Rating: 
Summary: A gem of fantasy, a true cinematic masterpiece.
Review: Those who haven't seen The Dark Crystal have been missing out on what may be the greatest live-action fantasy film of all time (or at least the '80s). A completely alien world is presented as vivid, believable reality via the deceptively "simple" technique of puppeteering. The result is very unlike a Muppet film as some might expect, much more like something truly out of this world; it is a storybook brought to life. The tale is simple and enjoyable enough for children, but deep and layered enough for adults as well.Fans of the movie should own this DVD not just for the exceptional crispness of the picture and the virtues of the ultra-widescreen format (2.35:1) but for the bonus materials. In particular the documentary explaining the production process gave me a whole new appreciation for the difficulty of making this film, and the incredible artistry and talent that was poured into it. The complexity of getting everything to work just right seems to have given the piece a strong sense of unity; the creature effects don't fight the plot nor do the characters fail to convey emotion in ways ordinary actors might. Because the technical challenges of working entirely with puppets have been somewhat scrapped in favor of CGI over the last decade, I think we're unlikely ever to see another movie like it--more's the pity. If you liked the movie on VHS, buy the DVD. If you just like fantasy and would like to see a worthy film in the genre, buy the DVD. If you're a fan of the late Jim Henson's work and want to see something different from his other stuff, buy this DVD. This one is worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: DVD Heaven
Review: Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal is a visual muppet masterpiece. Taking three years to make and going way over budget, the Dark Crystal hit theaters with mixed reviews. As time moved on The Dark Crystal became a cult sleeper and is now loved by many people. The story is the classic mythological journey story of growth and healing. A gelfling, Jen, is one of the last of his kind to go out into the land of the dark crystal to find the shard that will heal the power source that tore its planet apart. Besides healing the crystal, Jen learns much about who he really is and the kind of people the gelfings use to be. The cruel Skeksis and gentle Mystics are beautifully crafted each in their own image to match their personality. The pod people are an uplifting event admist the stress that is placed upon the main character. The beauty of the planet, the wonder of the characters, and the story itself will take a person away for close to an hour and a half. Aside from the movie, this DVD is special because it offers a completely instrumental track by composer Trevor Jones. Since the soundtrack is no longer readily available, this little instrumental addition to the DVD allows the listener to feel the wonder of the film through the music alone. Along with the documentary and deleted scenes, this DVD is worth every penny. Jim Henson's crew spared no expense for the viewer to take the fantasy home.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best of the 80's and of all time!
Review: Well the Dark Crystal is one of those films that you either love or you hate, much like Lord of the rings! I have to admit first though that I'm biased in as such as I grew up with this film, it being released the year after I was born. It's just magical, mythical and exciting all at the same time and while it would appeal mostly to the under 10's, I know for a fact it appeals to a much wider audience. The puppets are simply fantastic, so real looking infact and so well played that from the outset you never look upon them as puppets. Instead you'll look upon them as you would any other human actors. A great theme tune and amazing scenery really make this a blockbuster of a puppet movie. I think we all need a bit of the old imaginary, fictionary tales once in a while. In the 80's there was the Dark Crystal, and others of course, and in this decade it would have to be lord of the rings. All in all a great film that will have you glued to your seat to see what happens next in this funny, imaginative and dreamy classic.
Rating: 
Summary: Great film, so-so overpriced DVD
Review: I'm a great fan of this movie, it's probably in my personal top ten favorite films (or if not then definitely in the top twenty), but while it's a great film this is not a great DVD. The transfer of the movie is acceptable but not great - it's in widescreen as it should be, but there is still dirt and noise in various parts. The color and sharpness are superior to the previous VHS versions of course but that's about it. The main thing the DVD lacks is extras - this "set" is a single disc containing both the movie and supplements, and the only significant one is the "World of the Dark Crystal" making-of documentary. Everything else is lacking. There are storyboards, very well drawn storyboards in fact, but there is only a small sampling of a few of them (6 I think, maybe less) not storyboards for the whole movie. Then there are character illustrations and profiles - when I first saw these I though "great, well worth having" as they are beautiful pieces of artwork by Brain Froud - however I quickly realized that there are only a few of these too, not one for every character, or at least every major character, as I had hoped. The biggest disappointment was the lack of running commentary. This is my favorite feature on any DVD, particularly when there are several commentary tracks. When they are well done it's a fantastic feature - see Fight Club, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Criterion edition), The Lord of the Rings series (extended editions), The Simpsons box sets and most of Kevin Smith's movies for examples of great commentaries. So how many commentary tracks do you get on this DVD? Zero. 0. Goose egg. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I know Jim Henson is dead, and it was tragic that he died so young, but Frank Oz, the co-director and a major performer in the film is still with us as are many others who worked on it, as well as Jim Henson's kids, and so on. I'm not buying another edition of this DVD after feeling ripped off by this one however, so if they do crank out the "ultra super mondo special really really final and this time we mean it" edition with commentary I'm not buying it. Had this version been correctly priced for what it is, $20, maybe $25 max instead of $45, I might have shelled out again for another future edition but as it is, forget it. The reproduction of Jim Henson's original notepad with his first ideas for The Dark Crystal is really rather dull and uninteresting. The frame of 35mm film from the movie that comes in the set is a novelty but not really a big deal - and that's about all you get. In this day and age where you can get some really great values on DVD (Lord of the Rings extended editions for example) this stands out as a bad deal. The Simpsons seasons 2 and 3 sets cost about $12 less than this for far more material, same for The Lord of the Rings films. Go for the more basic, less expensive version of the DVD, the "boxed set" isn't worth it, though this great movie definitely is. Overall 3 stars - would have been 4 stars if it was reasonably priced, 5 if they had the extras like commentary too. The movie by itself is 5 stars, the DVD by itself is 2 stars at best.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Wonderful
Review: This is from a woman who is NOT a fan of muppets. Almost twenty years ago, I and my then 21 month old (who normally didn't sit down long enough to watch commercials let alone cartoons) watched this movie absolutely spellbound on cable. (My son didn't sit still for another full-length feature until he was 4.) It's full of amazing creatures, heroic adventures and I found the basic ideology innovative. A must-get for anyone who likes fantasy, adventure tales, still holds a bit of kid in their heart or need their own children to stay out of their hair for an hour and a half!
