{"id":86916,"date":"2022-09-06T19:50:20","date_gmt":"2022-09-07T02:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=86916"},"modified":"2022-09-07T07:17:37","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T14:17:37","slug":"dark-crystal-the-1982","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=86916","title":{"rendered":"Dark Crystal, The (1982)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Now I&#8217;ve got the shard &#8212; but what do I do with it?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Poster-194x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"194\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-86917\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Poster-194x300.png 194w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Poster-83x128.png 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Poster-175x270.png 175w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Poster.png 615w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 194px) 100vw, 194px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA thousand years ago on the planet Thra, a young Gelfling named Jen (Jim Henson) who&#8217;s been raised by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.darkcrystal.com\/mythology\/characters\/urskeks\/urru\/\">gentle Mystics<\/a> joins forces with fellow Gelfling Kira (Kathryn Mullen) in helping to retrieve a crystal shard from ornery <a href=\"https:\/\/www.darkcrystal.com\/mythology\/characters\/aughra\/\">Aughra<\/a> (Frank Oz) and bringing it to the Crystal Chamber, all while fighting off the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.darkcrystal.com\/mythology\/characters\/creatures-of-thra\/darkened-creatures\/\">Garthim<\/a> warriors sent by the vulture-like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.darkcrystal.com\/mythology\/characters\/urskeks\/skeksis\/\">Skeksis<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Animated Films<\/li>\n<li>Coming-of-Age<\/li>\n<li>Fantasy<\/li>\n<li>Search<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nFamed puppeteer Jim Henson based the philosophy of this feature-length fantasy film on <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Seth_Material\">the Seth Material<\/a>, a series of lectures dictated by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jane_Roberts\">psychic medium Jane Roberts<\/a> to her husband between 1963-1984. If this sounds like a woo-woo basis for a flick, it most certainly is &#8212; and is likely part of why I struggled to engage with the storyline. According to Wikipedia: &#8220;The core teachings of the Seth Material are based on the principle that consciousness creates matter, that each person creates his or her own reality through thoughts, beliefs and expectations, and that the &#8216;point of power&#8217; through which the individual can affect change is in the present moment.&#8221; This would explain lines like the following: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;End, begin, all the same. Big change. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad.&#8221;<br \/>\n&#8220;Hold her to you, for she is part of you, as we all are part of each other.&#8221;<br \/>\n&#8220;He taught me the Shapes of Kindness, except there are no more like me.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>There <em>is<\/em> a crystal shard that needs placing into the existing crystal in order for a prophecy to be fulfilled:  <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Crystal.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Crystal-1024x436.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"273\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-86924\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Crystal-1024x436.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Crystal-300x128.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Crystal-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Crystal-768x327.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Crystal-604x257.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Crystal.png 1302w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; so that at least gives a bit of material heft to the narrative (along with Jen and Kira trying to rescue captured <a href=\"https:\/\/www.darkcrystal.com\/mythology\/characters\/pod-people\/\">Podlings<\/a> from having the life essence drained out of them). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Essence.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Essence-1024x441.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"276\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-86927\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Essence-1024x441.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Essence-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Essence-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Essence-768x331.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Essence-604x260.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Essence.png 1297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the animation was groundbreaking for the time, and is certainly impressively done &#8212; but as much as Henson, co-director Frank Oz, and conceptual designer Brian Froud strove to craft a brand new world (and the level of detail here is truly impressive), I simply couldn&#8217;t get the Muppets out of my head. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Kira-Jen2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Kira-Jen2-1024x432.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"270\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-86920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Kira-Jen2-1024x432.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Kira-Jen2-300x126.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Kira-Jen2-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Kira-Jen2-768x324.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Kira-Jen2-604x255.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Kira-Jen2.png 1293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m clearly a grump about the flick, so I should acknowledge that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.darkcrystal.com\/\">it has many diehard fans (i.e., a cult following)<\/a>, and is considered formative in many ways. It&#8217;s just not a movie I&#8217;ll choose to revisit. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Impressive sets and overall design<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Orbs.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Orbs-1024x436.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"273\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-86921\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Orbs-1024x436.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Orbs-300x128.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Orbs-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Orbs-768x327.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Orbs-604x257.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Crystal-Orbs.png 1285w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, unless you&#8217;re curious. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0083791\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1982\/12\/17\/movies\/henson-s-crystal.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=212&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moriareviews.com\/fantasy\/dark-crystal-1982.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/the-dark-crystal\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Now I&#8217;ve got the shard &#8212; but what do I do with it?&#8221; Synopsis: A thousand years ago on the planet Thra, a young Gelfling named Jen (Jim Henson) who&#8217;s been raised by the gentle Mystics joins forces with fellow Gelfling Kira (Kathryn Mullen) in helping to retrieve a crystal shard from ornery Aughra (Frank Oz) and bringing it to the Crystal Chamber, all while fighting off the Garthim warriors sent by the vulture-like Skeksis. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=86916\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=86916"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86939,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86916\/revisions\/86939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=86916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=86916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=86916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}