The Dark Crystal

As a child in 1983, I thought The Dark Crystal was just about the coolest thing in the world: 20 years later it still strikes me as visually inventive…but also disappointingly by-the-numbers. Relying slavishly on narration to cover the total absence of plot complications, the puppet-animated film revolves around a young Gelfling named Jen (think Michael Jackson-style pale androgyny) whose quest to heal the mystical Dark Crystal will put a stop to a race of ugly evil creatures (Skeksis) who rule over a race of ugly wise creatures (Mystics). Written by Jim Henson and David Odell and directed by Henson and Frank Oz, The Dark Crystal's all-Muppet cast was full of enough evil crab warriors, kindhearted magical hags, and adorable Fraggle-like fuzzballs to spark the imagination of a generation of dungeons-and-dragons addicts. But the simple quest narrative seems to skip over obstacles and the Gelfling heroes (Jen has a female companion) are bland duds. Surprisingly dark and moody for what is ostensibly a children's film, The Dark Crystal--despite its flaws--has a fervent following. As usual, this cinephile widescreen Superbit edition contains no extras, but while the sound quality is amazing, the crystalline visual clarity actually amplifies the dated feel of the composite visual effects. Optional. (D. Fienberg)[DVD Review—Aug. 7, 2007—Sony, 2 discs, 93 min., PG, $24.98—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1982's The Dark Crystal (25th Anniversary Edition) sports an excellent transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras on this two-disc set include audio commentary by conceptual designer Brian Froud, the original 58-minute “making-of” documentary “The World of The Dark Crystal,” the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Light on the Path of Creation” and “Shard of Illusion” (37 min. total), seven work print scenes (21 min.), four minutes of deleted scenes, and character illustrations. Bottom line: an excellent extras package for a flawed but beloved film.][Blu-ray Review—Oct. 13, 2009—Sony, 93 min., PG, $27.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1982's The Dark Crystal boasts a great transfer and a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. Blu-ray extras include an all new picture-in-picture storyboard track, a “SkekTek's Crystal Challenge” trivia game, a “Book of Thra” crystal collection game, an introduction by screenwriter David Odell on the original Skeksis language, and earlier DVD special features including audio commentary by conceptual designer Brian Froud, the original 58-minute “making-of” documentary “The World of The Dark Crystal,” the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Light on the Path of Creation” and “Shard of Illusion” (37 min. total), test scenes from the original Skeksis language (21 min.), and deleted scenes (4 min.). Bottom line: a treasured fantasy film looks wondrous on Blu-ray.]