The Dark Crystal is imaginative and inventive in appearance, if not in action.
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A fantasy film noir. The Muppets on steroids. The Brothers Grimm through the eyes of Edgar Allan Poe. Directors Jim Henson and Frank Oz produced a fairy-tale tour de force in their 1982 release, "The Dark Crystal," featuring amazingly intricate inventions from the Creature Shop, imaginative sets, dark landscapes, and a bleak, moody atmosphere. All for the good.
Unhappily, it also contains a routine good-vs.-evil story, the staple plot of practically every fantasy-adventure novel, movie, and video game before and since. As creative as it is, it may be too intense and too downright scary for younger children, and because it is basically an elaborate puppet show, it may be too tedious for more than a few adults, as much of it was for me. Still, it's a popular feature, and this new DVD release is as good as I've ever seen it. Certainly the disc is a purchase to think about and at the very least a rental to consider.
A long, long time ago in another land, another place, the story goes, a crystal of great power was shattered, dividing the world into two opposing forces: The evil Skeksis, who rule, and the peaceful Mystics, who, uh, well, don't rule. Now, as prophecy sets forth, a Gelfling will return a missing shard to the Dark Crystal and reunite the two bands, bringing peace and prosperity back into the world. A Gelfling, for the uninformed, is a sort of half Elf, half Fairy creature, and there appear to be only two of them on the face of the globe. Jen is a young, male Gelfling, the hero of the story. And, wouldn't you know it, as soon as he begins his quest, he meets his companion, Kira, a young, female Gelfling. Together they adventure throughout the land to find and return the missing piece of glass.
For the most part "The Dark Crystal" is straightforward make-believe. But the real star of the show, as everyone knows, is Brian Froud, the conceptual designer. His characters and scenery are enchanting, the more frightening creations the most appealing. I was especially taken by the vulture-like appearance of the reptilian Skeksis and the giant beetle monsters that do their bidding. Not that everything works, however. The two Gelflings show hardly any expression on their faces, and their movements are often awkward and jerky. They are no match for today's computer graphics.
Moreover, a feisty Keeper of Secrets named Aughra looks and sounds too much like Yoda from "Star Wars" not to be a distraction. And there is a race of cuddly little critters called Podlings who are just too cute for their own good, always singing and dancing in the manner of the Ewoks in "The Return of the Jedi." I could easily have done without Podlings (or Ewoks). Yet in spite of the moment of cheerfulness they bring to the screen, the film's biggest drawback is its otherwise relentlessly serious tone. There are few or no touches of humor to be found. This is basically grim business from start to finish. Enough is enough, I say; lighten up.
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[release]2893[/release]