Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, “End. Begin. All the Same”, Review!

The Dark Crystal (1982) is one of the top fantasy films in terms of world building with designs by Brian Froud.  The film was personal and meaningful to Jim Henson, but somehow sputtered at the box office.  Still, there weren’t many fantasy offerings at that time and over the years, Dark Crystal has become legendary.  The story was basically self-contained, but there is more story in the past.  I was eager for sequel especially with The Power of the Dark Crystal, a Genndy Tartakovsky film, that was promoted at Comic Con.  Still, it was dragged out and finally found a form in the Boom Studios comic book series in 2017.  A manga from Tokyopop, Legends of the Dark Crystal, was published in 2007-2010.  Archaia Studios produced a series of three graphic novels, The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths from 2011-2015, the first two graphic novels were co-written by Brian Froud.  There are prequel novels starting with Shadows of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee.  Now there is the Netflix series by The Jim Henson Company.  It is developed by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews.  The series is directed by Louis Leterrier.  He has directed the series Tycoon and the remake Clash of the Titans (2013).  Brian Froud has designed the creatures and costumes.  It is started streaming on August 30th.  

The story begins with a burst of light, then focusing on patterns before reaching the triple suns of Thra, it has a narrator (Sigourney Weaver) noting the world of the Crystal of Truth.  We see it hovering over a magma pit and lakes.  The narrator explains that the Crystal is a part of Thra and it is protected by Aughra, seen in statue form, then we see glimpses of creatures.  Then, we see the members of the seven Gelfling clans all holding each other in ceremony with their clan symbols around them.  The Gelflings are Elfish-type creatures, the size of children, with long, pointed ears.  There is the Vapra of the mountains, rulers of the other clans.  We see briefly, the princess Brea, reading a book.  Next is the Stonewood clan of the Endless Forest.  They are renowned as warriors like Rian who guards the crystal castle.  Then, we see the Grottan who are underground Gelflings, then see Deet as she unfolds her wings.  There is the symbol uniting all of Thra which is dissolved away with the narrator noting that there are visitors to Thra, we see the gold statues of the Skeksis.  The Skeksis are bulky creatures with snouts like crocodiles, vultures, and other beasts and wrinkly skin.  They tell stories to Aughra and build an observatory for her.  We see her third eye pulse with light.  The Skeksis wanted her distracted and they take the Crystal of Truth.  The narrator says that it has been a thousand trine, an age, since their arrival.  The Skeksis declare themselves Lords of Thra and we see the mewling of The Chamberlain (Simon Pegg).  Pegg is a genre favorite actor with his voice work in Ice Age: Collison Course (2016) and also playing Scotty in Star Trek Beyond (2016).  The Chamberlain was a stand-out from the first movie and it is nice to see him here at his manipulative best.

The Skeksis look younger, less burdened by their robes, and the Emperor starts the ceremony.  

The suns pour down on the Crystal of Truth to send purplish rays that keep the Skeksis immortal.  The rays fail and the Skeksis worry that they can’t keep living without the Crystal.  The Emperor (Jason Isaacs) breaks up their chatter.  Isaacs has voiced The Grand Inquisitor in Star Wars: Rebels and also starred in Star Trek: Discovery.  He tells the others that the Scientist (Mark Hamill) is working on a solution.  Hamill is known for voicing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and of course returned as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.  The Emperor sends them away, the Chamberlain overhears the Scientist complain to the Emperor.  The Scientist activates the machinery to draw the Crystal down.  A close-up of the Crystal chained and held by mechanical arms.  The narrator notes that the Crystal is corrupting Thra down to its creatures.  We see some of them that are caged by the Scientist, until one, a Spitter, bursts free and skitters away.  We see the crystal castle in a beautiful valley with a river, a familiar sight to those who have seen the movie.  Podling servants are bringing in food when they are met by Rian (Taron Egerton).  He voiced El-Ahrairah in the 2018 animated Watership Down and of course played Elton John in this year’s Rocketman.  

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE -- “End. Begin. All the Same” -- ANYA TAYLOR-JOY --  Keith Baker/Netflix.

