What’s the longest you’ve ever had to wait for a story that you love to continue?
I remember the long three-year wait between the original Star Wars movies, so I had no patience for those who complained about the “long wait” between Harry Potter movies or Lord of the Rings installments. I yearned for new chapters of Twin Peaks, and had to wait decades — but then, that just seemed like wishful thinking: there was no promise that they’d ever make more. 2017’s it Twin Peaks: The Return came as a mind-boggling surprise.
By contrast, I’ve had to wait even longer for a new film about The Dark Crystal, the Jim Henson fantasy film that rocked my world when I was 12. I’ve heard plenty of people talk about the movie the way others talk about childhood trauma. I suppose it has its creepy moments, sure — but The Dark Crystal’s handcrafted creativity of that film inspired me to write fantasy stories of my own and even turn one of them into a puppet show for friends in my neighborhood. In this case, there have been indications of plans for new chapters—talk that’s lasted more than 15 years. And I’ve been hoping and waiting and wondering if they were ever going to get something made.
Well, here it is: Netflix’s new series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance landed last week.
I don’t review television series, typically. I’m too preoccupied with film reviews to devote much time to TV. So, rather than review Age of Resistance, I think I’ll share a conversation I’m having with the person whose opinion about the series matters most to me: Ken Priebe, author of two books about the art of stop-motion animation, author of the children’s book Gnomes of the Cheese Forest (and the upcoming Let There Be Owls Everywhere), a resident animation guru at VanArts (where he serves as a communications manager), and… well, I could go on.
I can’t think of anyone I know whose passions for animation, fantasy, and play align with my own as much as Ken. When I met this guy and started reading his thoughts about the Muppets, I knew I’d found a kindred spirit.
So, after I watched the first episode of the show, I emailed him. In short, I was nervous. I loved the first episode so much, I was worried that I was setting myself up for a major heartbreak. And I’m glad I checked.
Here’s our conversation…
Overstreet:
I’ve been tied up in knots about the idea of a sequel for a long, long time. Back in 2005, I blogged about reports that a sequel was in the works, and I expressed my concerns about the likelihood that any return to the world of Gelflings and Skeksis would end up overwhelmed by digital animation, minimizing the hand-crafted animation that made the original such a mind-boggling work of creativity.
I’ve just watched the opening episode of the new series, and I’ll probably go back for more tonight. At the same time, I want to go slowly and make this last. That probably tells you that I am, at the very least, willing to watch more. It doesn’t look like the disappointment that I feared.
But you’ve seen more than me. Can you, without major spoilers, share some of your first impressions?
Priebe:
Like a gluttonous Skeksis, I ended up binge-watching the entire series in one day, but I know I shall return for a more leisurely visit and watch it again.
The idea of returning to the world of The Dark Crystal has been on the tables of the Jim Henson Company for a long time. Netflix also has a nearly-90-minute documentary on the making of this new production, which is fascinating to watch and provides a good overview of how the writers and producers arrived to it, including some previously-unreleased visual material.
Overstreet:
Whoa, cool! I hadn’t noticed that yet. Any behind-the-scenes show on a Henson project is worth my attention.
Priebe:
As you will see, they did some unsuccessful attempts at merging CGI Gelflings with actual puppet Skeksis, which luckily convinced them to go all-puppet — and only using CGI for specific needs here and there to enhance the story.
And it works. O, does it work.
Overstreet:
I agree! I was nervous during the prologue, which felt a bit clunky and obligatory — but let’s face it, the narration in the original movie was just about as bad as the puppetry was extraordinary. Once we plunged in and started following characters, though, I was completely immersed.
Priebe:
I’ll admit the prologue was clunky, yes. Later when I realized it was Sigourney Weaver, I gave it another chance, but still an odd choice, I think. Forgivable though, as so much more in the series makes up for it, and it helps set the stage for those who are unfamiliar with the original movie. Much could be said about comparing this to the original, which is folly in some ways, for the original was literally made in “another world, another time” when it comes to technology and the limitations the filmmakers were faced with. The original laid the foundation, and since then we’ve had the collective consciousness of a legion of fans, plus novels, comics, and other lore to develop the world over 30+ years, while the technology has improved at the same time.
If anything, I was most nervous going in to Age of Resistance about the director, Louis Letterier, whose work I was unfamiliar with.
Overstreet:
I saw his The Incredible Hulk, and, except for the fact that Ed Norton was in it, I don’t remember anything. And that’s saying something, considering how much of the Ang Lee Hulk movie, which came out several years earlier, that I can remember vividly.
Priebe:
I tried watching scenes from Now You See Me and his Clash of the Titans remake, and couldn’t continue because the camera literally would not stop moving and it made me sick to my stomach. But I’ve been pleased to find that his directorial style has not spoiled his stamp on Dark Crystal, and his sweeping camera moves actually do allow us to explore the environments and hand-made detail of the sets, characters, and landscapes. It’s less restrained than Henson, but restrained enough to still bring us fully into this world. Even the action scenes are riveting and easy enough to follow without headaches. I think hiring a live-action director like him was ultimately a good choice, for as the documentary shows, he treated the puppets like real actors.
