The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

In 1982, The Muppets creator Jim Henson wrote and directed The Dark Crystal. A live-action film featuring only puppets, it offered a glimpse into a mysterious, dark fantasy world. Now, the Jim Henson Company (operated by the late Henson's children) and Netflix have produced a prequel series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, which elaborates upon the original with richness, humour and sincerity.

The world of Thra is populated by a variety of creatures. Foremost are the Gelfling, an elfin people made up of seven tribes. As far as they know, they have always served the Skeksis, a bird/lizard-like race who tower above their subordinates. One Gelfling, Rian (Taron Egerton), discovers the Skeksis have been draining the planet’s crystal lifeforce – causing it to darken. Having depleted it, they find a horrifying alternative. Elsewhere, Brea (Anya Taylor-Joy), a Gelfling princess, experiences a vision leading her to believe the balance of the world is awry. And Deet (Nathalie Emmanuel), from an underground tribe, receives knowledge of the “darkening” from Thra itself. The three young protagonists all share the same mission: topple the Skeksis.

Puppets and sets are awe-inspiring: the Skeksis are both funny and terrifying. Perhaps the tactile nature of puppetry contributes to the sense that the stakes are real for the heroes, but this is largely down to the darkness in the writing. Death is part of this world; it is not glossed over. But this makes the magic of the puppetry come to life in a sense in which CGI often fails.

The voice acting is provided by an astounding line-up. Stand-out performances from Nathalie Emmanuel as the sweet and brave Deet, and Simon Pegg as the conniving Chamberlain, are a match for the brilliance of the puppeteers’ acting.

The original Dark Crystal was brief and mysterious. This prequel has the space and material to develop a vast and truly magical experience.

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