The Dark Crystal
Performance & Direction: The Dark Crystal Review
Last updated: January 26, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is The Dark Crystal (1982) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a HIT with a verified audience rating of 7.1/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Adventure.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Adventure is often anchored by its ensemble, and The Dark Crystal features a noteworthy lineup led by Jim Henson . Supported by the likes of Kathryn Mullen and Frank Oz , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
In summary, our editorial assessment of The Dark Crystal (1982) is generally positive. With an audience rating of 7.1/10, it stands as a highly recommended experience for genre enthusiasts.
Story & Plot Summary: The Dark Crystal
Quick Plot Summary: The Dark Crystal is a Adventure, Family, Fantasy film that presents a compelling narrative that engages viewers from start to finish. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Story Breakdown
The film presents its narrative with careful attention to pacing and character development. On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world, before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil. The story unfolds naturally, allowing viewers to become invested in the outcome while maintaining engagement throughout.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: The film establishes its world and central conflict efficiently in the opening act.
- Character Arc: The main character shows growth throughout the story, though some supporting characters could have been more fully realized. The arc is present but occasionally predictable.
- Climax & Resolution: The climax brings together the narrative threads, providing resolution while staying true to the established tone.
Ending Explained: The Dark Crystal
Ending Breakdown: The Dark Crystal resolves its central conflict while maintaining thematic consistency. The finale has been praised for its approach to adventure resolution.
The conclusion addresses the core thematic questions, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes with clear resolution of its central conflicts, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Main characters complete meaningful transformations, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the adventure themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of The Dark Crystal reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch The Dark Crystal?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Adventure films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of the cast or director
- Want solid genre entertainment
Box Office Collection: The Dark Crystal
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $15.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $44.6M |
| Trade Verdict | CLEAN HIT |
The Dark Crystal Budget
The estimated production budget for The Dark Crystal is $15.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: The Dark Crystal
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Where to Watch The Dark Crystal Online?
Streaming Hub🎟️ Rent on
Amazon VideoThe Dark Crystal Parents Guide & Age Rating
1982 AdvisoryWondering about The Dark Crystal age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of The Dark Crystal is 93 minutes (1h 33m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 7.1/10, and global performance metrics, The Dark Crystal is classified as a HIT. It remains an essential part of the 1982 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Dark Crystal worth watching?
The Dark Crystal is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Adventure movies. It has a verified rating of 7.1/10 and stands as a HIT in our box office analysis.
Where can I find The Dark Crystal parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for The Dark Crystal identifies it as PG. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of The Dark Crystal?
The total duration of The Dark Crystal is 93 minutes, which is approximately 1h 33m long.
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Critic Reviews for The Dark Crystal
Some old things just don’t really hold up. I was hoping that this movie was going to be a lot better than it was. To myself, I thought it would be great as this was one of Jim Henson’s more notable films. However, the story didn’t really grip me all that much. That could be because today we have a ton of these movies. The one where the is the hero who must overcome an orphan story to become the hero that they are today. However today, that has been all, but played. There could be the argument that it wasn’t done at the time all that well, and that is why this movie is good. However, I’m not a fan of that argument. As older movies can still hold up even though they have the same overarching story as the movies in the genre that succeed them. This one, I didn’t feel like had any real differences except it was done with puppets. The fact that you have puppets in a movie should not be the selling point. The selling point should be that you can use those puppets to tell a better story. In summation. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t all that good. It was right in the middle of the road for a movie.
When the old emperor dies, a new even nastier "Skeksis" one takes his place, and so begins this latest reign of terror for all the "Gelfling" on the distant world of "Thra". The only way to rectify things is for the dark crystal, damaged aeons ago, to be restored to it's former glory and that can only happen at the conjunction of their planet's three suns. That onerous task now falls to the timid "Jen" and his friend "Kira" and so they set off on a series of perilous adventures as they must locate the crystal and get it to the temple so that it can regenerate and defeat the vulture-like (look at my avatar) creatures. It's a cracking story of good versus evil, with the monstrous creations of Jim Henson delivering quite an effective, in a pantomime sort of fashion, degree of peril as the tension builds up. The humans I didn't care for so much - they're a bit weedy; but the monsters are crafted with detail and originality and the use of colourful visuals to augment the story whilst evoking a sense of mystery and danger works well too. It's got plenty of action, mysticism and even if I did hate the predictably goody-goody denouement, I did enjoy the film and though it has dated, that didn't spoil it too much.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
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