The first time I laid eyes on the film The Dark Crystal ,I was five years old. My Aunt took me to see it in the theater. It probably was one of the first films I saw in a theater. To make a long story short, I remember being bored with the film. That was the last time I saw it, until I got the Blu-ray Disc in the mail. Now, twenty-seven years later, here I sit in my living room watching it with my two and a half year old daughter. She walked away after the opening credits, but I was drawn in by how wonderful the disc looked and how great the story was.
The Dark Crystal is a film about the cycle of life and Good vs. Evil and their connection to each other. In a dark place, a dying race of birdlike creatures called Skeksis are in power and are the keepers of the Dark Crystal which holds the key to the life of the planet on which they all live. In a not-too-far village lives a race known as the Mystics. They, too, are a dying race, but they have raised a young Gelfling boy named Jen. Jen is the only known member of his race left, as the Skeksis have killed all of his kind off. However, there is a prophecy that a Gelfing boy will find the crystal shard that has broken from the dark crystal and bring order back to the planet. Jen soon learns that he is that person and, with the help of a female, Gelfing named Kira, Jen will try against all odds to fulfill the prophecy and bring order to the planet.
I never realized just how much The Dark Crystal really bought the world of puppets in film to life. Looking at the creatures in this film and the world in which they live, everything seems real even though it is fantasy. This film was the late Jim Henson’s version of Lord of the Rings. It has a lot of detail and all the characters and creatures have their own unique personalities. The story and time in which it takes place is rooted with such deep historic overtones that you know that the story has a lot of history to it. The story is perfectly written, with the prefect balance of story and characters.
The Dark Crystal is a film that was made with puppets in the lead roles, yet the effects look so good, one can almost believe that they are real beings. The universe in which the story takes place is full of so much life and detail. Every effect and set piece was made to really drag your mind into a world that looks and feel real. The effects in this film are so great for its time that it’s one of those films that you know paved the way for other films that involved puppets and animatronics.
The Blu-ray disc is filled with special features. There are original special features that are part of the DVD which include Commentary with Brian Froud, The World of The Dark Crystal Documentary, Reflections of The Dark Crystal: “Light on the Path of Creation” & “Shard of Illusion”, Test Scenes of the original Skeeksis Language and Deleted scenes. The All New Blu-ray features include The Book of Thra –Dark Crystal Collector, SkekTek’s Crystal Challenge – Trivia Game, Picture in Picture Storyboard Track and introduction by screenwriter David Odell on the original Skeksis Language.
Overall, The Dark Crystal is a great fantasy film. The Blu-ray disc is not only packed with great features that tell you everything you need to know about the film, but the quality of sound and picture are top notch. Sony really did a great job putting this disc together as well as transferring the film to digital. The film really looks great in the Blu-ray format. If you were a fan of the film when it came out in 1982 or you discovered it as a grown-up on VHS or DVD; the Blu-ray disc is well worth the buy.
– Horror Bob
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