1982 was a very impressive year for movies: Blade Runner, John Carpenter’s The Thing, E.T., Gandhi, Sophie’s Choice, Annie, Cat People, Poltergeist, TRON and Fast Times at Ridgemont High just to name a few. Though it got mixed reviews at the time (like many of those), Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal (rated PG) is now rightly established as one of those sterling 1982 classics. Probably the most impressive puppetry / animatronic film ever made, it blasts off to a fantasy world filled with dazzling landscapes and unforgettable creatures, and tells an epic live-action story without a human actor in sight. A thousand years ago on the planet Thra, a powerful crystal cracked and two races appeared: the cruel vulture-like Skeksis, and the gentle, slow-moving Mystics. As the great conjunction of the three suns draws near, the missing shard must be found and the great crystal healed. It’s a perilous task that can only be undertaken by a humble Gelfling, a minor elfin race that was nearly exterminated by the Skeksis. Young Jen and his companion Kira undertake a daunting journey pursued by the Skeksis and their minions as they attempt to fulfill the destiny foretold. Jim Henson firmly…
