The Dark Crystal (1982)

World building puppetry.

A thousand years ago, the evil Skeksis conquered the world. Now, it is up to a boy from the Gelfling dying race to fulfill the prophecy to end their reign. Despite having a few plot holes, a narrator, and being able to hear the main character's thoughts, this is an absolute joy to watch. Yes the puppets and sets are cool, but the world building is fantastic.

The production team are masters of their craft.

There are parts where the hero is simply walking through the forest and the variety of flora and fauna Jim Henson's crew thought of are astounding to behold. I can easily recommend this fantasy adventure for everyone and would definitely watch it again. Four and a half fizzgigs out of five. If you want more, there is also the Age of Resistance which I've already reviewed previously.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

Amazing puppetry and an amazing story!

The world of Thra used to always be in balance, but this prequel to the movie of the same name, shows just how the alien Skeksis slowly corrupt it and how the native Gelflings begin to unify to fight against them. This is hands down the best puppet series I've seen so far (sorry Thunderbolt Fantasy), and proves The Jim Henson company really knows their stuff. The world they create is fantastic, as are the various creatures inhabiting it.

The puppets are amazing!

Add to that a good score, a great voice cast and a really good script and you have a winner of a series. Be warned it's not too kid friendly though as not only can the Skeksis be scary at times, but there is a fair amount of death to be found here. This is one I highly, highly recommend and one I definitely want to watch again. I give it five fizzgigs out of five!