Review #1468: The Dark Crystal.Cast:
Stephen Garlick (Jen [performed by Jim Henson]), Lisa Maxwell (Kira [performed by Kathryn Mullen]), Billie Whitelaw (Aughra [performed by Frank Oz]), Percy Edwards (Fizzgig [performed by Dave Goelz]), Barry Dennen (The Chamberlain - skekSil [performed by Frank Oz]), Michael Kilgarriff (The General - skekUng [performed by Dave Goelz]), Jerry Nelson (The Ritual-Master - skekZok) [performed by Jim Henson], Steve Whitmire (The Scientist - skekTek), Thick Wilson (The Gourmand - skekAyuk [performed by Louise Gold], Brian Muehl (The Ornamentalist - skekEkt), John Baddeley (The Scroll Keeper - skekOk [performed by Bob Payne]), David Buck (The Slave-Master - skekNa [performed by Mike Quinn], Charles Collingwood (The Treasurer - skekShod [performed by Tim Rose], and Sean Barrett (urZah/The Ritual-Guardian [performed by Brian Muehl]), with additional performances by Kiran Shah, Mike Edmonds, Peter Burroughs, Malcolm Dixon, Sadie Corre, Deep Roy, and Jack Purvis. Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz (#521 - The Muppets Take Manhattan and #795 - Bowfinger)
Review:
"My feeling about puppetry relates to stylization, simplicity, boiling down to - it's a wonderful form and I really love it. But with The Dark Crystal, instead of puppetry we're trying to go toward a sense of realism - toward a reality of creatures that are actually alive and we're mixing up puppetry and all kinds of other techniques."
Jim Henson, if you didn't already know, was a tremendous force in puppeteering and comedy. Born in Mississippi and raised in Maryland, Henson had his influences in what he saw on television and heard on radio with the work of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and television puppetry of Burr Tillstrom among others. In 1955, along with fellow puppeteer (and future spouse) Jane Nebel, he formed The Muppets, which would be featured in Henson's 5-minute show for WRC-TV in Sam and Friends (1955-61) that led to his own company in 1958 (now known as The Jim Henson Company). He soon went to the University of Maryland and learned further in craft and textiles (which led to graduation in 1960). In the following two decades, he would spend time with his puppets in various forms of television that ranged from commercials to talk shows to educational shows, with highlights including Henson's directorial debut in the short Time Piece (1965) and Sesame Street (1969). It was producer Lew Grade and his ITC Entertainment company that proved important to Henson in subsequent years: he helped to co-produce The Muppet Show (1976-1981) that helped the Muppets reach a broader audience, and he was executive producer for this film.
The film had a story from Henson (who also co-produced the movie) and a screenplay from David Odell (who had written for The Muppet Show), while Henson would direct alongside longtime collaborator Frank Oz (in his directorial debut). Henson had been inspired to make a film that had the darkness of stories such as the original Grimms' Fairy Tales, which would have spiritual influences from New Age philosophy such as the Seth Material, and noted fantasy illustrator Brian Froud would do concept art for the film. Instead of human beings on screen, this is a fantasy film with a showcase of animatronic puppets, which had a mix of control with rods/cables, radio control and human performances (which were grueling for the Garthim performers, since they had to be hung up on a rack at times to rest). The final result is a captivating and interesting film to view, one that does wonders with telling a capable fantasy story with atmosphere that makes a solid 93 minute experience for everyone, since one needs something that veers a bit into the dark now and then (it was a moderate success with audiences of the time, although some were put off by the dark elements, because irony is dead, perhaps). The voice cast do a fine job with filling the fantasy requirements needed, such as Garlick and his growing presence of confidence or Maxwell's warmth and spirit or the biting charm of Whitelaw to counteract the devious pit of decadence of the others. It builds its tension with care and appreciation for making entertainment on its own terms for everyone, one that can invite plenty of imagination over its subject matter (a TV series set years prior was just released in 2019, for example), with a climax that seals its fate of understanding with care. It invites one into a story of destiny and shattered crystals with careful pacing and a wonderful execution in style, puppetry, and music from Trevor Jones that prove very much worth a curious choice among the work of Henson.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
