THE DARK CRYSTAL-review

Directors: Jim Henson, Frank Oz
Producer:Jim Henson, Gary Kurtz, David Lazer
Cast: Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards
Year: 1982

Created by the famous puppeteers Jim Henson and Frank Oz, who are world widely known for the famous  Muppet show, Dark Crystal is a proof that special effects are not amazing only when based on computers. It tells the story of a magical   The film was considered as a children's one but due to its dark nature parents were concerned how child-friendly it could be. Its nightmarish, dark character left an indelible mark on people's memory .

"Dark Crystal is challenging material for kids, not just a simple story of good overcoming evil. There is a deeper layer to that, and the adventure is grandly scaled. Even with that, it remains an engaging piece of fantasy, brilliantly realized with the tangible, real effects that beyond the main characters, are utterly believable."

 This film  features brilliant puppetry and stunning design. It is amazing how the puppets' attention to detail is what attracts the viewers attention more than the actual story. Each creature is amazingly designed from scratch and beautifully captured on the screen. It is also very interesting how the Skeksis,who represent evil and the Mystics, who represent good relate to their nature. The Skeksis as the 'bad guys' of the film were vulture-esque creatures, with decaying skin and noticeable bone structure, whereas the friendly Mystics had more soft features like round faces and small facial features. They are mostly resembled to babies which is what makes them more appealing to the audience. "It’s not just the creatures related to the story either. The small touches from the little rats roaming the castle to the variety of fantastical critters near the water all bring this to life in every corner of the screen. It’s that level of detail which makes this not just something to look at, but convincing."

Apart from the Skeksis and the Mystics the magical world of The Dark Crystal is packed with a lot more characters  such as the protagonist Jen, the Gelfling a sort of elf which finally founds another girl from his species. The movie also had a hint of humour with the female Gelfling's pet making exaggerated facial expressions.

But what actually makes this film so eye-popping is how rich the planet the characters live into is. The plants and animals play a major role in the complexity of this visual world. Every designed living creature looks as if it was born out of this world and being part of this complex, colourful  biosystem.

  "I have a problem seeing the forest for the trees when it comes to movies. As my love for the art form has increased over the years, I have increasingly had trouble looking at the film as a whole. Instead, I focus on the technical details, and look for the “quality” of the movie. It’s a condition I’ve come to think of as “Critic’s Eye,” and The Dark Crystal is the perfect antidote."

Sources
http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=997

http://www.doblu.com/2010/08/29/the-dark-crystal-review/