The Dark Crystal (1982)
Average Rating: 6.1/10
Reviews Counted: 31
Fresh: 22 | Rotten: 9
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 2
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 1
liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 154,665
Movie Info
Jim Henson ventures into Tolkien territory in his all-Muppet fantasy feature The Dark Crystal. The titular Crystal maintains equilibrium in a mythical kingdom. When the Crystal is broken, the evil Skeksis take over, killing off the good-guy Gelflings and enslaving everyone else. Two of the Gelflings have survived: Jen was raised by the all-knowing Mystics, while Kira grew up amongst the swamp-dwelling Podlings. Jen and Kira join forces to "heal" the precious Dark Crystal and restore order to
Dec 17, 1982 Wide
Oct 5, 1999
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Jim Henson
High Priest, Jen -
Kathryn Mullen
Kira -
Dave Goelz
General -
Brian Muehl
Ornamentalist/Dying Mas... -
Kiran Shah
Stunts -
Stephen Garlick
Jen -
Lisa Maxwell
Kira -
Billie Whitelaw
Aughra -
Percy Edwards
Fizzgig -
-
John Baddeley
Historian -
Robbie Barnett
Numerologist -
Charles Collingwood
Treasurer -
Barry Dennen
Chamberlain -
Louise Gold
Gourmand -
Michael Kilgarriff
General -
Jerry Nelson
High Priest/Dying Emper... -
Joseph O'Conor
Narrator -
Bobby Payne
Historian -
Toby Philpott
Alchemist -
Steve Whitmire
Scientist -
Simon Williamson
Chanter -
Thick Wilson
Gourmand -
Frank Oz
Aughra, Chamberlain -
David Buck
Slave Master -
Swee Lim
Hunter -
Jean Pierre Amiel
Weaver -
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (37) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (9) | DVD (28)
You have to love a fantasy whose greatest peril is the Bog of Eternal Stench.
Top CriticThe screenplay by David Odell, based on a story by Mr. Henson, is without any narrative drive whatever. It's without charm as well as interest.
A fantastic, but more intense Muppet adventure.
A wonderfully invented world full of characters that transcend their puppet limitations thanks to the energy and creativity of the Jim Hansen and Frank Oz team of puppeteers and voice actors
A distant, uninvolving experience … characters and emotions, even by the archetypal standards of high fantasy, never come to life, and the overarching mythology seems too self-consciously contrived.
An extraordinary, often mesmerizing achievement of design and performance that's held back by an underdeveloped script and a milquetoast leading character.
Crystal is a miraculous rush of innovation and storytelling patience, and, in the last 25 years, the film has grown from a 1982 misfire, to a cult wonder, to a bona-fide classic that's timeless in stature and masterful in execution.
Points to the Henson team for trying to broaden the scope of their creatures -- and there's little denying that this particular flick still seems to hold up pretty darn well.
Os personagens são bem realizados e animados, mas o roteiro, além de plagiar O Senhor dos Anéis, é burocrático e pouco envolvente.
This ersatz Tolkien with puppets looks and plays like ersatz Tolkien with puppets.
Comes off as an overblown puppet show.
Ponderous, yet unique and strangely charming.
A leap into the darker side of Jim Henson's imagination, a wonderful movie.
One of the most imaginative films I've ever seen, a fitting tribute to the brilliant career of the late master puppeteer, Jim Henson.
Yeah, the puppets look neat; too bad the story's stupid and the voice-acting sucks.
One of Henson's shining moments in modern-day cinema
It's a story as old as time redone in books and films over and over again. But this one's got the one-of-a-kind Henson vision and style.
Immerses us in a familiar yet utterly unique world that's deeper, wider and more vibrantly alive than any mere puppetry.
A bittersweet spectacle.
Audience Reviews for The Dark Crystal
Super Reviewer
Screenplay by Henson and David Odell is nothing that special either. There is this familiar cliched theme of good versus evil on top of everything, but it is not without it's potential entirely.
I myself do admire much more these kind of handmade puppetry effects than often lifeless cgi-animation and i do give credit for Jim Henson for his imagination and creativity. The problem lies mostly in film's sloppy pacing. At times the direction of Jim Henson and Frank Oz moves forward with snail's pace and some scenes feel like they are happening underwater.
Dark Crystal is a curiosity and brave attempt in fantasy genre. Still it cannot escape it's weak structure and cliched moments.
Super Reviewer
-
- General: GARTHIM! ATTACK!
-
- Chamberlain: Trial by stone.
- General: TRIAL BY STONE!
-
- Historian: Hold her to you, for she is part of you, as we all are part of each other.
-
- Jen: Oh, no. Right in the mud.
-
- Aughra: The angle of eternity.
-
- Jen: Wings! I don't have wings.
- Kira: Of course not. You're a boy.
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for The Dark Crystal yet.
What's Hot On RT
Pictures from a zombie nation
Woody Allen in San Francisco
See the Desolation of Smaug trailer!
Where does This Is the End rank?
Latest News on The Dark Crystal
March 29, 2010:
Dark Crystal Sequel Still Coming?After more than 25 years, you might have given up hope of ever seeing a sequel to "The Dark...
August 7, 2009:
Brian Henson Promises Fraggle Rock Movie, Dark Crystal SequelStill holding out hope for a "Fraggle Rock" movie and a sequel to "The Dark Crystal"? According to...
February 1, 2006:
"Clone Wars" Creator to Tackle the "Dark Crystal"According to Variety, filmmaker Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of the seriously popular "Clone...
Fresh Links
Featured
Movie: ID: 10235 Title: The Dark Crystal Release Date: 1982-12-17 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 2 Status: 1
The Looks of Johnny Depp
To celebrate the star's birthday, BuzzSugar looks at the many faces of Johnny Depp.
10 Egregious Product Placements
Rolling Stone wonders if The Internship goes too far... then provides 10 examples of movies that did.
Horror Movie Mistakes
Moviefone offers up 8 of the most obvious glaring errors in popular fright flicks.
10 Bad Movies That Look Great
Sometimes even terrible movies can be beautiful; here are 10 of them, from HitFix.
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Featured on RT
- Digital Multiplex: 21 & Over, Quartet, and More 0
- RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Jack the Giant Slayer and Quartet 20
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Man of Steel Sets June Record 101
- Weekly Ketchup: Man of Steel Sequel In the Works 182
- Five Favorite Films with Joss Whedon 124
- Bonus Footage of the Cast & Crew of Man of Steel 1
- Critics Consensus: Man of Steel Is Up, Up, and Okay 277
Top Headlines
Foreign Titles
- Dark Crystal (FR)
