From: utzoo!decvax!ittvax!neiman Newsgroups: net.movies,net.sf-lovers Title: Re: Praise for "The Dark Crystal" Article-I.D.: ittvax.560 Posted: Wed Jan 5 13:01:10 1983 Received: Thu Jan 6 03:55:17 1983 References: omsvax.278 In respect to the Dark Crystal, why does everyone think you can succeed with a movie which spends 20,000,000 dollars on visuals and $9.95 on plot? The estimate for the amount spent on plot development was obtained by pricing the used paperback editions of Lord of the Rings, Sword of Shanara, and other shopworn fantasies. The Dark Crystal is just another damn quest fantasy with no worthwhile messages. I don't require that my entertainment be meaningful but I'd appreciate originality. How many times must we put up with "There is a prophecy that the $hero will appear when the $omen and overthrow the evil dark $adj lords!" Impressions: Plot: mindless Villains: unmotivated evil. more disgusting than evil actually, Heroes: even more than usually simpleminded/ignorant/powerless. Dialogue: what dialogue? Invocation of Sense of Wonder: Nice flora, not enough "Lord's fire", that is magic. Special effects: Everything looked like puppets. The light effects were nothing special and the dark crystal was about the least impressive hunk of rock I've ever seen. Summary: Good for kids and very new to fantasy adults. Wizards was better. What do you want for $20 million? A phantasmagoria? Finagle