The Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal (1982), Universal Pictures

In my last few months hiatus (apologies, by the way), during which I was finishing classes and working on other jobs and projects, I found myself seeking a sort of niche escapism in my film palette. That niche escapism being the strange and wondrous genre of 80’s pulp fantasy/ sci-fi films. Films of this genre include, but are not limited to: Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja, Dragonslayer, Excalibur, The Ice Pirates, Dune, Krull, Flash Gordon, Labyrinth, Time Bandits, and Masters of the Universe. Many of these films are, by all means, not the best in terms of general quality, but that was partially the reason I sought them out. It was refreshing to watch movies which focused more on fantastical artistry and world building than on a deep plot or significant (or in some cases, any) character development. Case and point, Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal. Certainly one of Jim Henson’s most ambitious works, The Dark Crystal carries a deep lore and a living, breathing world that was simply too big for its hour and a half run time (a common theme amongst the other films I listed). However, the mystery of the unpredictable world added that much more to my enjoyment of it. This was also helped by a story that is fairly straightforward.

Set in a dying world, The Dark Crystal focuses on two races, the evil Skeksis and the benevolent Mystics, created 1,000 years prior when the titular “Dark Crystal” was fractured, and a tiny piece of it was lost to time. As long as the piece is missing, the world and all things in it will continue to die. We are then introduced to Jen, a small creature known as a Gelfling (supposedly the last of his race). He is charged by the Mystics with a quest to return the missing piece of the Dark Crystal and restore balance to the world. On his journey, Jen meets another Gelfling girl, Kira, and her pet (dog?) Fizzgig. Together they travel to the stronghold of the Skeksis, avoiding all sorts of dangers and trails along the way.

By far, my favorite part of this film was the Skeksis. Their vulture-like designs and quirky, vile nature made for some wonderfully original world building. They are also delightfully incompitent, making for their antagonistic nature to be less threatening and more endearing.

Of course, being a Jim Henson film, the puppetry and art direction are excruciatingly focused on the details. Movements are seamless and clever camera work in masterfully designed sets gave me a viewing experience that left me feeling truly transported. This, after all, was the reason I decided to watch the movie in the first place, and not for one dimensional characters or a plot without more than a few holes; that was, unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of the film as a whole. But, as stated before, I don’t intend on watching these “cheesy” fantasy or science fiction films for their story (as far as I know, save for Time Bandits, none of them have exactly made their way onto the Criterion Collection). I watch them to bear witness to a world that is not our own. To study a type of fantasy with an aesthetic so definitive and yet so far forgotten. They are diamonds in the rough that I hope to preserve and even draw further attention to, for those who have not yet been enchanted by them in such a way as I have.

The Dark Crystal is a shining example of what artistry and talent can do for a film, in the face of a world ever changed by the ease of computer graphic special effects. It will certainly find itself comfortably situated on my personal movie shelf, as I encourage it do for others as well. And, for as much of an opponent to Netflix as I am, I do plan on watching the upcoming prequel series to the film, entitled, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, which so far looks to be as close in spirit to the original material as a series can be.

Overall Rating: A Great Watch

Entertainment Value: Kept My Attention