Rian says he is sworn to protect the Lords of Thra, but playfully wants to try their food to the annoyance of the Podlings.  Mira (Alicia Vikander) joins Rian in trying to sneak away food.  The Gelflings laugh and run off with the food.  Mira uses her wings to fly up to the Spy Glass before Rian can reach it.  She later talks about their first meeting and they dreamfast, touching hands, and sharing their memories.  The Spitter interrupts their dreamfast.  Captain Ordon (Mark Strong) reviews his troops.  The Collector (Awkwafina), who sneezes and drips mucus, the nastiness of the Skeksis is fun, and Scroll-Keeper (Neil Sterenberg) prepare to travel for their journey.  Awkwafina voiced Courtney in this year’s The Angry Birds Movie 2 and also out in theaters has the drama The Farewell.  It is interesting to see and hear the Skeksis who are so absurdly evil and revolting that they are fun.  This applies to this two with The Collector thinking back to her time before Thra.  The captain calls in the Armaligs, plated, wide-snouted creatures that can roll themselves for transport.  Rian and Mira appear with their message, but the captain is going to accompany the Skeksis.  He appoints Tolwyn instead of Rian to be in charge of the castle guard.  Rian is surprised that his father doesn’t trust him.  Mira is stunned so she can’t tell the captain the report.  Captain Ordon mounts his Landstrider, these are long-legged creatures with leathery flaps seen in the movie.  The creatures of Thra are fascinating, such diversity and strange shapes, 27 years before Avatar (2009) and 10 years afterwards with Age of Resistance.  It is great to see familiar creatures and peoples, but with a twist.  

The group starts off crossing the bridge of the crystal castle.  Rian explains that he didn’t tell his father of the Spitter so he could hunt it.  They are joined by Gurjin (Harris Dickinson).  At the serene, snow valley of Ha’rar, we have the Librarian (Toby Jones) searching for books, then there is view of the library with scattered books and a creature eating book paper!  Princess Brea (Anya Taylor-Joy) is joined by her sister Tavra (Caitriona Balfe).  Taylor-Joy voices Marla in Playmobil: The Movie, out on December 6th, and she is also in Glass.  Balfe is best known for Claire Randall in the Outlander series.  She wants to show her sister Mother Aughra’s picture, but Tavra tells her that Brea will join the Tithing.  Brea is eager to ask the Skeksis questions.  There is some singing as we get into the phosphorescent lit Caves of Grot.  The singer is Deet (Nathalie Emmanuel) who is harvesting moss.  Emmanuel was Missendei in Game of Thrones and also Ramsey in The Fate of the Furious (2017).  She takes a bite of the moss which makes her face glow.  Then, she flies around the caves, seeing her family, and drops the moss for Nurlocs.  Deet hears a baby Nurloc and gathers some moss, but it has a strange growth the color of the Dark Crystal. The corrupted Nurloc becomes vicious and we see this with an adult Nurloc.  The underground world is fascinating especially its connection to the world.  

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE -- “End. Begin. All the Same” -- MARK HAMILL -- Keith Baker/Netflix. 

At Ha’rar, Brea leaves behind Tavra, and so eager to see the Lords she falls in front of the caravan!  It stops in time and the Scroll-Keeper invites the princess to ride along.  The ceremony has The All-Muadra (Helena Bonham Carter) with her daughters, Tavra and Seladon (Gugu Mbatha-Raw).  Carter was in Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) and Ocean's Eight (2018).  Mbatha-Raw was in A Wrinkle in Time (2018) and Beauty and the Beast (2017).  Brea and the Skeksis join them.  The Scientist is lashing the Crystal with electrical bolts until it starts to draw out his lifeforce.  The Chamberlain shuts down the machinery and talks with the Scientist.  His experiment has changed the Crystal into drawing out essence, but he needs subjects to test it on.  Then, they see two Gelfling guards. Deet discovers the Sancturary Tree (Theo Ogundipe) that speaks to her about The Darkening.  This corruption of the Dark Crystal that will spread unless the Gelflings can stop it!  The threat is not only to Thra and the Crystal, but the Gelflings now fueling the Skeksis mad quest for immortality!  It will take Deet, Brea, Rian, and all of the Gelflings to lead the Resistance and save Thra!  There is so much detail with Thra in only the first episode, brilliant voice cast, and a story that will eventually lead to the desolation seen in The Dark Crystal!     

Five Crystal Shards out of Five! 

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