The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

In 1982, a film released that signified Jim Henson’s vision of creating films far less comedic, bright, and goofy than his previous, popular works. The film was dark, creepy, and impressive with its plentiful world and ingenious filmmaking techniques. It was a film ahead of its time which, unfortunately, is known now as a cult classic rather than one of the defining films of the decade. Henson, disheartened by the film’s shaky critical response, never shied away from making known how much potential that film’s world had. That film was The Dark Crystal.

The Dark Crystal is a masterclass of early 80’s visual effects, puppetry, character design, set design, and so much more. Had audiences at the time given it more of the chance, the film could’ve been a series that would’ve lived on through the 80’s and maybe even the 90’s. Alas, due to a weak central plot and shockingly dark tone, any chances of a sequel were killed almost immediately, leading for fans of the film to pick up the slack decades later with graphic novels and YA novels that expand the world. That is until this year when Netflix (with their seemingly vast pit of money) released a Dark Crystal prequel series that not only matches the fantastical, dark tone of the original but exceeds the film in every single way, making it look childish and crude in comparison to the epicness of the prequel series. In an age of incredible CG effects and nostalgic reboots, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a phenomenal series that might be one of the best shows Netflix has ever produced.

Before I get too ahead of myself, let me break down the basic plot: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance takes place fifty years before the 1982 film, showing us a look at Thra (the film’s setting) that we never got to see in the original film. In the first episode’s five minutes, we are given a lore breakdown that was definitely inspired by the opening in The Fellowship of the Ring, establishing seven Gelfling clans (the race of the 1982 film’s protagonists), the Crystal of Truth, and even how the Skeksis (the main villains) were able to take the crystal from the mystical Aughra. The series follows three protagonists: the lovable Deet (Nathalie Emmanuel), the knowledgeable Brea (Anya Taylor-Joy), and the eager Rian (Taron Egerton). From different points across Thra, while from vastly different backgrounds, the trio discover different elements of the same horrible truth: the Skeksis have done something that will ultimately lead to the downfall of Thra. With new knowledge in hand, the trio must journey across Thra in order to save their race from a tragic end any fan of the 1982 film knows is sadly inevitable.

All that information is from the first episode alone, doing more for the world of Thra in an hour than the 1982 film did with its entire runtime. With that in mind, the show could’ve dropped the ball with the next nine episodes and it STILL would’ve been more beneficial to the world of The Dark Crystal then the original ever was. Thankfully though, that’s not the case because the show gets better and better up until the very end, ending on a note that’ll be surprising to even the biggest of Dark Crystal fans. It expands the world to an incredible degree, creating excitement for a franchise that Jim Henson probably could not have anticipated. By the time the last episode’s credits roll, the world becomes more than a kid-friendly version of “The Lord of the Rings” or an intro into the classic fantasy genre; it becomes a world that is just as ripe with potential as any other great fantasy.

A lot of what makes that world so great is the visuals. The puppetry, set design, character design, CG, and even the cinematography bring a cinematic epicness to a franchise that’s been begging for it. The puppets have never looked this good, the tangibility of the set can almost be felt, the CG brings fluidity to the puppets when limitations in movement become present, and the show is one of the most cinematic shows I’ve ever seen on the platform. Erik Wilson’s cinematography and Louis Letterier’s directing give the show the boost it needed that the original film never had, showing characters in a way where their personalities and emotions authentically thrive despite being played by puppets. The passion emanating from the show is so palpable that it’s intoxicating, even when the limitations pertaining to the puppetry (rough enunciation, all of the big emotions looking the same, etc.) are the most apparent.

When the limitations become the most apparent, that’s when the performances shine the most. In my short time living on this planet, I don’t think I’ve seen a voice cast this perfect across the board. Sure, you have great vocal performances that are definitely identifiable (Examples: Akwafina’s The Collector and Mark Hamill’s The Scientist) but you also get performances that are downright astounding. Simon Pegg’s The Chamberlain is downright perfect, bringing in a vocal performance that is unidentifiable compared to all of his other roles. In addition, the protagonists are fantastically performed, completely losing themselves in their roles. It’s Taron Egerton’s performance in particular that comes to mind when discussing the limitations of the puppets because even when Rian doesn’t seem as emotionally wrecked as he should be in a scene, Egerton’s voice perfectly picks up that slack. I could also talk in detail about how fantastic Nathalie Emmanuel is as Deet, how Victor Yerrid’s performance as Hup propels him as more than just the comedic relief, and so much more but it would be redundant because it’s much quicker just to say this: the performances in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (both puppeteers and voice actors) are about as perfect as any series of this type could be.

In the end, while I do have minor nitpicks about the show, they are miniscule when discussing the amount of greatness that comes from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. It’s a series that makes the original practically obsolete, leading to future chronological marathons of the franchise ending roughly because the 1982 film cannot compare to what The Jim Henson Company has achieved in 2019. Then again, I appreciate what the original film did: lighting a passionate fire into the people that'll end up bringing so much life to the same world they admired when they were younger. It’s dark in the right places, the show never loses momentum, and it culminates into the perfect show to introduce kids to the fantasy genre. There’s so much that could be said about The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance but I think there was one thought in my head that stuck out the most while watching the series: Jim Henson would be proud to see what his passion project has become.