As narrative, the incidents in The Dark Crystal are unremarkable; as the excuse for special effects, fanciful decor and eccentric characters, they do nicely enough.

Jim Henson and Frank Oz... designed and directed this 1983 film, in which no human actors appear (except as crude long-shot doubles for the animated figures); it's a cute gimmick, but the puppets are so stiff and inexpressive that the film drops dead.

The Dark Crystal has an ethereal alien quality to its startling visions, far removed from the Earth-bound contours of traditional fairy tales.

From the world-building to the design and the characters that inhabit this world in an age of wonder, it’s fantasy at its most whimsical, enchanting and dark.