Most that grew up with The Dark Crystal have described it as nightmare fuel. I can now understand entirely where they were coming from. From the awfully twisted mind of the brilliant Jim Henson comes a film that channels the same energy as Labyrinth, but presents a thick layer of horrifying visuals that have aged like a soured wine. I mean that in the nicest way possible though, because although the visual equivalent of shaking pepper into your eyes, The Dark Crystal is a comfortable film for all ages, no matter how twisted and threatening its visuals may be, it falls into the same engaging hole as Labyrinth does.
These magnificent visuals pave the way toward some intensely brilliant worldbuilding. The Dark Crystal brings with it some of the most effective, translucent storytelling I’ve seen. With its beauty coming from the visual engagement of the various characters, creatures and cultures Henson and his puppeteers provide, it’s amazing to see how easy it is to invest in this world of oddly named, anthropomorphic animals. I’ll be honest, I don’t remember a moment of the story, but since it’s the 1980s I can only assume it’s about a plucky hero rising up against all odds to save a world from destruction.
Frank Oz and Henson’s directing partnership gets a great balance of storytelling merit and artistic expression. A colour grading similar to that of Henson’s follow-up, Labyrinth, the comparisons are hard to ignore. The Dark Crystal provides predominant, nature-like scenery, beautiful set design that feels cluttered at times. Henson’s need to spark imagination in every scene really does take its toll, as he fails to keep up with or understand that sometimes an audience needs a breather from the heavy exposition or unique visuals. It’s too much of a good thing, and begins to feel oversaturated.
This overexposure becomes a recurring problem throughout Henson’s piece. A film that really survives on its visuals alone is one that will run into all sorts of problems. Forgettable performances, where the scenes themselves are far more engaging and involving than anything the dialogue can provide. Although creative and amazing to look at, Oz and Henson’s directorial pairing doesn’t give them breath-taking wide shots or intimate displays of a rich history to this world. We’re bombed with as much information as possible in a quick succession of confusing moments, but ones that are appealing due to the craftsmanship on display.
More of an impressive feat that would pave the way to better films than something that could in effect be meritable as a wholly engaging product, The Dark Crystal is certainly a good film, but not much more than that. It’s almost impossible to not bang on about the visuals when they’re more or less the only aspect of the film I can wholly praise, mired by issues within its script, direction and performances, but from a perceptible merit alone, this is going to be a tremendous treat for fans of the Henson style.
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