The Power Of The Dark Crystal
May. 14th, 2005 09:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
filkertomIn an obvious attempt to reinvent a classic as a franchise, The Henson Co. is planning to make a sequel to The Dark Crystal. You may have to click through an ad, so here are the high points:
They've got David Odell back, working on the screenplay with someone named Annette Duffy -- no word of a director yet. Brian Henson is an exec producer. The Power of the Dark Crystal is set many years after the first film; Jen and Kira are king and queen, and somewhichwayhow the crystal gets split again and they have to Save The World. Release is set for 2007, and will be a combination of Muppetry and CGI. If it takes off, they plan to follow with an animated series and interactive games.
Thoughts?
They've got David Odell back, working on the screenplay with someone named Annette Duffy -- no word of a director yet. Brian Henson is an exec producer. The Power of the Dark Crystal is set many years after the first film; Jen and Kira are king and queen, and somewhichwayhow the crystal gets split again and they have to Save The World. Release is set for 2007, and will be a combination of Muppetry and CGI. If it takes off, they plan to follow with an animated series and interactive games.
Thoughts?
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 02:01 pm (UTC)(grumbling) Damn capitalists screwing with cinematic art.
A Little Too Thin?
Date: 2005-05-14 02:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 02:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 02:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 08:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-15 12:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-15 02:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 02:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 03:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 04:18 pm (UTC)Bad plan. No plan biscuit here.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 06:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 07:16 pm (UTC)I quite liked The Dark Crystal, but it's been a long time since I've looked at it, and my recollection is that at the time I thought it fascinating, worthwhile, but not entirely successful.
That being the case, I can't work up much in the way of moral outrage in advance of seeing the finished work. The Muppeteers are still doing quite a lot of good work, if not operating at the peak of Jim's powers.
Which is not to say that I am entirely comfortable with certain recent trends in the Muppetverse. You may have noticed that Kermit & friends are showing up on TV more often in recent years, after a long quiet spell -- witness, for instance, recent appearances on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and America's Funniest Home Videos, plus visits to several of the late-night talk shows. Thing is, if you've followed those at all, you might have noticed a distinct tendency toward more risque humor and a very occasional touch of mean-spiritedness in Muppet sarcasm. You can't, any longer, assume that anything Kermit says is suitable for a six-year-old's ears (although to be fair, the venues where this has been most noticeable are either way past kids' bedtimes or already known for adult-oriented humor -- the late Bergeron-era Hollywood Squares, for instance).
I won't prejudge either the new Dark Crystal project or next week's Muppet take on The Wizard of Oz. But these are not quite Brian's father's Muppets anymore, and not all of the evolution has been for the better.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 10:05 pm (UTC)I don't think that universe can stand another story based on the Crystal splitting. Way too mnuch like, say, Oooh! Here's another Ring!
(three page rant not deliverd)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 11:40 pm (UTC)As opposed to "here's a battle between good jedi and bad jedi" x 6?
On the fence. I think the sequel sounds too much like the original, and that's always like reusing a teabag - much paler and weaker.
On the other hand, I thought "toy gets lost and must be rescued by other toys" (ie, Toy Story 2) was a threadbare repeat and damn if it wasn't a great movie. Muppets don't suck by definition. (Can't wait for their take on the Wizard of Oz!)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-14 10:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-15 08:42 am (UTC)I liked Dark Crystal, but there is just no reason to make a sequel. Better that the Hensons try to recapture what make the Muppets work.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-15 12:43 pm (UTC)I think the most important comment is being missed
Date: 2005-05-15 05:57 pm (UTC)NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Ok. Another movie, fine. It will suck and so be it. But we have to be pelted with it sucking fifteen different ways, and the new generation going "Dark Crystal, I saw that on Tv, it sucked." and having no idea what your talking about.
This is not to mention
combination of Muppetry and CGI which only makes things worse. No magic here. just cheesy kid marketing ploys.
With exceptions that can be counted on your fingers, sequels are ALWAYS inferior. Always. (well, Always minus 8 or so) so why do they keep happening. As a general rule, I've actually stopped renting and watching them. I don't go to see them anymore. Star Wars being an exception, since he announced very early his plans to make 6, and since 2 (5) is actually better than 1.
Sequels and remakes are the bane of hollywood. How I wish they would go away. I never sall Constantine. I don't plan on seeing Willy Wonka. Dark Crystal 2..NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Making a movie as an excuse for merchandising, rather than merchandising because it's working out, is worse than sequels. Dark Crystal 1 was a critical failure box office wise. Dark Crystal 2 is being made ONLY because they want to make a cartoon/video game. They see it as cheap kid fare. Foo.
foo again.
I'll shut up now.