It has all the adventure of LOTR — with puppets
The new Netflix series “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” dropped on Aug. 30 with 10 episodes and a (roughly) 90-minute making-of documentary. Fans of the 1982 film have no doubt already binge-watched it in its entirety (we haven’t finished the doc yet), but those unfamiliar might be wondering if it’s worth the watch. I can tell you as someone very late to the Dark Crystal game, it is utterly fantastic.
My wife has been a fan of the now cult-favorite film since her childhood, along with Jim Henson’s other film “Labyrinth” starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. “The Dark Crystal,” however, stars only puppets designed by Brian Froud and created by the Henson Workshop.
The film shows its age these days, and, according to the documentary, Henson never really felt they got the puppets right back in ’82. However, Netflix and the Henson Company pulled out all the stops with this prequel series, and it is absolutely — and literally at times — breathtaking.
On the planet Thra, there are beings called Skeksis who rule the land inhabited by Gelfling. Skeksis are alien to Thra, having been entrusted the Crystal of Truth by Mother Aughra for more than a millennium while she mentally explores the cosmos. In that time, they have proclaimed themselves rulers of Thra and have begun to siphon energy and life force from the crystal.
Once the Dark Crystal is corrupted, they can no longer draw energy from it, and the Emperor (voiced by Jason Issacs) orders his Scientist (voiced by Mark Hamill) to find other methods for maintaining their seeming immortality.
When the Scientist finds he can draw essence from creatures of Thra, he captures and drains a Crystal Guard Gelfling named Mira, killing her in a terrifying burst of light. Witnessing this act is Rian (voiced by Taron Egerton), fellow guard and boyfriend of Mira, who must flee and is branded a murderer.
Elsewhere, another Gelfling named Deet (voiced by Nathalie Emmanuel of “Game of Thrones”) has discovered a Darkening consuming Thra and embarks on a quest to find answers and save all life from the growing corruption of the Crystal.
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