| 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, 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 |
|
 Remastered and with extra features |
| Review Date: July 2, 2007 |
| Reviewer: SRFireside, Houston, TX United States |
This movie is Jim Henson's magnum opus. There isn't a fantasy movie out there that brings you to a whole different reality like The Dark Crystal does. Yes the movie is all performed entirely by puppets and yes there isn't a human being in site. That's the beauty of it. With a combination of an excellent story, innovative (for its time) animatronics, beautiful sets and cinematography you get a truly dazzling experience that any fantasy fan would be a fool not to miss.
The biggest aspect of Dark Crystal is the setting. They created a whole different world with its own animals, plants and terrain. The level of detail put into creating this new world is staggering and you get some good scenes to soak yourself up in it. From the rock caves of the Mystics to the jagged spires of the Skesis castle to Aughra's planetarium to every landscape in between. You will get drawn into this alien world. The beauty of the sets and location shots is only enhanced with some fantastic cinematography and conventional effects.
Since we are essentially talking about a puppet show brought to you as a feature film let's talk about the puppets. Granted they might seem a bit archaic by today's standards, they were nothing short of incredible back in 1982. To have puppets act and react in such an organic and lifelike fashion was never done on film before. This is the first movie where you get that sort of eye and mouth movements we have come so used to with current animatronics. Famed artist Brian Froud created all of the creatures and characters for Dark Crystal and if you're a fan of his work you will definitely see it. When you look at the majesty of the Mystics you forget they are just people covered in foam latex.
Of course having a truly creative setting and truly creative characters would not be enough to make a great movie. Lord knows fantasy fans have seen plenty of examples that prove that point. However this movie has a story that is as classic as any fable you have read before. By the time you finish this movie if will feel like you just read a grand fairy tale... only about wondrous and fantastic creatures never seen before. It's not deep storytelling. Then again it shouldn't be considering the mythical theme.
The original release of this DVD had a host of wonderful extras that made it the only DVD you would ever need... UNTIL NOW! This DVD has everything that made the original release great plus a good deal more. Here's what you get:
REFLECTIONS OF THE DARK CRYSTAL - Two-part featurette (Shard of Illusion [16 minutes] and Light on the Path of Creation [20 minutes]) with more recent interviews from writers, directors, and performers including co-writer David O'Dell, conceptual designer Brian Froud, and Jim Henson's son Brian. These featurettes also include newly discovered test footage from Jim Henson's home in England.
WORLD OF THE DARK CRYSTAL - The most amazing "making of" documentary one can ever ask for. It details over an hour of footage regarding conceptual design, character creation, production, cinematography, the philosophy behind the creation of this movie and the world it is based on, and more. This documentary was made while the Dark Crystal was released so you get interviews with the man himself, Jim Henson at the time of the movie along with scores of others involved in the movie. Most "making of" documentaries that come out with movies these days are little more than lip service to help promote the movie. I wish they would follow the model done on THIS documentary.
WORK PRINT SCENES - The original concept of The Dark Crystal was to have many of the creatures speak their own language, which we would get subtitles for, in order to further put in that different world. I think that would have been a cool way to see the movie and with this footage you get an idea of Jim Henson's original concept. Keep in mind this is not fully produced footage and it's not the same as seeing the end product. Namely the character Augra is being dubbed with Frank Oz's Miss Piggy-esque voice over and of course there is no music or post-production. Still it's interesting to get a taste of what the movie could have been like.
DELETED SCENE - Just one deleted scene, which was the Skeksis funeral. You're really not missing much taking it out if you ask me. The funeral itself is boring. The scene has some footwate with Jen talking to one of the Mystics about his quest, which was nice. No remastering on the scene of course. It's pretty grainy.
Top all of that off with a newly remastered high definition print, dolby digital sound and an audio commentary by Brian Froud and you have the new winner on which is the definitive Dark Crystal DVD. The difference in video quality is almost night and day. The previous DVDs were grainy and the colors weren't as vibrant. The remastering does these movies a lot of justice in cleaning up the picture and breathing new life in a 25+ year old movie.
Something I noticed on the audio. The original disk had a Spanish dub track in mono, but this version doesn't. It does, however have a Japanese 5.1 dolby track while the original didn't. There is also no Spanish subtitles (something I find odd considering how easy it would be to add). I suppose the spanish speaking Dark Crystal fans may be put off from this.
This is the version of the movie to get... until late September. Good News!! The Dark Crystal will be out on high definition Blu-Ray!! It will have all the same features as this DVD plus an exclusive picture in picture featurette (I think it's a storyboard comparison), and two games: The Book of Thra (collect artifacts from the movie and view your collection) and SkekTek's Crystal Challenge (all I know is it's a game in picture). Hopefully the transfer to Blu-Ray doesn't take out too much of the original film grain like many of these transfers of older movies do. I will report more on the Blu-Ray details when I get them.
