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Jen and Kira, the last of their kind, must restore a missing shard to a magical crystal in order to unite two warring races and bring peace to their fractured world.  The story may be too dark and dreary for young children, but The Dark Crystal is really more of an art film than family fare. The film relies entirely on puppets and animatronics, without a single human being ever appearing on screen. But these aren’t the same kind of puppets you find on Sesame Street or The Muppet Show — they’re far more sophisticated, on the cutting edge for when the movie was made.

The level of design, craftsmanship and artistry on display in The Dark Crystal is rivaled by few other live-action motion pictures. Consider the sheer volume of work that went into making the movie — the extraordinary sets, all the wardrobe and jewelry worn by the characters, the amount of hand-made flora and fauna that fill the proscenium, the manner in which the puppeteers contort their bodies to fit within the creature costumes, the fact that each character required a half-dozen controllers hiding just out of frame… When it comes to monumental cinematic achievements, I think of The Lord of the Rings films and then I think of The Dark Crystal.

Something is usually lost in translation between design and execution, but Jim Henson’s talented crew bring Brian Froud’s conceptual designs to living, breathing, three-dimensional life. The humanoid Gelfling characters are a bit less convincing than the more exotic creatures, but when you consider the fact that you’re looking at nothing more than foam and rubber, the overall effect is no less astonishing. I mean, they have puppeteers on four stilts, covered in prosthetics, galloping hand over foot for shit’s sake! Jim Henson and co-director Frank Oz keep things moving at a brisk, entertaining pace, culminating in an exciting climax that delivers both visually and emotionally. Composer Trevor Jones (Last of the Mohicans, Dark City) contributes a dynamic soundtrack and cinematographer Oswald Morris gives the film an antique, storybook quality.

Advancements in technology may date The Dark Crystal, but they also distinguish it. With computer-generated imagery now at our disposal, no film will ever be made again the way this one was made.  This makes The Dark Crystal one of the most precious films in movie history.