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Trailer

The Dark Crystal

1982Movie1 h 33 minPG

Family
73
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.1Metacritic667.4Rotten Tomatoes78%81%

An awe-inspiring, eerie adventure movie about fantasy and mystery, with standout world-building.

Good for date night · family movie night · friends night

Skip it if graphic violence bothers you

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for laughs.

Movies with

Story

Another world, another time... in the age of wonder.

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.

Feels like

  • Dark Fantasy Adventure
  • Jim Henson Creature Design
  • Puppetry & Animatronics
  • Hero's Journey
  • Mythic Quest
  • Visually Rich
  • Otherworldly
  • Stop-Motion Animation
  • Cult Classic

Cast

22 of 22

Crew

Directed by
Frank Oz, Jim Henson
Written by
Jim Henson, David Odell
Produced by
Gary Kurtz, Jim Henson
Music by
Trevor Jones

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

December 17, 1982 · 1 h 33 min · PG

Released
December 17, 1982
Runtime
1 h 33 min
Age rating
PG
Content
Violence, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Original language
English
Made in
United Kingdom, United States
Budget
$15 million
Box office
$45 million
Available in
132 countries

Tropes

Split and Reunion, Precursors, Purple Is Powerful +9

  • Split and Reunion
  • Precursors
  • Purple Is Powerful
  • Rule of Three
  • Cat Scare
  • Cool Old Lady
  • Race Against the Clock
  • Animal Eye Spy
  • When Things Spin, Science Happens
  • Consummate Liar
  • Set Right What Once Went Wrong
  • To the Pain

12 of 169 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream The Dark Crystal?"

Questions about The Dark Crystal

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Dark Crystal?

fuboTVPeacockPhiloThe RokuKanopyPluto TVNight Flight+Shout! Factory TV

In the United States, The Dark Crystal streams on fuboTV, Peacock, Night Flight+, and Shout! Factory, and it is free with ads on Philo, The Roku, Kanopy, Pluto TV, Shout! Factory TV, Plex, Fawesome, Xumo Play, and Tubi TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 129 other countries.

Is The Dark Crystal worth watching?

73
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 73 (IMDb 7.1, Rotten Tomatoes 78%, and Metacritic 66).

Is The Dark Crystal okay for kids?

PGViolenceDisturbing imagery

Yes: it's rated PG in the United States for violence and disturbing imagery, and the viewing guide lists it for kids.

Will The Dark Crystal scare me?

Not scaryTerrifying

At times: scares are rated 7 of 10, and some images are gruesome (grotesque 7 of 10).

What tropes does The Dark Crystal use?

Split and ReunionPrecursorsPurple Is PowerfulRule of ThreeCat ScareCool Old LadyRace Against the ClockAnimal Eye SpyWhen Things Spin, Science HappensConsummate LiarSet Right What Once Went WrongTo the Painand 157 more

TV Tropes lists 169 tropes for it, including Split and Reunion, Precursors, and Purple Is Powerful.