Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11355 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-04-19
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Collector's Edition, Dubbed, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, German, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 89 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Jim Henson's fantasy epic The Dark Crystal doesn't take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but like Star Wars it takes the audience to a place that exists only in the imagination and, for an hour and a half, on the screen. Recalling the worlds of JRR. Tolkien, Henson tells the story of a race of grotesque birdlike lizards called the Skeksis, gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. A prophecy tells of a Gelfling (a small elfin being) who will topple their empire, so in their reign of terror they have exterminated the race, or so they think. The orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of peace-loving wizards called the Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal (which gives the Skeksis their power) and restore the balance of the universe. Henson and codirector Frank Oz have pushed puppetry into a new direction: traditional puppets, marionettes, giant bodysuits, and mechanical constructions are mixed seamlessly in a fantasy world of towering castles, simple huts, dank caves, a giant clockwork observatory, and a magnificent landscape that seem to have leaped off the pages of a storybook. Muppet fans will recognise many of the voice actors--a few characters sound awfully close to familiar comic creations--but otherwise The Dark Crystal is a completely alien world made familiar by a mythic quest that resonates through stories over the ages. --Sean Axmaker

DVD Description
The Dark Crystal is a masterful live action fantasy starring some of Jim Henson's most imaginative creatures ever! Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz and produced by Gary Kurtz (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back), The Dark Crystal brilliantly weaves a timeless myth of good and Evil! In another time, The Dark Crystal - a source of Balance and Truth in the Universe - was shattered, dividing the world into two factions: the wicked Skeksis and the peaceful Mystics. Now, as the convergence of the three suns approaches, the Crystal must be healed, or darkness will reign for evermore! It's up to Jen - the last of his race - to fulfill the prophecy that a Gelfling will return the missing shard to the Crystal and destroy the Skeksis evil Empire. But will young Jen's courage be any match for the unknown dangers that await him?

Amazon.co.uk
Jim Henson's fantasy epic The Dark Crystal doesn't take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. But like Star Wars it takes the audience to a place that exists only in the imagination and, for 94 minutes, on the screen. Recalling the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, Henson tells the story of a race of grotesque bird-like lizards called the Skeksis, gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. A prophecy tells of a Gelfling (a small elfin being) who will topple their empire, so in their reign of terror they have exterminated the race, or so they think. The orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of peace-loving wizards called the Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal (which gives the Skeksis their power) and restore the balance of the universe. Henson and co-director Frank Oz have pushed puppetry into a new direction: traditional puppets, marionettes, giant bodysuits and mechanical constructions are mixed seamlessly in a fantasy world of towering castles, simple huts, dank caves, a giant clockwork observatory, and a magnificent landscape that seem to have leaped off the pages of a storybook. Muppet fans will recognize many of the voice actors--a few characters sound awfully close to familiar comic creations--but otherwise it's a completely alien world made familiar by a mythic quest that resonates through stories over the ages. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

If you're sceptical see it and be surprised
My earliest memory of this film is of being very young and watching it at Christmas time with my family. Never mind the gross-out skeksi feast scene it scared the living daylights out of us when Kira's little dog thing first makes an appearance!

A very good film, of the sort that's not made these days. Puppets beat CG hands down- especially when they are of the quality displayed in this great film. If you don't believe me see it anyway and judge for yourself. wierd, but none the less excellent.

Pure magic!
True, the quest story is as old as mankind, but here it is told in such a cinematically captivating and charming manner that this movie remains in a class of its own. You’ll find a spectacular array of creatures and marvelous twists in the plot. One of my favorite scenes is where the two Gelflings fall over a cliff, the girl spreads her wings, the boy says: “But I don’t have wings” to which the girl replies: “Of course not – you’re a boy.” The fact is that all the species come across as very real and believable – from the kindly and wise Mystics to the human Podlings to the awful and hideous Skeksis. The meal scene in the Skeksis castle is particularly vivid and memorable, although it’s not for the squeamish! The visit to the lair of the witch Ogra is also quite humorous and spectacular, and I loved the little doggie, if it is a dog. This is in the class of Lord of the Rings exactly 20 years before the latter was made, although it’s probably not fair to compare the two. For one thing, Dark Crystal convinces with its world of believable puppets, which adds a unique flavor to the film. I cannot fault this little gem on any aspect: the old myth is infused by new life here because of the marvelous turns in the plot, the scenes are so colorful you cannot forget them, the characterization is of the highest caliber, and the cinematography is breathtaking.

Magical
This is a magical fairytale for kids and adult alike. You cannot beat Henson productions for imagination and the wonderful puppetry. The puppets are infused with such character that you forget that they are controlled by puppeteers and see them as living things. The story is the usual triumph of good over evil, but who doesn't like that, especially on a Sunday afternoon with a bucket of popcorn! A brilliant film that has to be seen by all.