A Lighter DARK CRYSTAL

Article first published as THE DARK CRYSTAL AGE OF RESISTANCE Review on Seat42F.

Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal film has quite a cult following. Many, many fans love the movie, and have watched it dozens of times a piece. Growing up, while I found it equal parts disturbing and boring, I certainly had more than my share of peers who told me I was wrong. And whether you like the story or not, there’s certainly plenty to appreciate in the sheer amount of work that goes into such a fully-realized puppet-driven world.

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE is better than the movie. That is an opinion, of course, so agree or not, that is your choice. There are several things that stand out to me in forming this opinion.

One, the settings are so much richer and more beautiful. The original was post-apocalyptic, and that is a valid choice for the story being told. By setting AGE OF RESISTANCE as a prequel, the creators get to show us the beauty of Thra in its prime, and it is breath-taking. There are several distinct zones of habitat, each more impressive than the last. Setting plot aside, it has an Avatar-esque quality of something never seen before, and that’s worth watching.

Two, the voice cast is amazing. With no offense to the originals intended, as they did a fine job with their task, big talents lined up to be part of such a storied franchise. Returning and new characters alike boast big names along the lines of Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter), Sigourney Weaver (Alien), Eddie Izzard (Ocean’s Twelve), Helena Bonham Carter (Les Miserables), Caitriona Balfe (Outlander), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Natalie Dormer (um, Game of Thrones), Nathalie Emmanuel (yet another Game of Thrones), Toby Jones (Captain America), Theo James (Divergent), Taron Egerton (Rocketman), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle), Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Simon Pegg (Shawn of the Dead), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Andy Samberg (Brooklyn 99), Bill Hader (Barry), and Mark Hamill (Star Wars). And that’s not even a complete list.

Third, it feels like a fully realized story. It’s clear the writers have firm direction, partly because we already know the ending. But even if we didn’t, it’s clear this is well thought out, carefully crafted with rules that the series sticks to and a sense that it knows what it’s trying to do.

That is a bit of a downside, as well. After all, while would-be hero Gelflings strike out on quests to save their people from the ruling Skeksis, it’s well known that they will fail. The best these main characters that viewers are going to care about can hope for is noble martyrdom. The movie sets up only failure, and everything good in this place should be gone by the end of AGE OF RESISTANCE.IN ITThat isn’t an argument against watching DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE. After all, everyone knew the Titanic sank, and yet they flocked to the theatres to see the film of the same name. There’s a bit of a dread hanging over the story here, too, but it’s also hard to keep that in mind when it’s so easy to root for the Gelflings.

AGE OF RESISTANCE hasn’t won me over and made me a DARK CRYSTAL fan… yet. But by the time I finish it, it just might. It may take all ten installments to decide if the project was worth it, but it definitely expounds upon the universe in new and interesting ways. Had this come before the film, I’d probably have been more invested in the original follow-up. But the Star Wars prequels, this is not, and if you have even a slight bit of curiosity, I recommend checking it out.

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE is streaming on Netflix now.

Blu-ray Review: ‘The Muppet Movie – The Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘The Muppet Movie – The Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition’ on Blogcritics.

There are a handful of pivotal films out there that are classics as soon as they are released, and must be watched over and over again throughout one’s life. Some are important, some are dramatic, some are touching, and some are just plain fun. The Muppet Movie, the original motion picture released in 1979 starring Jim Henson’s creations, is all of those at once, with a definite leaning towards the comedic end of things, but with heart, too. Now, it is available on Blu-ray for the first time in The Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition.

For those (probably very few) who don’t know the story, Kermit the Frog leaves the swamp to set out for Hollywood, meeting a bunch of friends along the way, including Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Miss Piggy, Animal, Scooter, Rolf, Sweetums, Swedish Chef, The Electric Mayhem, and more. While traveling, Kermit is pursued by Doc Hopper (Charles Durning, The Sting, Evening Shade), who wants to use the viridescent amphibian to advertise his restaurant, which is kind of like KFC, but with frog legs instead of chicken. With charm, gags, puns, meta references, songs, loads of muppets, and cameos by stars such as Orson Welles, Milton Berle, Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Bob Hope, Madeline Kahn, Elliott Gould, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Cloris Leachman, Carol Kane, Big Bird, among others, there is something magical in nearly every minute of this film.

One would think that such a beloved picture would have all the stops pulled out for it, to present the very best, perfectly remastered, extras-laden edition that fans old and new could appreciate. Some day that might happen, but unfortunately, The Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition is not that version.

The picture and audio quality are not much better than the prior DVD versions released. There is a graininess present in practically every scene, and the details are murky, with apparently little to no effort spent on sharpening or enhancing the image. Colors are natural for the time period, but not anything special, and there are few details evident in the black patches, of which admittedly few exist. The soundtrack fares no better, seeming hollow and dated, even if it is pretty much clear from hisses and pops. Overall, it’s a very disappointing effort.

Similarly, many of the bonus features are far from fresh. Present are Doc Hopper’s TV commercial, trailers, and Jim Frawley’s camera test, all of which have been released before, though the packaging seems to indicate the camera test may be longer than on the original. Still, it’s a lot of repetition.

Of the new inclusions, there’s a short profile on Kermit by fellow muppet Pepe and three sing-along “Frog-E-Oke” music videos featuring the big musical numbers from the movie. These are entertaining, but not reason enough to purchase the set if you already have an earlier release, especially considering that’s all you’ll really be shilling out the money for.

The menus are actually very cool, with wonderful design elements. In pop-up mode, they are unobtrusive, but still stylish. The Muppet Movie also has the now-common “Disney Intermission,” which basically means, for this title, that when you press pause, one of the three “Frog-E-Oke” videos play until you start the movie again. Not completely necessary, but a good feature for young children.

If you don’t already own The Muppet Movie, you might as well get this one because it is slightly better than any other version of the film I’ve seen, and the movie itself really is a must-have picture. But it’s not nearly up to what it might have been, and if you already have a copy, it’s certainly not worth paying to upgrade. It’s likely, some time in the future, Disney will do better, so I would recommend holding out for that.