“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” Review by Eric Marable
September 18, 2019 4:07 am |
Legendary puppeteer, Jim Henson, brought joy to the hearts of children with his unique puppetry. Creating some of the most memorable characters, from Sesame Street and The Muppets, to the cult classic Fraggle Rock group. Jim’s ambition was to tell a story, at the cinematic level, using only his puppets. He sought to give the world a fantastical story, with original designs and characters, taking the audience on an epic journey, filled with awe, heartbreak and amazement. In 1982, with a second to none team of puppeteers, including Frank Oz, debuted the release of the Adventure Fantasy, The Dark Crystal.
As the original film closes in a way that book ends the struggle that the world of Thra has been undergoing, it leaves a deep lore laid at our feet on how we got into this place in time. Age of Resistance takes the plot holes, missing story pieces, and missing framework that the movie left open, and fills them in deeper, wider and with more connective tissue. We follow several Gelfling, whom were nearly extinct in the original film, as they uncover the sinister doings of the villainous Skeksis.
The story takes us on a roller coaster, as we unravel what happened to the Crystal, Thra, the Mystics and the Skeksis. The value and worth of each creature, life, and family is tested for each of our heroes and heroines, as they must make hard, real life decisions, to save each other and their world. The series takes us on 10 episodes through Thra, dodging and weaving around points the movie hit upon, being careful not to spoil anything for new viewers, while still taking original fans on an unexpected ride. It is difficult at times to even remember that the actors are puppets, due to the fantastic voice acting. Nathalie Emmanuel, Anya Taylor-Joy, Neil Sterenberg and Taron Egerton provide flawless voice acting for our heroic Gelflings, providing a flawless chemistry that never detracts from the imagery onscreen. For long time fans, the Skeksis and Aughra are brought back into the spotlight with all their original splendor.
Simon Pegg and Warrick Brownlow-Pike bring our most hated and loved Chamberlain, as Donna Kimball fully represents Aughra. We are given a full origin of the Skesis and Mystics, in the only way that could be done for new and old audiences equally. The pleasure of real life effects, environments, and puppetry is no longer a lost art as this reinvigorates the medium and Jim Hensons vision, as it introduces an entirely new audience. There are few options anymore that can bring together people of all ages together in front of the television, with equal entertainment for all, but this offers a land of magic, spectacle and fantasy that offers something for everyone.
PCL Rating: High Taste It
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH 🍅
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Tags: Eric Marable, pop culture leftovers, The Dark Crystal Netflix, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance 2019 Netflix
Categorised in: Television Reviews
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