Preceding the fantastical excellence of Labyrinth was that of Jim Henson's archetypal endeavor, The Dark Crystal; an equally exuberant fantasy set in a mythical world rife with all manner of creature both good and evil. It's both surreal and dream-like and offers in incomparable amount of detail across every section of celluloid. Unless one hates the use of imagination in film, it's practically impossible not to appreciate The Dark Crystal. It's absolutely an enjoyment to watch, but it's another thing to understand the work and meaning behind everything Henson was conveying with this magical picture. Jim Henson based many of his ideas for the Dark Crystal off of Jane Roberts' Seth Material, a New Age collection of philosophy that observed channeling as an actual possibility. With the film, it was screenwriter David Odell's belief that Henson was trying to develop a different means of viewing reality by having a good mystic part and evil materialistic part reunited after a long separation. From the architectural designs of each new realm to the awe-inspiring craftsmanship of one beast to another, The Dark Crystal has so much going on that its lore might reach as deep as something akin to The Hobbit. While the kind-hearted Gelfling Jen is a fine little hero to stand behind, the real star of the show are the Skeksis. Both hilarious and repulsive, these bird-like creatures harness the power of the almighty Dark Crystal to replenish themselves as well as hinder any lesser beings from progression. Originally designed to embody the seven deadly sins, The Skeksis are a hierarchal clan which seek power even if it means screwing over their own. One of Dark Crystal's most twisted depictions of cruelty comes when they literally strip a fellow Skeskis of rank; his ear-shredding warbles echo through the chamber as numerous claws rip the clothes and robes from his body until only a frail, naked body remain.