Tumma kristalli

I won't claim that the story is great, but the movie "The Dark Crystal" is visually stunning thanks to puppet animation, that I was simply left breathless at times. It's not just about how flawlessly it's executed, but also about the character designs and the entire world itself. And that is simply a beauty to behold. (18.03.2018)

There are certain things one should not return to. I remembered The Dark Crystal as a great dark puppet fantasy, but the ravages of time have painfully affected it. The film is now exhausted and lives on the nostalgia of memories, and it doesn't even come close to current puppet movies like the Danish film Strings. Many animated works have stood the test of time with honor, but the famous The Dark Crystal is not one of them. Overall impression: 40%. (23.09.2017)

The visual concept of this movie, from the sophistication of the environment to the great design of the characters, is absolutely magnificent. If I had seen the picture as a child, I would probably still be having nightmares now, due to the terrifying appearance of the puppets. It is too bad that I did not see the movie when I was little, because now the flawless visual aspect was constantly undermined by the humdrum characters, and it is just filled with the clichés of heroic fantasy movies, and it is very obvious that The Dark Crystal was filmed a few years after the first couple of Star Wars movies, which is further confirmed by the fact that the producer of the movie is Gary Kurtz, (who did the first two episodes of Star Wars,) and several characters are voiced by director Frank Oz, so I could hear the voice of Master Yoda everywhere. The Dark Crystal does not travel down its own path too much, which is a shame. Otherwise, it is a very well-made adventure movie that is fun all around. (03.01.2020)

This excellent puppet fantasy fairy tale from the creator of The Muppets Jim Henson is certainly no jolly with singing and wacky figures. For children it will probably be too slow, with not enough action, too dark and sometimes even brutal. Older viewers, however, will appreciate the stunning visuals that can evoke a sense of wonder and open up a believable and elaborate world full of strange places and creatures. Although the film may seem dated nowadays, it still remains the pinnacle of the vanished art of non-animated puppetry. Just to clarify: classic animation puppets are moved around with post-cinematic animation, while non-animation puppets are filmed in real time as live actors. The puppets here may look like puppets, but they move as if they were actually alive. Compared to modern digital characters that seem to defy gravity, they feel more authentic in some ways because they really fit into their environment and inhabit their world, where sunlight, fog, rain or wind have a real effect on them. And that's very important in a film that's about the connection between beings and nature. (14.01.2004)