Overstreet:
It would be interesting to see a director with a particular, personal style take on material like this. But I imagine it’s hard to find a director who has the patience and expertise to work effectively with puppeteers and capture their intricately detailed work in a way that makes it feel natural and lifelike.
And in Episode One, I’m already surprised at how willing he is to dramatize the violent prequel narrative that was only implied in the original. More disturbing aspects of the story — like the Skeksis pursuit of Essence, which they drain from victims like vampires sucking blood — are portrayed in a way that makes me cringe about the thought of young children watching this. I was 12 when I saw The Dark Crystal in the theater, and I remember my dad thinking that it was too dark and creepy. I, of course loved it — but then, I’d read and seen Watership Down by that time, which is also considered too troubling for kids.
Priebe:
Without spoiling too much, I will say that as the series continues, it gets darker… and at times it gets weird. The “essence” of Jim Henson and his multi-faceted surrealism, playfulness, philosophy, humor, whimsy, and darkness is all over everything. I think his daughters Lisa and Cheryl have done their father a great service by spearheading this project. Jim would have loved it.
Overstreet:
And that, in itself, makes this new series easier to embrace than the recent Star Wars movies. I have to keep reminding myself, watching the J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson installments of the Skywalker saga, that this is not the way the story’s original visionary imagined things would go. These new films are fan fiction, at best.
Age of Resistance qualifies as ‘fan fiction,’ in my opinion, in that these are stories that were only partly imagined by the original artist. But there’s nothing wrong with fan fiction. Sometimes, the fans have better ideas than the original artists, and in fact they often understand the characters more deeply than the first authors.
Priebe:
Great galloping Gelflings, what they’ve done here with Dark Crystal goes worlds beyond what Star Wars has become, and as a prequel, these puppets are better actors than anyone George Lucas “directed” in his own prequels especially. Outside of The Last Jedi, which I still love, the new Star Wars films read more like Wikipedia pages and fanboy quote factories. But that’s a another conversation for another time.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance honors the original while improving upon it, and unlike most prequels, it doesn’t merely exist to show us “how things got that way.” For sure, there is still some of that to be found here, but it also graces us with new surprises to explore. Strap yourself in — you’re in for a wild ride.
Overstreet:
[long pause]
Okay, I’ve just watched Age of Resistance: Episode Two, and I’m even more surprised at their willingness to “go there” with the graphic violence. I won’t spoil anything specifically, but the last moment of Episode Two might’ve given me nightmares as a kid.
Priebe:
Just a bit, yes? So awesome, though. I showed that scene to my 10-year-old son, and he literally just said “What the heck? That’s creepy.” (Had he been a lot younger, I would have been like, “Yyyeah, you’re not ready for this.”
Overstreet:
More importantly, though, I’m surprised — and a little concerned — at the scale of the storytelling. There are so many characters, so many corners of the world of Thra coming to life, that I hope they don’t cast their net so widely that it’s hard to develop strong attachments. So far, Deet, Brea, and the Chamberlain seem like the most interesting and fully-developed characters. I’m following them most closely.
But the original only looked back on a story of genocidal violence from the Skeksis, and I guess it’s starting to sink in what must be done in the crafting of a prequel series. I’ve already seen some critics comparing this series to Game of Thrones, and I hope that they aren’t going to take it so far that I can’t recommend it for middle- and high-school-aged viewers.
Having said that, I’m amazed and delighted to see how the writers are devoted to developing a story that speaks with such immediacy and wisdom into the world’s current crises — and that they do so without winking at the audience. (The only clear nod to current events I’ve caught is when a Skeksis, brazenly stealing from the poor out of sheer cruelty, makes the poor sound like the real problem, and then shouts, “Sad! So sad!”)
Priebe:
It’s subtle, just enough to be relevant without making it the whole point. I see parallels to our current climate crisis in the dying world of Thra and rulers who deny it so they can hold on to their own power. I think of the “resistance” of young activists like Greta Thunberg traveling across the Atlantic Ocean to fight back (on the same weekend this series is released).
Overstreet:
Shifting our focus from big themes to smaller creative decisions: I was stunned to find out that Simon Pegg is doing the voice of The Chamberlain, that most wicked and conniving of Skeksis, because he’s imitating Barry Dennen’s voice work from the original perfectly. Similarly, Donna Kimball sounds just like Billie Whitelaw playing the role of Aughra. In both cases, I would’ve guessed that they’d brought back the same actors.
Priebe:
I know right? I am so amazed by this. Mark Hamill does a pretty wicked Scientist too, and you can tell he’s having a great time playing him. The only one who sounds a bit “off” to me is the Ritual Master Skeksis, compared to his original voice by Jerry Nelson (and that’s pretty hard to top). The voice cast overall though, it’s fantastic.
