So this was an idea that both ssjcharon and I discussed, but then we ditched for it being too complicated. Until I said “To hell with it!” and just did it, because it’s an idea that deserved to be drawn. Besides I wanted to draw Birbs, and in question a set of Birbs from <span class="caps">MLP</span> that I hadn’t drawn before (those being Queen Novo, Gustav le Grande, and Gabby). I think the end result was fine, and it was a good amount of fun to draw a changeling turned into a griffon. That green beak serves as a glow stick whenever there’s a power cut. Drawing folds on the table cloth was a good amount of fun too btw, it may not look it but I enjoyed myself drawing them, and the shading fell on them super nicely too.

So what do I say about “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance“without breaking it into a million pieces? Just like expanding a universe beyond its original concept, talking about it is opening a door to breaking it apart, and most likely ruin it in the process. You might understand that this will be a cop out of a review, because while I have an issue with the show there’s no denying the amount of craft, attention to detail and love that’s put on this series. Let’s start with that.

The amount of care that’s put on this show is unprecedented, from the production design to the puppetry, to the voice acting. There are shots in this that made me do a double and triple take (many rewinds) because of the sets and settings that were being presented. Sure there are some parts where <span class="caps">CGI</span> extensions were used, and sometimes the green screen is a bit obvious, but it’s so in a fun fantasy movie sort of way. The puppetry effects however, are flawless. Ten minutes in and I had forgotten these characters were puppets, which goes hand in hand with the stellar quality of the voice acting. At first I thought the amount of celebrities was a bit worrying, since you know how it is sometimes with actors. They join a project just for a pay check and then move onto other venues that suit their interests best, but that’s not the case here. Everyone is great, especially Simon Pegg as The Chamberlain. Dude. That man is scary. That impression of the Chamberlain was freaking me out, so good it was. Mark Hammill as The Inventor is delightful as always, Jason Isaacs as The Emperor is so good, and Ralph Ineson as The Hunter is such an absolute beast. You might have noticed I’ve mentioned only the Skeksis in this regard, and while the voice acting for the Gelflings is equally as good (I swear, the pathos of Taron Egerton almost killed me in several moments) I can’t say the same thing about their characters.

And here’s my biggest issue with the show. The heroes are an absolute flat line. While the voice acting is excellent the characterization isn’t so much. Not that they are not characterized enough, but quite the opposite. They are given way too much, to the point that it overflows them and turns into white noise. Their world building is fine, but it’s not different from what I’ve seen before. In an attempt to make them complex and interesting the end result is rather too much, the similarities between being undercooked and overcooked. This is a considerable gripe, since the original movie kind of spoils the fates of all these characters, so maybe it was just me or maybe it was my subconscious, but I wasn’t getting that attached to any of them. Compare this with the villains, who are simple and straight forward, but so much of their character is given through their actions. I was much more familiar and engaged with the motivations of the bad guys than I was with the good guys, and I can’t say the same thing about anything else I’ve seen this year! It’s kind of weird, but that’s perhaps the one and only issue I’ve encounter with this otherwise spotless show.

While the balance between heroes and villains is kind of out of whack, there’s enough strength in this show to keep any fans (old and new) engaged from start to finish. Sure it’s not perfect, but neither was the original movie, and its respect to the source material makes this one a very soulful, engaging and interesting watch.