I will admit that some people might be put off of this movie due to the lack of human actors in front of you and the fact the puppet animatronics might feel dated. It's a shame people would feel that way because The Dark Crystal is fantasy storytelling at its finest. If you are a fan of the genre this movie is an absolute must. If you're a Muppet fan... well these aren't Muppets so don't expect Fraggle Rock when you see it. Any fan of grand storytelling who wants to be whisked away to a strange faraway land will find what they are looking for in The Dark Crystal. Do yourself a favor and check this movie out. |
A gem of fantasy, a true cinematic masterpiece.
|
| Review Date: September 3, 2000 |
| Reviewer: Lee Gaiteri, Syracuse, NY USA |
| Those who haven't seen The Dark Crystal have been missing out on what may be the greatest live-action fantasy film of all time (or at least the '80s). A completely alien world is presented as vivid, believable reality via the deceptively "simple" technique of puppeteering. The result is very unlike a Muppet film as some might expect, much more like something truly out of this world; it is a storybook brought to life. The tale is simple and enjoyable enough for children, but deep and layered enough for adults as well. Fans of the movie should own this DVD not just for the exceptional crispness of the picture and the virtues of the ultra-widescreen format (2.35:1) but for the bonus materials. In particular the documentary explaining the production process gave me a whole new appreciation for the difficulty of making this film, and the incredible artistry and talent that was poured into it. The complexity of getting everything to work just right seems to have given the piece a strong sense of unity; the creature effects don't fight the plot nor do the characters fail to convey emotion in ways ordinary actors might. Because the technical challenges of working entirely with puppets have been somewhat scrapped in favor of CGI over the last decade, I think we're unlikely ever to see another movie like it--more's the pity. If you liked the movie on VHS, buy the DVD. If you just like fantasy and would like to see a worthy film in the genre, buy the DVD. If you're a fan of the late Jim Henson's work and want to see something different from his other stuff, buy this DVD. This one is worth every penny. |
An absolutely wonderful movie, though not for everyone
|
| Review Date: February 3, 2000 |
| Reviewer: altklug, Pennsylvania, USA |
| This is one of my favorite childhood movies; it's right up there with "Labyrinth" and "The Princess Bride." The plot in a nutshell: beautiful beings rule in a crystal castle until an arguement causes them to break the dark crystal which provides their power/balance. The beings are split into two: the evil Skeksis and the gentle Mystics. According to profecy, a member of the Gelfling race must repair the crystal in 1000 years as the three suns align so that the Mystics and Skeksis can again be one. The Skeksis tried to wipe out all Gelflings to protect themselves from the profecy. The only two Gelfling survivors, Jen and Kira, must find each other and heal the crystal before time runs out. All of the puppets are very well done. They are lifelike and fit the personalities of the characters. Unfortunately, this makes the evil characters quite frightening to children, myself included. There is a scene where the skeksis try to drain Kira's essence by making her stare into a reflector of light passed through the crystal. For years I was convinced that if I stared at my ceiling light, my essence would also be drained. (However, I also thought I could access Fraggle Rock through the back of my closet.) So, what I really mean to say is that the movie may be frightening to children. The score is wonderful. It's mystical, fantastical, and eerie....can't say enough about it. Well done, Trevor Jones. All in all, the movie is definitely worth watching. |
Jim Henson & Frank Oz's 1982 Classic Fantasy adventure
|
| Review Date: February 13, 2000 |
| Reviewer: Scott Verity, Long Island, NY |
| This work is perhaps one of the best fantasy adventures brought to the big screen during the 1980's. The combined imaginations & talents of Jim Henson & Frank Oz bring a fantasy world, unlike ANYTHING you've ever seen, to life. Worthy of such classics as Frank Baum's "Wizard of Oz" & J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Hobbit"; this 1980's classic, much like Disney's own classic "Fantasia", is only now, coming into it's own years after it's original theatrical release. With the re-release of this work on DVD with additional footage & extras make this a perfect addition to the library of a serious fantasy enthusiast. |
Incredible!
|
| Review Date: January 10, 2000 |
| Reviewer: Logan, California |
| The Dark Crystal is one of those rare, fantastic, intelligent films that takes full advantage of the power of imagination. So few films immerse you in a completely other world so well. It is a classical tale of good and evil. This story sees Jen and Kira, last of the elf-like Gelfling race, on a journey to the Palace of the grotesquely evil Skeksis in order to heal the fractured Dark Crystal. It is a simple enough story for young chidren to grasp, yet pertinent enough to engross adults. This is not your typical Jim Henson fare. Incredibly real and life-like, every creature in the film was brought to life by puppeteers. Some of the creatures and situations are rather frightening and could give a young child nightmares. Giant, black, crab-like soldiers called Garthim are shown breaking suddenly into peaceful areas and causing panic and destruction. There are scenes of evil, vulture-like Skeksis torturing defenseless Podlings (little gnome-ish people). The Skeksis also have sharp, jagged teeth and some make menacing noises. I watched this film countless times as a young child, and while the creatures were frightening, I don't remember ever being afraid to watch the film. This is a film which does not underestimate the viewer's ability to think and wonder. The wise, peaceful, four-armed Mystics are as fascinating a film creature as any I've ever seen. The lush, other-worldly settings and beings of The Dark Crystal will continue to fascinate me as they have done all my life. The DVD version is in widescreen (thank god!). What an incredible difference! Twice as full of life and mystery. |
|
No details are available for this product
