~ by Rebecca Fisher

There are a surprising number of films out there populated entirely by puppets: Strings, Team America, Peter Jackson’s Meet the Feebles; but The Dark Crystal may well be the most famous of them all.

Like many other fantasy films of the Eighties, it’s now considered a cult classic. But is it any good? Unlike the other movies explored in this column, The Dark Crystal was not something I watched in early childhood, instead only discovering it in my teens. In revisiting it today, I wondered whether it would hold up without the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia.

On another planet, centuries ago, a powerful crystal cracked and caused a cataclysm. Out of the chaos were born two races: the gentle Mystics and the vulture-like Skeksis.

Like Labyrinth, the film draws upon old archetypes and fairytale tropes; unlike Labyrinth, it tackles the mythical fantasy epic rather than the coming-of-age story. As such, the plot is almost humorously by-the-numbers: the Chosen One must fulfil a prophecy by going on a quest to find the MacGuffin and save the world.

In this case the Chosen One is a Gelfling called Jen, raised by the Mystics and told by his dying master that in order to restore balance to the world, he must find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal and restore it to its rightful place.

Jen and the missing Crystal shard

As he journeys to the castle of the Skeksis, it becomes apparent that there is a mysterious bond between the Skeksis and the Mystics, one that holds the secret to their creation.

The strength of The Dark Crystal is undoubtedly in its world-building. The design team have created a visual feast for the eyes in which there is colour and creativity bursting from every frame. Some elaborate puppets are used for only a few seconds of screen-time, and even the flora and fauna are delicately crafted and full of surprises. You can watch the movie a dozen times and still spot something new each time.

It’s just a pity that the story and characterization don’t equal the beauty of the world-building. And sure, you can say that the visual splendour compensates for its weaknesses, but the fact remains that Jen isn’t a compelling character, the plot relies heavily on voiceover narration/exposition, and too much time is spent on Skeksis court politics (scenes that are ultimately rather pointless).

So if you’re in the mood for a rewatch, remind yourself that The Dark Crystal works best when you concentrate on its artistry and technical skill. Little things like a Skeksis wiping drool from its beak looks organic enough, though it doesn’t take much to imagine all the puppeteering work that had to go into such a gesture.

Seven puppeteers to bring a single Skeksis to life

In many ways The Dark Crystal feels like a practice run for Labyrinth (released four years later), with the obvious difference between the two films being that they exchanged a puppet protagonist for a human one, allowing for a more relatable lead in Jennifer Connelly instead of Jen’s expressionless face. The Dark Crystal is an experimental film, pushing the envelope of what puppets could do, and although it gets a little too caught up in its visuals, that’s what makes it stunning to watch.

Next Time:

I’m going to take a short break from Big Worlds On Small Screens to take care of my Polytech assignment, but when I return it’ll be to talk about Dragonslayer, another swords-and-sorcery classic.

About The Reviewer:

Rebecca Fisher is a graduate of the University of Canterbury with a Masters degree in English Literature, mainly, she claims, because she was able to get away with writing her thesis on C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman. She is a reviewer for FantasyLiterature.com, a large website that specializes in fantasy and science-fiction novels, as well as posting reviews to Amazon.com and her They’re All Fictional blog.

To read Rebecca’s detailed introduction of both herself and the series, as well as preceding reviews, click on:

Big Worlds On Small Screens

Rebecca won the 2015 Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Fan Writer, for writing that included Big Worlds On Small Screens.