In 1982, Jim Henson and Frank Oz redefined fantasy filmmaking with The Dark Crystal, an ambitious, puppet-driven movie that tells a wondrous story about an ancient world on the brink of destruction or salvation. In the post-Game of Thrones fantasy licensing frenzy, it would have been easy for Netflix to snap up the rights to the Dark Crystal world, make a cheap knockoff, and count on nostalgia to lure viewers. Instead, Clash of the Titans and The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier has produced a true labor of love. The series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance builds on everything that made the film great, and it has the potential to become a classic in its own right.
The Dark Crystal, set on the dying world of Thra, followed two…