There are many technological achievements in film and television. Films like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones are great examples of modern achievements in film and TV. Thirty-seven years ago Jim Henson created The Dark Crystal, a film made entirely with puppets, an art that Jim Henson will be forever known for. The Dark Crystal had a mixed reception at first and didn’t explode at the box office at the time but its legacy lives on with many dedicated fans. Now Netflix has provided fans with the prequel series to the original film and it is certainly visually stunning.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is set before the original film. If you’re not in the know then the world of The Dark Crystal is Thra. A huge fantasy world where the main population is clans of Gelfling, elf-like creatures who worship the crystal of truth. The crystal of truth is villainously looked after by the gross and the “why would you trust them? Look at them!” Skepsis. This series mainly follows Rian, a royal guard who learns of a terrible truth as the world of Thra and the Gelfling is quickly becoming doomed.
As I watched the original film I found it to be a bit of a task to try and sit through. The main issue I had watching it now is that you are distracted by the fact that it is puppets in front of you. This was my main concern going into the new series. It is safe to say my concerns quickly vanished after one episode.
The level of detail and the way the series is shot is remarkable! Having watched the series and watched a few behind the scenes videos I can safely say that the show is one of the most impressive shows, creative-wise, today. In the original film, you had moments where the film felt slow because they had to fill in the time, slow shots of the surroundings were in place instead of characters interacting. Now this series shows off how far the world has come since Jim Henson’s original creative masterpiece. There is a great mixture of puppetry, environments and CGI that will capture both your eyes and your imagination.
Halfway through the series, there is a surprisingly good and emotional fight scene. It was at this moment I realised what I would love this show and its style to inspire. If you’re a lover of fantasy and lore than this series is for you. I myself am a big Lord of the Rings fan and I believe that a version of The Hobbit, created like this series, would to look amazing. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance could potentially have the power to inspire some similar creative projects. In the series, the fight scenes aren’t just about fights but the show mixes in the story well enough to give each fight a true emotional anchor to keep it grounded, instead of pointless fighting.
Where Age of Resistance is sometimes slow is within its own story and what it’s trying to tell. You have the beautiful visuals but the story is a key second part you need for success and Age of Resistance has it at times. Watching character’s interact in the series is kind of like watching Empire Strikes Back’s puppet Yoda for almost ten hours. At time’s it’s incredible to watch and the things he says are inspiring but at times it’s also just not for everyone. The story isn’t shocking but the visuals help to keep your attention.
The main question you’re asking if you’re a fan of the original film is essentially would Jim Henson have loved it? I believe he would have. Netflix and the creative team could’ve easily gone for more CGI, there are moments where they could’ve relied on it heavily but clearly chose not too. The creative team stick to what the original film did best and expanded upon it.
I can’t end the review without talking about the cast and the score. Firstly the score, by Daniel Pemberton and Samuel Sim, is excellent and I’m going to enjoy adding it to my film & TV scores playlist. The cast is fantastic! Every actor brings their best voices to the table, in a way where it’s almost a game to try and guess who is doing which voice. Top marks have to go to Mark Hamill, voice acting legend, and Simon Pegg who brilliantly disguise their voices and make their character’s feel evil and ridiculous at the same time.
The world of The Dark Crystal has been resurrected and brought back to life in the modern-day thanks to The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. What this Netflix prequel, led and directed with great creative flair by Louis Leterrier, does best is show the importance of creativity and practical effects in modern-day filmmaking. The series will stand as an argument for using practical effects and items over CGI.
Although the series definitely isn’t for everyone, if you’re not prepared to watch ten hours of puppets then well maybe this series isn’t for you. The worlds of fantasy on our TV’s is dying out now that Game of Thrones is gone and no one will probably attempt to top it. This Netflix series is a great opportunity for a whole family to watch a fantasy series and that isn’t something families can do very often anymore. If you’re a fan of the original or a fan of creative shows then The Dark Crystal is a fantastic fantasy series filled with stunning visuals, lore and just enough magic to capture your imagination.