOSEN FILM: The Dark Crystal (1982)

Ok, where do I begin? The Dark Crystal (1982) is amazing! It’s been, and always will be, one of my all-time favourite movies – and I watch a lot of movies, so that’s saying something. Everything about is remarkable. The way that there’s no human insight and all just some new fantastical world full of extraordinary creatures, puppets made by the king of puppetry himself Jim Henson. As well as handmade sets of the world’s beautiful and mysterious scenery. So much work went into making this film… and it shows. What I love the most about it is how this is a major step back from Henson’s previous puppetry creations: the light-heartedness of ‘The Muppets’, ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘Fraggle Rock’. To summarise the plot; The Dark Crystal is about a Gelfling called Jen, raised by the noble race called the Mystics, has been told that he is the last survivor of his own race, the Gelflings. He sets out to try to find a shard of the dark crystal, a powerful gem that once provided balance to the universe. After the crystal was broken, the evil Skeksis used sinister means to gain control. Jen believes that he can repair the dark crystal and bring peace back to the world, if he can only find the remaining shard. It has a much darker tone, yet it has captivated many audiences for 39 years. That and it has scared quite a few people in their younger years, few who do look back on it have admitted that the movie scared them as kids. Personally, I never – I loved, and still do, like these types of ‘Creepy Kids Films’ – but I do see how kids can find this particularly frightening, especially when it comes down to some of the character designs.

Not too long ago, I watched the behind the scenes on YouTube that showed how the puppets and sets were made, how they filmed it and how they animated the puppets. Seeing all the work that went it into the film really paid off. I would say that this film is Henson’s pinnacle of his puppet mastery. Everything, from the many unique identities of the calm Mystics to the twisted bodies of the cruel Skeksis, all the magnificent creatures really do feel like their real. With help from the great storyline and lovable characters it’s easy to get hooked on this film. Especially since it’s premier, The Dark Crystal has a major fanbase; it’s been given a popular book series and Netflix has recently partnered up with Jim Henson’s company and made a series based on the events that lead up to the film – which is just as amazing. The soundtrack is gorgeous, yet very sinister when it comes to the primary antagonists of the film, which fits perfectly with the overall atmosphere of the film. In many a ways it severely helps make the film. Trevor Jones (the composer) did an outstanding job.

Comparing it to it’s predecessors and some Henson’s future films: Labyrinth and Muppets Treasure Island, for example {Total sidenote: these 3 films are my top 3 favourite of Henson’s – the best 3 (Labyrinth being my all time favourite film, but that’s another story)}. The Dark Crystal is a movie masterpiece, one of the best family films ever made.