Rating: 
Summary: The Dark Crystal is outstanding.
Review: I first saw this movie when I was five years old. I liked it then, but I didn't really appreciate it until recently. In The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson created one of the most detailed and unique worlds I have ever seen. The amount of work and effort that went into this film is phenominal, and it shows. I can honestly say that this is one of the most impressive movies I have ever had the pleasure of watching. END
Rating:
Summary: Good vs. bad in a fantasy realm you can almost feel.
Review: Animated, but not animation. The Dark Crystal is almost too real to be called animated! It tells a timeless tale of good vs. bad using fantastic "puppet-like" characters set in a fantasy land. Only Henson could have pulled off the realistic creatures and detailed settings that send your mind into a fantasy realm that you can almost touch. Great for kids and adults, although it does have monsters and some dark moments. A treasured work in my collection... END
Rating:
Summary: *The Dark Crystal RULES*
Review: This is one of my favorite movies of all time. It isn't animated like this place says it is, but instead has the best technology and animatronics of its time. It is amazing what they did for this movie, and it's amazing that such a movie like this could be made in *1982*. It is beautiful, and unforgettable, and this is of the best of Jim Henson's movies...
In conclusion, it's worth the price, and it would even be worth it for twice that price. Get it for you and your family and you *can't* be disappointed! END
Rating:
Summary: Glorious!
Review: I admit to being scared out of my wits by the Skeksis and the Garthim when I was little (reptiles combined with vultures and spiders combined with crabs are still terrifying to me), but I've come to really cherish this Tolkien-esque/ Froudian film. The gentle, nurturing Mystics, and cute little dog/ dust ball Fizzgig are among my favorite characters. The Podlings are simply adorable... the Gelflings are finely- featured and beautiful(Jen is very ponderous, if somewhat passive... Kira shows just how women can be, and are, just as strong as men!)... the Landstriders (which gracefully manage to combine the aspects of cats, moths, horses, camels, bats, rabbits, and who knows what else, into such beautiful creatures) are swift, courageous animals, and are very dear to me (for some odd reason). Possibly because I love animals(and I just have a thing for the underdog/unsung hero.) And there's the gentle Nebrie and many other creatures.It's incredible to me that they were able to do this whole film without human actors! I seriously thought when I first saw it that they were real, flesh-and-blood creatures! Jim, Frank, Brian, and the rest of the crew really put their time and effort into making this film! Their hard work really paid off; the facial expressions and movements are impeccable! And the scenery is unbelievably lush, beautiful, and realistic. All of it looks so natural and earthy. It is as if they actually had real-live creatures acting, in my eyes... and they fact that they took the time to make up all of the history beind this story! That's just amazing!... and I could not get enough of "The Making of The Dark Crystal". How they all managed to sculpt, design, and perform these characters is mind-blowing for me, since I'm far from an artist like this crew. No matter... This film, while impressive, is not for all people; there is a sizable mortality rate in this film that (the little ones) are likely to find very disturbing, including several struggles (Podlings being snatched up to be converted into slaves, Nebries being served to the Skeksis for dinner, and the deaths of two Landstriders in a cliffside battle with the Garthim... I can't bear to watch (or hear) animals being harmed, and especially animals as gentle and benevolent as they are. Was showing these things really necessary?) Apart from little things here and there, it is truely quite an accomplishment, if not earth-shattering, to watch!
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful, but something missing...
Review: Perhaps *beautiful* is the wrong word, for this movie is rarely aesthetically beautiful. Don't get me wrong on this point, beauty is not necessarily a good thing. What I mean to say is, atmospherically this is a triumph... but not beautiful. The 'characters' blend in perfectly(... beautifully?) to their world. The landscapes are... well... dark (which is fitting). It's aesthetically perfect, and in a movie like this, perfection demands there be little beauty. The creatures are organic. 'Nuff said. They're wonderful. They're believable. They're just plain... wow. So what's missing? Terry Gilliam is quoted as saying a children's movie should be "Exciting enough for adults, and intelligent enough for kids" (Re: Time Bandits). The Dark Crystal is an imaginative masterpiece, but I couldn't help but feel the simplistic plot, 2-dimensional characters (I appreciate that making puppets' mental workings visible must be one of the hardest tasks in a movie with a fully puppet cast) patronizes the intelligence of all but the youngest children. They're a lot brighter than we treat them, and they're getting brighter by the day ;) But, I suppose a great movie can do without great characters as long as the focus isn't on the characters, as long as it compensates atmospherically. And "The Dark Crystal" more than compensates. So what's missing? I'll relate this to another adventure movie: Dune. Dune was atmospherically beautiful, but it took itself too seriously. It was a massive undertaking, granted, but I can't remember laughing... or even smiling once. 137 minutes without smiling is a long time. And it's the same with "The Dark Crystal". The only slightly comic break from the plot is the antics of a round-furry-dog-thing, but this isn't enough. "The Dark Crystal" Takes its battle-between-good-and-evil far too seriously, and unless one's awe at the world Jim Henson created can last one the full 90 minutes or so of the movie, one becomes impatient. Humour is an important tool with infinite potential - especially in a movie aimed at children, but it's a tool almost entirely overlooked in "The Dark Crystal". Even in a story as serious as Macbeth takes a moment to let its audience step back and chuckle towards the beginning. "The Dark Crystal" doesn't give us this opportunity. In conclusion, "The Dark Crystal" is a... beautiful movie, but one that takes itself far too seriously. I became impatient with the simplistic plot, 2-dimensional characters (as 'beautiful' as they may be), and almost total lack of humour, but... clearly from the other reviews I've read, other's did not. RE: the DVD
It's a lovely little package, but for the price you pay for it, it better be. I'm particularly fond of the little note-pad included. I would have liked to see more documentaries on the DVD, perhaps audio commentary, but alas - it shall not be.
