I am not sure how to write this review. I love puppets, and The Jim Henson Company is the best in the business. What I am saying is that there are some serious biases here, but that aside, you should watch The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Puppets or otherwise, the show is an amazing original high fantasy epic that doesn’t require you to have watched the movie from thirty years ago (though you still should, but maybe after watching the show).
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance takes place quite some time before the movie. The show never says exactly how long, but I am guessing a few decades at least. The world of Thra is being ruled by the exploitative and cruel Skeksis, and the peace loving Gelfling are oblivious to the Skeksis crimes. Until Rian (Taron Egerton) witnesses their evil first hand and seeks to start a rebellion.
The first thing you will notice about Age of Resistance is that everything looks ‘real’. Computer generated imagery has become so ubiquitous, that seeing real sets and characters is a breath of fresh air. The next thing you will notice is how great the world of the Dark Crystal is. Yes, it is dark, but not overbearingly so. The darkness allows the light to shine brightly. All the creatures, languages, social structures and everything work so well and are well thought out. This was clearly an act of love by all involved.
The vocal cast pretty much includes everyone. It is just top talent from start to finish, and they all do marvelous jobs, but the real heroes are the puppeteers who bring this TV show to live. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance wouldn’t work without them, and the fact that there are still so many talented puppeteers out there is amazing.
I could gush about this show for a long time, and I kind of want to, but it wouldn’t be adding anything of value to this review. It looks amazing, sounds great, and the world is fantastic, so you should watch The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Though keep in mind due to the puppet violence, it may not be suitable for younger viewers, but being scared stiff by The Dark Crystal at a young age is something that happened to all kids of the 80’s, and it now can and should happen to a new generation.