Rating:
Summary: A underrated masterpiece of fantasy!
Review: Jim Henson's 1982 Fantasy epic is set in another world and time, a elf-like being called " Jen" has a task that he must take. His task is to return an important Crystal shard back to a important universal source called " The Dark Crystal" before 3 suns line up, he joins up with a female Gelfling and must save the universe from the evil Skeckis before it's too late. A magical movie that is one of the greatest fantasy epics of all time and also one of the best animated movies ever made, why is it animated you say? cause it's performed by Puppets that why. The DVD is impressive with excellent transfer and widescreen the way it was meant to be seen, the extras are phenomenal such as trailers, documentary, deleted scenes and more that adds to the value of the DVD. It's a must see movie if your into adventure, fantasy, sci-fi and animation, it's also a must see movie for your whole family and a guaranteed good time.
Rating:
Summary: Great fantasy, great puppetry!
Review: Jen is the last of the elf-like Gelflings. After the Garthim, servants of the evil Skeksis, slaughtered his people he was taken in and raised by the gentle Mystics. When his teacher dies, Jen set out into the world to fulfill a prophecy that a Gelfling will heal the Dark Crystal, and bring an end to the reign of the Skeksis. Jen's world is turned upside-down when he meets Kira, who also considered herself the last Gelfling, and discovers love. This movie was created by the incomparable Jim Henson, and includes some of the finest puppetry ever produced. The scenes are dramatic, and the action intense. This is one of the finest fantasy movies ever produced. As a bonus, the VHS includes a fifteen-minute documentary on the making of the movie. My children, ages 7 and 9, found the movie too frightening, but were greatly enlightened by the "making of" documentary at the end, that took the fright out of the Skeksis. This movie is rated PG, and is probably not a good movie for younger viewers. That said, though, this is a great movie and a thrilling fantasy!
Rating:
Summary: Jim Henson's masterpiece
Review: Maybe my review is a little biased as this was my favorite film as a kid (Yes, the Garthim gave me nightmares, but that didn't stop me from watching it), but I still love this movie. I recently got the DVD after it had fallen into the dust bin of my mind, and I found that this movie is every bit as good as I remembered it. Kids will enjoy it, but there's much more depth to the film that adults will appreciate as well. This movie isn't without it's faults. The script suffers at a few points and the voice acting isn't as good as it could be, but the great puppetry effects and the story more than make up for it. It's incredible just how much work Henson put into this film. Watch the documentary on the Special Edition. It took them 5 years (and nine tons of foam latex) to make it, from conception to final cut. There were often several people operating one puppet, watching what they were doing on a monitor from inside. Try to imagine getting one take just right with all of the Skeksis in one shot. Henson even put $2 million of his own money into it. The look and feel of this film is incredibly unique, thanks mostly to artist/conceptual designer Brian Froud. Some call the plot cliched, but I don't think so. Sure, there's no such thing as a completely original story. What makes a movie good is that it brings enough new material to the old formula to make it interesting, and The Dark Crystal delivers with a passion. It's hard to find a film that is as original as this one, especially with the deluge of garbage that Hollywood has been churning out lately. The soundtrack of the movie also delivers. Trevor Jones (shame this guy isn't better known, perhaps The Dark Crystal was the peak of his career) created a magnificent score that complements the movie perfectly and accentuates the mood at all the right points. A casual viewer might dismiss this film as nonsensical kiddie fare, but it becomes much more complex when one actually sits down and watches. The characters have a depth to them that you may not see right off the bat. Even though there's never a human in the film, you get a definite feel for the characters of the film and share the triumph at the end. There are several surprises throughout that often catch the view off guard but don't detract from the movie at all. I was brought up with this movie, and I'm going to make certain that my own kids are brought up on this movie. It's a wonderful film that adults and children alike will enjoy, one that has yet to be matched. Jim Henson later did Labrynth, which was fun, but lacked the depth of The Dark Crystal. If you haven't seen this film, do yourself a huge favor and rent it, then buy the DVD, which has plenty of extras on it (But where's the commentary??? Frank Oz, are you listening?).
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fantastic
Review: Jim Henson was an absolute genius. I can't state this enough. Labrynth, the Dark Crystal and many other movies and television shows (that were way ahead of their time) just show how much of a genius and shows the attention to detail he offers. This movie drags you into their world and is quite believeable in all ways, shapes and forms. He was an artist and an entertainer and this is just more proof that he'll never be forgotten in the timeless Dark Crystal. I saw this in the theatres when I was a little girl and it did scare me a lot, the Skekzes (sorry about the spelling if it's incorrect) and some other characters scared me, but it should be enjoyable by most, if not all children and adults (I was just a very "chicken hearted" child).
Rating:
Summary: A little over priced, but otherwise the best move ever!
Review: This move is the best! even though it is an old movie I could watch it all my life. I personally think that the movie is over priced so you might want to search for somewhere cheaper, but other wise buy it and don't get it scratched. The plot is a tiny bit Tolkienish but otherwise a plot of its own. If you buy this movie you would not be dissapointed.
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