![]() Several distinct tribes of Gelfling, each with its own culture and traditions, populate the land, all under what they believe to be the benevolent leadership of a much smaller number of Skeksis. Whereas the alien world of Thra was already in ruin and despair, with only a pair of Gelfling still alive, when Jim Henson introduced them, here it’s a thriving paradise flourishing with life. Age of Resistance is a prequel story set hundreds of years (or “trine”) before the events of the film. You don’t really need to have seen the movie (though it’s available on Netflix right now in a decent 4k transfer) to watch the spinoff. On the other hand, the artistry of the production is so strong that I can easily understand why some viewers would be more affected by it, especially those who first saw it as children and have stronger nostalgia for it than I do. ![]() Frankly, he’s a total drip and I didn’t care much about him, nor did I find the film’s simplistic plot terribly engaging. As impressive as the puppetry and world design of the fantasy universe still are, the hero of the story, a brave Gelfling (basically, a shaggy-haired elf) named Jen, is a very clichéd character archetype mostly devoid of personality. Unfortunately, I also found the movie as a whole to be extremely boring. In anticipation of the belated TV version, I rewatched that movie and indeed found the Skeksis to be just as creepy as I remembered. Beyond that, not much of it stuck with me over the years, and I hadn’t felt a huge desire to revisit it until now. I was eight-years-old at the time, and my main takeaway was being creeped out by the villainous Skeksis, bony vulture-like creatures of vulgar and unquenchable appetites. I have a vague memory of seeing the original Dark Crystal movie in the theater back in 1982. However, I come at the show from a little different perspective. That’s a totally fair point of view and it is not my intention in writing a second review here in the blog to contradict his opinion or anything he said. (He was granted early access by Netflix.) Matthew approached it as a big fan of the original Jim Henson movie and some of the ancillary materials released subsequently, and he really loved the TV spinoff. If you haven’t read it already, I want to draw your attention to the fact that one of our site writers, Matthew, already did a formal review for Age of Resistance slightly in advance of its streaming debut. Is that a good or a bad thing? Honestly, it could be a little of both. ![]() 10/10 Bethany Cox.Netflix’s new epic event series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is what happens when you give Jim Henson’s gentle 1982 fantasy parable to the director of Transporter 2 with instructions to Game of Thrones the hell out of it. The story may be a little simplistic and some elements a little too frightening for youngsters, but visually and audibly, it is an absolute treat, and should be recognised as a truly wonderful film. The characters are well voiced by some Muppet regulars such as Oz himself, and they are tone-perfect. There is a well-above average script, and a sweeping music score that is phenomenal. The mysties are very mysterious, and the Skeksies are very, very scary. The film looks dazzling,with fabulous visuals and very well staged sequences, and Jen and Kira are very engaging as title characters. The film is directed by the immensely talented duo Jim Henson and Frank Oz. The film is recognised as fantastic by people, because of its clear symbolism and themes such as the personifications of good (the mysties) and the evil (the skeksies). ![]() It tells the story of Jen, a Geffling who must return the Crystal shard to the dark Crystal, before the conjunction of the three suns, or the skeksies will rule forever. A lot of effort clearly went into this, and it really does show, with the rich details of the characters. It tells the Jim Henson had brought us the immortal Muppets and films like Labryrinth, but The Dark Crystal is a wonderful film, that was part of my childhood, as well as my brother's. Jim Henson had brought us the immortal Muppets and films like Labryrinth, but The Dark Crystal is a wonderful film, that was part of my childhood, as well as my brother's. ![]()
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