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The Dark Crystal
1982 93 min United Kingdom, United States of America PG 12+
★7.1
Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Director: Jim Henson, Frank Oz
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Description
On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world, before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil.
Budget:
$15M
US Gross:
$41.61M
Worldwide:
$44.63M
Starring
Jim Henson
Actor
Kathryn Mullen
Actor
Frank Oz
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 1983
— Best Fantasy Film
Saturn Awards 1983
— Best Visual Effects
Saturn Awards 1983
— Best Poster
BAFTA 1984
— Best Visual Effects
Saturn Awards 2008
— Best DVD Edition of a Classic Film
Key opinion
The Dark Crystal is widely celebrated for its groundbreaking puppetry, immersive world-building, and distinct visual artistry that remains impressive decades later. While the film is lauded for its unique craft and atmospheric design, audiences are divided on its narrative, with some praising its classic hero’s journey and others finding the plot and character development to be overly simplistic or unoriginal.
| Production | The film’s intricate animatronics and puppet designs create a uniquely tangible, alien world that remains visually impressive to this day. | |
| Score | The score is a masterful contribution that effectively underscores the film's mysterious and epic fantasy atmosphere. | |
| Screenplay | The film utilizes a classic hero's journey framework that some viewers appreciate for its noble simplicity, while others criticize it as predictable and unoriginal. | |
| Acting | While the world and creatures are deeply realized, the human (Gelfling) protagonists are often perceived as underdeveloped or lacking sufficient depth. | |
| Acting | The puppet-based performances are polarizing, with many praising their lifelike detail and others finding the physical aesthetic grotesque or unengaging. |