The Dark Crystal (1982)
Fables and fairytales tend to have a specific way of telling their stories. It's like stripped-down narration focusing on the least possible characters and building the world only enough to motivate their actions. The main reason for that is most likely the fact that a large portion of their audience consists of children. But when done right, it can also add to the mystique and give the story the feel of an old legend.
The Dark Crystal mostly succeeds in this.
The story is simple and nothing new (an unexpected hero finds himself entangled in a prophecy). The lore and the details are muddled and obscure. All that we know of the world is the stuff of legends, not history. The big picture of
The Dark Crystal works.
What doesn't work that well is the hero's journey. Ultimately Jen is quite an uninteresting character, and to some degree, the same can be said of everyone. The style of the film doesn't allow much character development, but it should somehow make them memorable and fascinating. Now the only character that, to me, fits that bill is the Chamberlain (and perhaps Aughra to a far lesser degree). Two months after the film, Jen and Kira are just names.
The puppetry in
The Dark Crystal is outstanding. It's worth noting that the new Netflix series is worse in this regard (and it's not limited to that, I gave it up after watching half of the episodes). Also, the sets are brilliant, and the flora and fauna of Thra are both beautiful and innovative.
So, I love the style and atmosphere of
The Dark Crystal. Unfortunately, the majority of the characters are so bland, and the prophecy driving the story is a bit too familiar. Still, I do like the film, and it's the kind of a children's movie that I wish there were more.
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