Saturday, May 6

Dark Crystal Sequel

I had no idea about this but because of the mass popularity in DVD sales of my favorite childhoos movie Dark Crystal, of my idol genius Jim Henson, they are planning a sequel. I'm sorry but the Labyrinth gets no where close to this movie. Its like comparing Muppets in Space with the Great Muppet Capper. When I first saw it, I did want more but without Jim, making a sequel is as bothering as having Brandon Routh back. Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Lab, Samuari Jack, and the Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon) is to direct the sequel The Power of the Dark Crystal, handpicked by the Henson children. Check the Muppet Central scoop.

I would have thought the sequel would have a cooler name but the plot is promising: In the reign of Kira and Jen hundred of years later, a girl made a fire of the U-mun people who live at the planet's core. To save her people's dying sun, she needs a shard of the crystal which Kira and Jen object to. She shatters the crystal anyway releasing the Skesis and Mystics. Most of the original voices are coming back and Brian Froud the artist who inspired all the work. Suppose to be released in 2007. The new one will have some hybrid CG-work but I think the best thing of the original was that it had no computer work. Yes, this was before computer animation (even 1989's Who Framed Roger Rabbit was done void of computer help). I don't think Jim wouldn't even use it if it was avaliable. But Ben Henson is big on it because of Farscape which wasn't that bad.

Another Henson product the family are planning to ressurect the Fraggle Rock back into a movie where they wander into 'outer space' being our human world. As exciting as that sounds, it would have been better back in the 80's. Jim Henson did want to make a movie but that never materalized. Supposedly all the original voices and puppetters are coming back for this. Suppose to come out in 2007 as well but who knows. Now you may be saying 'who would go to see this?' but kids eat anything up, better it be something creative and original other than that Disney's Chicken Little crap or American-bastardzation of The Magic Roundabout into Doogal. At a recent Dallas, Texas KidFilm Festival, they had a Fraggle Rock marathon at the film festival with a sold-out crowd. Never deny Henson magic.

Now that the Henson kids went out to be to adults (Farscape), now I think they know what really makes money.