Since the 1982 film helmed by puppetmasters Jim Henson and Frank Oz, I was fantastically transported to another world. I was born in 1982 and saw the movie seven or eight years later on VHS. It came to my attention when watching a Jim Henson special on PBS and saw clips of the Dark Crystal. I went to a VHS rental store (which does not exist anymore) and asked for the movie 'with Jim Henson puppets with large scary bird-like creatures and elf-like people.' I have since bought the DVD and my friends have the collector editions and DVDs. Once we even mixed up our discs since we had the same version. Anyway, fast-forward 37 years later to Netflix greenlighting the TV series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
Some critics have said 'it is just for fans' which is a loaded statement. I think it can allure new fans. But if you were born before 1982 or were never into high fantasy, then perhaps this is not for you. I am sure than people that are into high fantasy but born before 1982 would enjoy this. People have called this "the new Game of Thrones," I only seen bits and pieces of Game of Thrones so I can't effectively stand behind that statement. The new series is a wonderful hybrid, not quite a TV series and not a movie but feels like a film. Some people say this surpasses the original in quality. It definitely a love letter to fans of the movie and the creators of the movie. This is a labor of love, they have to create every prop and creature from scratch, some from photos and props of the originals. With the latest technology, they can 3D print lots of things. CGI appends characters and backgrounds instead of replacing. The major characters are all puppets.
What's the plot?
It's a prequel. I don't think you have to see the movie to understand the series. It takes place in a foreign planet Thra, populated by plant-animal hybrids, Geflings, small humanoid elves, and the even smaller Potato-like Podlings. Thousands of years ago, the UrSkesis arrived and split into two versions, the peaceful Mystics and the evil Skesis. But the Geflings didn't know they were evil, they served the 'Lords of the Crystal.' Aughra (Donna Kimball) entrusted the Crystal of Truth, the lifeline of the whole planet to the Skesis while she entered the Astral Plane and explored the cosmos which called her attention. So the Skesis have been abusing the crystal and it is now purple and it is causing 'the darkening.' Instead of giving power, the Scientist (Mark Hamill hamming it up) made it so it sucks out the souls of things--the essence.
So we are introduced to three main Geflings, of three different clans. There are 7 clans of Geflings and they all hate each other. It is racism and when Geflings are told the truth of Skesis, they don't believe it. The series really does reflect modern times with politics, racism, and conspiracies. Rian (Taron Egerton) is a guard at the castle and his girlfriend is killed for her essence so he goes on the run as he becomes public enemy #1 and the Skesis run lies about him that scare the other Geflings. Deet (Nathalie Emmanuel) leaves her two fathers (above) and little brother to go on a mission to inform the All-Maudra (the queen of queens) of the Geflings about the darkening. Deet comes from an underground clan known as the Grottan Clan and they have dark eyes that have to adjust to the light. Brea (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a studious Vapra clan princess who receives a vision against the Skesis and challenges her mother and sisters about rules and traditions concerning the Skesis. So the trio doesn't meet until the fifth of ten episodes and the ultimate goal of the tenth episode is to wage war against the Skesis.
Review:
The series is stunningly beautiful. Everything is crafted with care and the series pulls you in and you forget you're watching puppets. Now the biggest criticism are the Gefling. There is a bit of the Uncanny Valley going on with them. CGI helps with the blinking of eyes and such but there isn't a lot of range of emotion to their faces. It works sometimes and other times it falls flat, especially when it has to be overally dramatic. Don't get me wrong, the puppeteers do an awesome job but there is a jarring disconnect between the acting of the puppeteers and the famous actors voicing them. It is basically dubbing. Sometimes it does not translate. Jason Issacs does an acceptable job with Emperor Skesis. The best has to be Simon Pegg as the Chamberlain who does the best Frank Oz impression I've ever heard.
There are new Skesis such as the General (which one critic mistook for the Garthim-Master), the Collector (Aquafina), the Hunter, and the Heretic. There are Skesis from the film that are absent here and probably will appear for season two. It took 6 years for them to do this so I suspecting Season 2 won't come until 2021. French director Louis Leterrier is the real stunner here, he comes from his action background of the Transporter and the Incredible Hulk but Dark Crystal inspired him as a child. He brought in motion control cameras which gives the world of Thra a more visceral feel. The action is beyond what you would expect and gives the puppets an extra kick. My favorite character by far is Hup the Podling (Victor Yerrid).