In the original film, most of the Skeksis are one-note baddies, with only the Chamberlain starring in a few extra scenes to further develop his character. This time, he is developed so much more, and not only him, but other Skeksis as well. The Emperor is far more well-rounded and layered than the snarling Garthim Master was.
Overstreet:
The wildernesses of Thra are coming alive with so many fantastic creatures. I had to laugh at the miniature version of Salacious Crumb who chews up library books, and Anne and I both thought that you’ve invented so many fantastic monsters and characters in your own work. Do you have any favorites in Age of Resistance so far?
Priebe:
There are so many characters I adored right away, especially Deet and Brea. In Episode Two, I love the Sifa Clan gelflings and the exchange between them and Brea in their tent. They reminded me of Marion and Belloq in Raiders. Other favorites of mine you shall meet in episodes to come!
Overstreet:
Obviously, I need to keep watching to the end. But I’m not a binge-watcher — not at all. When Twin Peaks: The Return came along, and made it last for weeks because I didn’t want to wake up to a world in which there were no new episodes. I think I saw you post that yo’ve already watched this thing all the way through twice!
Priebe:
If I fall in love with a show, the temptation becomes too great, possibly to my detriment. Twin Peaks of course was broadcast a week at a time to begin with, which I do prefer over having access to the entire season at once. I liked having that option of an episode each week. Makes it more of an event, like the old-school ways of television lore. We’ve become very spoiled.
Overstreet:
I just read a wonderful appreciation of this series by RogerEbert.com‘s Matt Zoller Seitz. He zoomed in on the opening scene of Episode Two, in which a Podling named Hup wakes up, gets dressed, and has breakfast. The attention to detail is glorious.
I’d like to hear from you in more detail, as an animator, what you appreciate most about the emphasis on hand-crafted puppets over digital animation. What’s something you notice, as the author of heavy textbooks on the art of stop-animation, that the casual viewer wouldn’t appreciate?
Priebe:
What I like about puppets is that they have presence. They are actually there in real space, with real textures, real materials, and real lights hitting them. Whether it be Dark Crystal, the Muppets, Coraline, or Isle of Dogs, I think audiences respond to these characters on a more subconscious level. Seeing real dolls twitching and wiggling onscreen triggers those memory pangs from playing with real stuffed animals, action figures, or dolls as children. We remember the sense of touch from plastic and fur on our fingers, and the weight of them in our hands, imagining they are alive… so when we see them come alive on screen, we relate to it in that way without realizing it.
But with that movement on screen also comes limitations, more so with characters like Kermit or Kira than with Coraline or the Fantastic Mr. Fox. As stop-motion puppets are articulated a frame at a time, with intricate armatures, details like lip sync can be more in tune with actual human speech. When making a sound like ooo or aaaa or ppp, animation can pinch or pucker the mouth for more naturalistic expression. Turn the sound off, and you may still be able to “read the lips” of an animated character, in any medium (2D or 3D included). But turn the sound off on the Muppets or Dark Crystal, and you may think they should sound like the aliens from Mars Attacks!: “ACK ACK ACK ACK.” Take that a step further with Mister Rogers’ puppets, and their mouths don’t even move at all!
For those of us who grew up with Sesame Street, the neighborhood of make-believe, or even one of my childhood obsessions from the ’80s, the animatronic characters from The Rock-afire Explosion at Showbiz Pizza Place, we understand this is a different medium and will behave differently. Today’s young generation may not tune in to this as much. My own kids even commented at scenes from Age of Resistance that “their mouths are just flapping.” I reminded them, it’s because they’re puppets, even though they’ve grown up with plenty of Muppets and “old dad-shows” themselves. How quickly we can forget, when the possibilities of digital animation are dominating most of what they see.
And yet, look at Japanese animation! In shows like Pokemon or the feature films of Hiyao Miyazaki, the whole style is based on mouths simply “flapping” without much articulated lip sync. The important thing to these filmmakers is simply that you know who is speaking. Perhaps because the Dark Crystal puppets are more detailed and life-like, we expect it should look more life-like.
But I don’t think it needs to. It’s still a puppet show. Jim Henson himself said “a puppet is a symbol of whatever you are wanting to portray, therefore an evil character can be totally evil, evil incarnate. You’re not dealing with a person or an actor you are imagining in that role. So there’s a kind of purity to it.”
When we watch a stage play or a physical puppet show, we bring to it a certain suspension of disbelief. Puppet films bring what you would normally do on stage into a cinematic realm where you can have close-ups, cut scenes, and other illusions the stage can’t give you. But it still has that texture and presence that digital worlds can’t give you. When they try too hard to mimic reality, they fail miserably.
You had a great post recently about the photo-realistic Lion King and that great quote from Georgia O’Keefe: “It is only by selection, by elimination, by emphasis, that we get at the real meaning of things.” I think the same interpretive symbolic nature of puppetry comes into play here, and why we respond to it. That’s a rather long-winded answer, but I geek out over this stuff.