The Dark Crystal (1982) was Jim Henson's first feature film project that was not Muppet-focused. Set in the mythical world of Thra, it tells the tale of the Gelflings Jen and Kira as they go on a quest to heal the world and save it from the villainous Skeksis.
Although it received mixed reviews at the time, The Dark Crystal has become a cult phenomenon and went on to create books, graphic novels, and the critically acclaimed TV series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Henson has a number of movies to his name, but The Dark Crystal can easily be identified as his best movie for a number of reasons, including its groundbreaking puppetry and effects, enriched lore, and some of the most terrifying villains in fantasy cinema.
It's Scary But In A Good Way
Henson never intended his work to be aimed solely at children (besides Sesame Street), although he didn't shy away from trying to scare them. In fact, what partially makes The Dark Crystal so memorable is that it is scary, and that is certainly not a bad thing.
There are a number of creepy scenes in The Dark Crystal that still haunt viewers to this day - Podlings being drained, the disintegration of the Skeksis Emperor, and even the main hero, Jen, is rather creepy to look at. But the scary moments are part of its iconic charm and no other Henson film even comes close to this.
Pioneering Effects
What makes The Dark Crystal stand out is that it is entirely made with puppetry and practical effects. Not a single live actor or digital effect was used. This was a chance for Henson to experiment with complex puppet making and puppetry effects, such as molding and animatronics, a far cry from the simpler bold colorful fabric creations of The Muppets and Sesame Street.
While the two Gelflings' appearance in the movie border on "uncanny valley" territory, the overall puppetry and effects at the time were outstanding and the other characters still look timeless to this day.
It Was The Start Of A Cult Phenomenon
Since The Dark Crystal was released, it has built a huge cult fanbase that could rival those of franchises like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. Since the movie was released, there have been books, graphic novels, video games, a dedicated podcast series, the hit Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, its own convention in 2020, and an upcoming Dark Crystal ballet.
It's because of this vast cult fanbase that the world of Thra has been able to thrive and develop beyond the movie. Not even The Muppets can boast such an achievement, as their popularity today is mostly down to Disney marketing.
Augrah
A stand-out character that makes The Dark Crystal Henson's best movie is the cantankerous Augrah. One of Henson's most underrated creations, Augrah is the heart of Thra whom Jen first visits when sent on his quest. She is meant to be the "wise man" figure of the movie, but she is much more than that - she is abrupt and forthright, making her a funny and enjoyable character to watch.
But there is more to Augrah than being a cranky old lady. She is ultimately vulnerable and regretful due to her neglect of Thra, and there is a soft heart of gold under the gruffness, which only heightens her likability. Augrah is also one of the main characters in the Age of Resistance series and she is just as delightful to watch there too.
It Was The Start Of An Iconic Creative Family
It's thanks to The Dark Crystal that fantasy art and cinema has one of its most beloved and famous families: the Frouds. Henson came across fantasy illustrator Brian Froud's work and invited him to be the movie's main concept artist.
Here, as described on Henson.com, Brian met Wendy Midener, a dollmaker also recruited by Henson to build puppets for the movie. The two married and had a son, Toby, who went on to be baby Toby in Henson's next feature film Labyrinth, and eventually a puppet and filmmaker. Fast forward to 2019 and the entire family each played key roles in the creation of the Age of Resistance series.
Unique And Inventive Species
The Dark Crystal boasts a number of fantastic species unlike anything seen in fantasy cinema. The main speaking species are the Gelfling, the Skeksis, the Mystics, and whatever Augrah is.
Other species present in the movie are the Podlings, the Landstriders, the Garthim, and perhaps the most memorable of all - the loud and aggressive Fizzgig. Kira's fluffy companion was one of a kind in the movie, but he was so popular that his kind became a fully realized species in the series.
It's Henson's Most Enriched Universe
The Dark Crystal movie only just scratched the surface of Thra, but even before the franchise grew, Henson already had lots of ideas for the world. For example, the Skeksis were meant to have their own language, but this was changed due to negative feedback from test audiences.
Yes, the Muppets have their own universe, but it is essentially the real world with a bit of wackiness thrown in, and the world of Labyrinth did not really go beyond the movie, until recently, with its graphic novels. Henson had built a vast world with Thra but could not show it all in an hour and a half.
The Skeksis
One key reason why The Dark Crystal is so iconic is because of the nightmarish villains: the Skeksis. Malicious and hideous, the Skeksis were obsessed with achieving immortality and stopped at nothing to get it - which involved corrupting Thra's Crystal of Truth and wiping out the Gelfling species.
The Skeksis terrified many children watching the movie and still continue to do so to this day. Each has their own unique personality and they have become beloved fan favorites and some of Henson's most iconic characters.
There's Absolutely Nothing Else Like It
It is safe to say that there is nothing else that even mildly resembles The Dark Crystal to this day. Labyrinth is certainly unique in its own way but it ultimately drew inspiration from classic fairy tale tropes and used live actors. The Muppet movies are also tons of fun but again, they involved live actors and are set in recognized real-life settings.
From the lore of Thra to filming and effects, The Dark Crystal is Henson's most unique film, if not, one of the most unique films in movie history.
It Was Henson's Favorite Project
Out of all of his projects, it was The Dark Crystal that was Henson's personal favorite. It was a project he wanted to do for himself and to push himself away from just being a "Muppet Guy." In an excerpt from the book, "Where Did I Go Right? (Or: You’re No One in Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead)" by Bernie Brillstein, it was said that Henson even bought the movie back from ITC Studios for $15 million and funded the release himself.
This is one of the main things that makes The Dark Crystal Henson's best movie and also one of the main reasons why Age of Resistance was so well-received among fans. Jim would likely have been overjoyed.