‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ a masterpiece of mythical magic

Nearly 40 years since its release, Director Jim Henson’s 1982 fantasy masterpiece, “The Dark Crystal” is receiving its long-awaited followup in the form of a Netflix prequel series, “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.” The original film, despite receiving mixed responses during its initial release, garnered far more admiration over time, thanks to its timeless story of good vs. evil, fantasy world-building and groundbreaking use of practical puppetry and special effects. Can the Netflix series hold up this massive legacy or is it just as hideous as the Skeksis?

At a time when the planet of Thra was green and good, the Skeksis ruled over all, becoming lords of the Crystal of Truth with the several Gelfling tribes trusting the Skeksis to be noble leaders. However, a trio of Gelfling soon discover a dark secret as the Skeksis’ power begins to deplete the land and corrupt those living in it. Soon it is up to the Gelfling to rally the tribes together to start a resistance and fight for what’s right.

Crafted with enough love, brilliant craftsmanship and excellent storytelling to make Henson cry with joy, the first season of “Age of Resistance” is one of the very rare prequels where the quality matches the iconic original — yet still finds ways to push the bar. First and foremost, to say that the visuals and production values are jaw-dropping would be an understatement. In the world of cold, rigid CGI dominating our movie screens, it’s quite a feat to see the lengths the crew behind this series go to keep everything as in-camera as possible. While there is some CGI added in, it is only done when absolutely necessary and blends in well with the practical puppetry. Brian Froud, the original concept designer behind both “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth,” returns to the show and brings his heavily detailed and textured style back with amazing results.

The translation works magnificently on screen, with elaborate sets, props and costumes crafting a beautifully tangible world that you can practically reach out and touch, and the puppetry alone is a massive achievement onto itself. From scaly Skeksis to lanky Landstriders to puny Podlings, the wide array of creatures from the movie return as lively as ever and are given excellent performances by the dedicated team of puppeteers who deserve far more credit than they are given. Whether it be dramatic expressions or subtle gestures, there is not a frame where the puppets feel devoid of life. The colorful and flowing cinematography and engrossing sound design help punch up this intriguing world, and the classic fantasy score works within the series as well — even if it never quite excels as Trevor Jones’ work from the original film. Simply put, it’s tear-jerking to see an art form brought back on such a scale and with this much dedication.

But, even the most mind-blowing of puppetry would be worthless if the story being told was uninteresting and predictable — a problem countless prequels often fall into. Fortunately, this is far from the case here. “Age of Resistance” gleefully embraces the expansive world that Henson crafted and find ways to expand upon it, while staying organically woven into its own narrative. And for those unfamiliar with the film, the show does a good job at going through the world and helping understand important details.

The first few episodes balance introducing the conflict while also presenting the characters and challenges to overcome throughout the season. This set up proves effective, so when the plot really kicks in, we have formed a strong bond with our heroes and feel attached to their struggle, allowing tension to build naturally over the course of each episode.

And boy, is there quite a bit of that. The original film is infamous for its numerous dark scenes and creepy moments that scarred plenty of childhoods and the series keeps this intensity intact, even bumping it up to some extent. The level of brutality and the high death count may come off surprising to some at first, but the inclusion of any heavy content never comes off as superfluous or only for shock value. Rather, it helps raise the stakes and builds tension along the journey while also further constructing the characters and their development.

Ultimately, its worth mentioning that the characters are truly the heart of the show. The main three Gelfling, Rian, Brea and Deet, are all immensely lovable and the conflicts they go through are all equally compelling. Whether it be family betrayal, losing faith in their beliefs or exploring a new world, each brings something to the table and are complimented by being in the presence of one another.

The Skeksis are as ghoulishly wicked and entertaining as ever, and the way their society works is fleshed out magnificently. In particular, skekSil, aka The Chamberlain — possibly the most iconic Skekis from the original film — is given a lot to do as he sneaks around and plants ideas in the head’s of many for his own twisted benefit, making him deliciously wonderful to hate on. The other supporting characters, from Hup the Podling to the family members of the Gelfling to the always awesome Aughra, are given plenty of time to shine and prove necessary to the story. All are brought to life through an exceptional voice cast, with talents like Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, Taron Egerton, Simon Pegg and Mark Hamill — in what may be one of his best vocal performances— lending their talents to truly instill wonder in this world.

If there are any flaws to be had, they are very minor. The finale of this season may prove slightly underwhelming for those unfamiliar with “The Dark Crystal.” The buildup does make itself quite intense, only to end on something a little less epic than expected. However, it does leave the door open for more to explore and do in following seasons and on its own, proves more as a powerful statement than anything.

“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” season one provides the same level of awe, wonder and rich storytelling that its iconic predecessor did and brings it all into the modern age beautifully. Art such as this demands to be supported and its hard to see anyone truly being disappointed by this show by the end. By all means, if you truly appreciate the blood, sweat and tears put into great art, then “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” demands your time.