The Dark Crystal (1982)
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Two Gelflings embark on a perilous quest to restore balance to the world of Thra by reclaiming a powerful, broken Crystal.
The story
Set on the fictional planet Thra, the film follows Jen and Kira, two Gelflings who must journey across a blighted land to find a missing shard of a powerful crystal. As the Great Conjunction of three suns approaches, they must race against time to find the shard and fulfill a prophecy. They are pursued by the Skeksis, a cruel and ruling race that seeks to use the crystal's power to sustain their own lives. The journey takes them through dangerous landscapes, where they must navigate the perils of the land and the schemes of the Skeksis to restore balance to their world.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
A thousand years ago, a crystal cracked, leading to the rise of the cruel Skeksis and the peaceful Mystics. Jen, a young Gelfling raised by Mystics, is tasked by a dying Master to find a missing shard from the oracle Aughra before the Great Conjunction. If he fails, the Skeksis will rule forever. Simultaneously, the Skeksis Emperor dies, and a ruthless Chamberlain takes power. Jen meets Aughra and secures a shard that responds to his flute. He then meets Kira, a female Gelfling, and they bond through 'dreamfast'. They are pursued by the Skeksis' Garthim. After several narrow escapes, they reach a ruined city and eventually travel to the Skeksis castle. Inside, the Skeksis are using the crystal to extract essence from Podlings. During a confrontation, Jen is trapped in a cave-in while Kira is captured. Aughra manages to free herself and calls for help, leading to a chaotic battle in the castle. In the final climax, Jen and Kira reach the crystal chamber. Kira sacrifices herself to get the shard to Jen. As the suns align, Jen plunges the shard into the crystal, shattering the Skeksis' power, reviving the Podlings, and transforming the Mystics into angelic urSkeks. The world is restored, and Kira is revived by the Mystics.
- First release year
- 1982
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jim Henson; Frank Oz
- Writers
- David Odell · screenplay; Jim Henson · story
- Cast and characters
- Stephen Garlick · Jen; Lisa Maxwell · Kira; Billie Whitelaw · Aughra; Percy Edwards · Fizzgig; Barry Dennen · Chamberlain; Jerry Nelson · High Priest; Michael Kilgarriff · General; Steve Whitmire · Scientist
- Genres
- dark fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- balance; sacrifice; good vs. evil
- Tone and mood
- dark; fantasy; atmospheric
- Premise and plot tags
- quest; fantasy world; puppets; animatronics
- Source material / true-story basis
- Original story conceived by Jim Henson.
- Franchise connections
- The Dark Crystal
- Reception
- The film initially received mixed reviews from critics due to its dark tone compared to Henson's other works, but it has since gained a cult following and been re-evaluated as a masterpiece of production design and animation.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 66 · scale: 100 · review count: 13
- Production trivia
- It was the first major live-action motion picture without any human actors.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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