Dark Crystal, The (1982)

The Dark Crystal was produced by the same puppetry wizards responsible for The Muppets, but this 1982 fantasy was much more J.R.R. Tolkien than it was Kermit the Frog.

Jim Henson, Frank Oz and their army of puppeteers and voice artists put together an entire world of dark, mysterious creatures, casting them in a classic tale of good and evil.

1,000 years before the events in the film, a race of powerful beings called the urSkeks decided to purge all evil from their bodies. At the time of the “Great Conjunction” (when all three of the planet’s suns aligned), the urSkeks focused the united light through their powerful crystal, hoping to burn the evil out.

Unfortunately, the evil merely separated from the good, creating two separate races – the peaceful Mystics and the wicked Skeksis. One of the Skeksis smashed the crystal, separating a shard and turning the crystal dark.

According to prophecy, an elf-like Gelfling would return the shard to the crystal at the next Great Convergence, putting an end to the Skeksis’ dark reign.

To keep their power (and assure their immortality at the next Great Convergence), the vulture-like Skeksis sent their giant servants, the Garthims, to kill all Gelflings.

In the film’s present-day, a Gelfling named Jen (voiced by Stephen Garlick) believes he is the last of his race and sets out to fulfil his destiny.

As his journey continues, the young lad discovers another Gelfling, a female named Kira (Lisa Maxwell), who joins his quest to heal the crystal.

Kira’s hungry pet Fizzgig (a perpetually startled half-dog/half tennis ball) signs on as well, as does a gnarled old witch named Aughra (Billie Whitelaw). Even this united front, however, faces a daunting task in outwitting the dangerous Skeksis and their evil Chamberlain (Barry Dennen).

The Dark Crystal was indeed dark, but no more so than the average Brothers Grimm fable. That didn’t seem to matter to most audiences, however, who had opened their hearts to E.T. – The Extraterrestrial earlier in the year.

A financial disappointment in cinemas, The Dark Crystal still managed to build a relatively small, but very loyal base of fans, who continue to treasure this underappreciated puppet fantasy.

Narrator
Joseph O’Conor
Jen
Stephen Garlick
Kira
Lisa Maxwell
Fizzgig
Percy Edwards
Aughra
Billie Whitelaw
Chamberlain
Barry Dennen
Historian
John Baddeley
Slave Master
David Buck
General
Michael Kilgarrif
Ornamentalist
Brian Muehl
Landstrider
Robbie Barnett
Hugh Spirit
Urzah
Brian Muehl
High Priest
Jerry Nelson
Dying Emperor
Jerry Nelson
Scientist
Steve Whitmire
Gourmand
Thick Wilson
Treasurer
Charles Collingwood
Podling
Mike Iveria
Podling
Patrick Monckton
Podling
Sue Wetherby

Directors
Jim Henson
Frank Oz

Video