SummaryThe prequel to the 1982 movie The Dark Crystal follows Gelflings Rian (voiced by Taron Egerton), Brea (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) and Deet (voiced by Nathalie Emmanuel) as they set out to to save the world after learning the secret to Skeksis’ power.
SummaryThe prequel to the 1982 movie The Dark Crystal follows Gelflings Rian (voiced by Taron Egerton), Brea (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) and Deet (voiced by Nathalie Emmanuel) as they set out to to save the world after learning the secret to Skeksis’ power.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance isn’t just a masterwork of practical puppeteering, production design, and CGI artistry. .... This return to the planet Thra exceeds any and all nostalgia-tinged expectations, delivering a multi-strand quest that’s exciting, funny, charming, and mythic—and sure to satisfy newbies and die-hards alike. ... It’s the rare prequel (or sequel, for that matter) that not only justifies its own existence but proves to be an immediate genre classic in its own right.
One of the most ambitious and immersive TV events of the year. ... The level of detail in the puppets and their surroundings is, to be blunt, astonishing. Still, “Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” would’ve been nothing more than a technical feat without a story and characters to match, so it’s to the writers’ credit (not to mention the voice actors’ and impressive puppeteers’) that the interwoven stories are equally compelling.
Thanks to Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, and Javier Grillo-Marxuach’s outstanding script, Age of Resistance is surprising, funny, sad, and heartwarming all in turn. The pacing is swift but metered. ... For those who dare to let Age of Resistance overwhelm you, there will be nothing better this year.
It’s dense going, until the outlines of the heroes’ journey snaps into focus. ... Age Of Resistance is the best type of YA fantasy fiction, engrossing and escapist and full of hidden depths, ideal for viewers weaned on Harry Potter and The Legend Of Zelda but not quite ready for George R.R. Martin.
Political metaphors and messages about the environment abound, but it’s not as if we’re being lectured. “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” is primarily a screen-popping plunge into pure escapist fantasy, filled with trippy imagery and gorgeous landscapes. It’s a series of memorable dreams punctuated by the occasional nightmare.
Those invested in this world will lap up every nuance, meaning that, for better or worse, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is unabashedly a fans-only thing.
Much of the series is beautiful to look at conceptually, but there's no getting around the sameness of the character design (Gelflings tend to look alike), the lack of expression in those big, soulless American-doll-style eyes, and the lifeless storytelling, which certainly isn't helped by the generic characters and some of the irritating Jar Jar Binks-type dialogue.