Fans of the 1982 Jim Henson cult classic The Dark Crystal and its 2019 Netflix Original prequel series will note the dramatic tone differences between the two. Where the series dwells in the lush natural imagery of the alien planet Thra and the revolutionary hope of its native Gelflings’ attempts to defeat their colonizing Skeksis “lords,” the original is decidedly dark — both in its intricate puppetry staging and the depiction of a dying planet wracked by climate destruction and systematic genocide. The only hope for survival lies in the hands of the sole remaining Gelfling, Jen and Kira.
These rough edges led to mixed reviews at the time of The Dark Crystal’s original release. A 1982 review from Time points out that the film lacks the “sense of giddy fun” that trademarks most of Henson’s other projects, cautioning parents that “audiences nourished on the sophisticated child's play of the Sesame Street Muppets...may not be ready.” Still, The Dark Crystal has lingered as a cult classic alongside its fellow Henson weirdo Labyrinth, both for its groundbreaking artistic achievement as “the first live-action film with no human characters” and its deft handling of complex social themes.
Despite its fantastical setting, The Dark Crystal, with its planet-wide pollution at the hands of corrupt leadership, sits alongside a variety of climate anxiety children’s films from the end of the 20th century. FernGully, Free Willy, and even the nightmarish junkyard scenes of The Brave Little Toaster warn against waste and urge youngsters to save the planet. The Dark Crystal goes a step further, providing a cautionary tale about what happens when concerned citizens don’t stand up.
The franchise’s theme of children acting where adults cannot — or will not — on behalf of their planet is revisited more explicitly in the 2019 series, where a mysterious contamination strangling Thra is dubbed “The Darkening” and outwardly denied by both the Skeksis and many of the Gelfling themselves. Assembled by the Mother Earth proxy Augra, the young Gelfling from across the planet’s varied ecosystems tasked with saving Thra make the desolate landscape and downtrodden inhabitants of the original film look even more stark.
The seeds of The Dark Crystal’s environmental activism, however, can be found across the original film. As Jen and Kira navigate Thra, the lush beauty and natural diversity of the planet becomes clear. From towering Landstriders to spunky Fizzgigs, the intricate puppetry of Henson and Company creates a world rich with wonder that heightens the tension of the danger it’s in. As Mark Gurarie of Culture Crush describes it, Thra is “even more precious because it’s tenuous.”
Even before their quest, the burden on the young Gelflings’ shoulders is heightened by the ways in which those who came before them refused to make a change. “I should have told you these things long ago,” laments the Mystic UrSu on his deathbed to his adopted son Jen, seemingly apologizing as much for his tribe’s age-long passive ensconcement in a hidden valley during Thra’s destruction as he is for not revealing Jen’s destiny earlier. In this respect, the environmental degradation of Thra is as much the fault of the Mystics as the Skeksis. In the same way that older generations always look to the youth for hope, it’s left to Jen and Kira — two children caught in the crosshairs of their predecessors — to swoop in and save the day.
Of course, children understand far more than adults tend to give them credit for, and the eerie overtones of the original The Dark Crystal provide a socially-driven precursor to more modern kids’ flicks like Coraline and Where the Wild Things Are that aren’t afraid to take a turn for the dark side. It may not be suitable for all ages, but it’s valuable viewing — particularly in a modern context, as the effects of climate change are felt here at home.