Rating: 
Summary: You Call THIS a "Collector's Edition"??!
Review: Of course everyone already knows "The Dark Crystal" is Jim Henson's Masterpiece, but this so-called "Collector's Edition" version is probably the biggest rip-off in DVD history! It comes in a cardboard box that looks nice on the outside, but its cheesiness becomes apparent when you open it up. Inside is a little notepad, a piece of film embedded in a card, a little note written by Jim Henson's daughter, and ONE lonely disc. Said disc offers ZERO improvement over the previously released (and MUCH more reasonably priced) "Special Edition." Compare this to the FOUR discs you get in one of the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions for significantly less money! My advice: Skip this "Collector's Edition" and buy the "Special Edition" along with the beautiful Brian Froud book, "The World of the Dark Crystal" (available here at Amazon).
Rating:
Summary: I wish to be reborn as a Gelfling !!!
Review: I am a fan of 80's fantasy, and I think that this movie is perfect for other people like me. It has an interesting story, and very amazing visuals. A lot of artistic work, and imagination went into the design and production of this movie. Watching this movie makes me feel like I'd want to become a Gelfling, the elf-like boy on the dvd cover picture. Watch the movie and maybe you'll feel the same way too !
Rating:
Summary: hauntingly beautiful.....
Review: I have associations with this film, dating back to when I was a small child. I was always a great fan of the great genius, Jim Henson, his innovation, humor and intelligence as an artist, a puppeteer and a man. Not only did Jim Henson's transition from Sesame Street to the big screen succeed marvelously in THE DARK CRYSTAL, but, for me, this is one of the greatest fantasy films of all time. I haven't had a chance to see THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, but, for me, at the tender age of two, this was the RINGS of my generation (1980s).
It is the story of Jen, a young gelfling, raised by the Mystics, a race on the brink of extinction, living in a world on the verge of darkness, as the evil, lizard-like/monsterous skexies who wish to take over the essence from a precious crystal. The skexies want to wipe out Jen's gelfling race, and he must run for his life, and also must make a great and courageous journey to save his planet from the plot of the evil creatures. On the way, he encounters Keira, a girl gelfling, her pomeranian-esque pet, Fizgig (a creature with two sets of teeth and a raging temper), the musical potlins (little hippy creatures who have a lust for life and great music), and many other twists and turns.
Not only is this fantasy story engaging, but, it is worth noting that this film was made without the use of ANY computer special effects. Some of the life-sized puppets, worn by puppeteers, weighed a couple hundred pounds each!! What's more, it is a cautionary tale about the state of the environment, and its pending demise. How timely! This film is truly timeless. There will never be a puppet quite as masterful, creative and ingenius as the late, great Jim Henson. I believe that anyone over the age of seven will enjoy it, and, maybe, even children younger than that. A note: There are some scary scenes that may frighten young children. A masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: From beginning to end, a joy to watch
Review: Back when I was young, this movie used to come on the Disney Channel all the time. I loved it then as a child, and just this Christmas I received it as a gift. Having watched it only a few hours ago for the first time in years, what can I say? Even now as I enter adulthood, this movie still captivates me - even more than when I was a child.
Jim Henson and his studio really did a terrific work on this. I have never seen any great effort like this to completely create a new world in film. Every creature and every character is hand-crafted and created, and controlled by puppeteers and studio crew. Many sets are natural while others are crafted (and even more surprisingly, many are painted).
The characters themselves, however, are the most impressive. The Skeksis and the Mystics are well conceived, and in particular the Skeksis. I can't think of any other group of villains who epitomize evil in their simple existance. They are mangled, twisted, wrinkly old beasts who look like something of a cross between birds and dinosaurs. They all hold titles but only hold real power because it is they who possess the Dark Crystal. Even more amazing is in the scene where Chamberlain is stripped of his robes; (Chamberlain cries out as if his own flesh is being torn off) it is revealed that underneath all those elaborate garments, robes, and jewelries the Skeksis are nothing more than scrawny, hunched-over, pathetic creatures. I always believed Jim Henson had a statement to say about real power and those who only think they have it. (the Gorges in Fraggle Rock claim to be rulers of the Universe - but in name only) "The Dark Crystal" presents villains who show how twisted evil can really be - yet also how fickle and easily undone evil can be as well.
The storyline is very unique, and though its obviously another "adventure fantasy" it always keeps your interest through the characters and settings (if anything, this movie is a great visual treat from start to end). The music, conducted by none other than Trevor Jones, (who also did fine work for "Last of the Mohicans") is also very beautiful and suits the movie well.
The DVD I'm reviewing features the film in good sound and picture quality (I took some screenshots on my computer and was surprised at how well they came out) and some nice special features. These include a deleted scene that showed the funerals of the Skeksis emperor and wisest Mystic, character sketches of the Skeksis and Mystics (who actually apprently had another name at pre-production), old film footage of the Skeksis and other characters speaking their own language, and different trailers for "The Dark Crystal" as well as for "Labyrinth" and "The Storyteller."
All in all, it is a worthy viewing for people of any age. It dives you into a fantasy world and makes you feel as if you are a part of it. It is a pity Jim Henson did few other projects such as this, but "The Dark Crystal" still stands out as one of his studio's greatest achievement
Rating:
Summary: A Childhood Favorite!
Review: What can I say other than I love The Dark Crystal! It was one of my favorites as a child and now it's on DVD.
I received it as a gift - one of the best one's i've ever received.
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