Okay so here is a SPOILER WARNING!!! Read at your own risk!
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It’s a Prequel
If you’re a Jim Henson fanatic such as myself, it would be understandable that you were hyped for this release. In this short TV series, (released August 30th, 2019) you get to see all of the lead up to the movie. Everything that came before Jen and Kira trying to place the crystal shard back in its rightful place. In this prequel, it’s suggested that Rian may be the father of Jen. In the original 1982 movie, there are just two Gelflings, Jen and Kira. We never met their parents, but this prequel will leave you wondering if Brea was Kira’s mom and if Rian is Jen’s father. There is more on Jen and Rian being related due to them both being from the same clan.
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Brings a new light to the original
In the original Dark Crystal, it’s hard to understand the movie without reading the novel. I recently read the novel over the summer then watched the movie. The whole plot line made much more sense and I wasn’t caught wondering what happened to Thra and why Aughra left. In this reboot, you learn that Aughra left in order to take a trip into the stars with a machine the Skekis give to her. They promise to watch over the crystal but instead abuse its power and soon make the gelfling believe that they are all powerful and are the rightful rulers of Thra. Viewers don’t know about why the Skesis take over in the movie.
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You find out what happened to Thra
Once again, referencing to the 1982 movie, the opening is a dry desert land with a large castle. The narrator begins to explain that this place is another world, yet it isn’t as defined as Thra as it is in the prequel. I found out the name of this land while reading the novel. Not to say the movie was bad, but it did miss out on some important pieces of information.
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You learn more about the Gelfling
Ah yes, here we are, we have arrived at my personal favourite reason. Gelfling. Gelfling are elf-like creatures who are very short, bright, and strong-willed. In the prequel you learn about seven different clans of Gelfling: the Vapra, Grottan, Drenchen, Stonewood, Sifa, Dousan, and Spriton. You meet each clan but the main clans are Vapra (Brea is Vapra), Grotten (Deet is Grotten), and Stonewood (Rian is Stonewood). They are each a different type of Gelfling but when they all come together to fight, they are the same.
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Jim Henson’s daughter helped
The reboot was not just any old reboot or created prequel. All the new characters were in fact created in Jim Henson’s creature shop and used in the show. Henson’s daughter Lisa also helped to bring this old tale back to life. Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was in the works for months due to how intricate the details and puppets had to be. The movie was strictly puppetry, but with this day and age, the new creators used both puppetry and CGI which attracts new and younger viewers. It also brings a new type of viewing to the older viewers who grew up watching the original Dark Crystal.
There you go! If you get a homework break, need some time to yourself, or just don’t know what to binge next on Netflix, I suggest giving this series a peek. After watching the series, watch the movie and tell me what you think!