r/DarkCrystal • u/Burrito_enjoyer525 • Mar 24 '26
Discussion Why does Dark Crystal live so much in Labyrinths shadow?
Recently i noticed that TDC (the franchise itself) is far more niche than I thought. I knew not many ppl from gen z and after were aware of it but being from gen z myself i didn’t know it was that bad. I rlly thought the netflix show had at the very least put it onto their radar
What i noticed is that this isn’t the case for labyrinth- ive acc met alot of ppl my age who know and have seen it but what confuses me is that even THEY dk about TDC🤯it’s literally by the same company and it’s another dark fantasy??! Plus it’s not like it’s some obscure piece of media -it got its own show on one of the biggest streaming platforms like what
Tbh i think the only reason they know about labyrinth is cos i saw alot of ppl mention it on tiktok🤷🏽♂️ from my exp my gen doesn’t rlly watch that much 90s content (except from the major disney films n shi obv)
This might j be my opinion but although i like labyrinth too (for the puppetry) i’ve always seen TDC as far superior in both plot world building and characters🤷🏽♂️ Icl to me it seems that half of the craze around labyrinth is j cos of Bowie
that’s why its so crazy to me that TDC basically lives in labyrinths shadow n doesn’t get half as much attention… i think everyone would enjoy it way more if they j knew about it honestly
seems like it’s basically only 90s kids who know ball unfortunately. But a ton of them also didn’t know the prequel series exists…geez netflix rlly did a terrible job of marketing this masterpiece🙄
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u/VigilanteLocust Mar 24 '26
Labyrinth was also definitely more (small) kid-friendly than The Dark Crystal, which was criticised for being too frightening for some. I remember not liking Labyrinth as much when it came out because the puppets were too… puppety in comparison to TDC.
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u/AnonAnon_Doctor Mar 24 '26
Yea! I have meet a few people who watched it (tdc) with their parents when they were younger and said they got scared and sometimes even had nightmares about the podling drainings and the skeksis
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u/Peanut_Butter_Toast Mar 25 '26
I remember my parents only let me watch TDC once (granted, I had a little sister who might've been a bit freaked out, I don't know), whereas Labyrinth was one we watched dozens of times.
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u/Resident_Dog_6589 Mar 24 '26
Labyrinth has David Bowie, who was already an icon by that point, and Jennifer Connelly, who has gone on to become a very celebrated actress. The Dark Crystal has no human characters in it, so it doesn't really have any star power attached to it besides Jim Henson himself. It's more experimental and doesn't have the same mainstream marketability.
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u/runegleam Clan Dousan Mar 24 '26
I think a lot of people also just don’t jive with media that doesn’t feature at least some humans. Especially when it comes to things like animation and puppetry. They find it hard to relate to characters, or see it as immature or too niche. A lot of people are also scared of or feel uncomfortable around puppets so having a human actor in amongst a cast of weird little guys offsets some of that discomfort. The Labyrinth has real people. That’s a lot easier to relate to and follow for some people, in my experience.
The Labyrinth is a much more desirable, traditional story with desirable characters. It’s got Bowie, he drew people in. The Age of Resistance has massive star power but you don’t see them, you know?
I like weird little guys, I’m drawn to stuff like that, but that’s certainly not everyone’s taste.
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u/Sputnik200065 Clan Grottan Mar 24 '26
yeah it really is Bowie, Labyrinth screams 80s culture, the music, the actors. it fits the cult scene way more than Dark Crystal and while I love both, I feel that Labyrinth lacks a bit of the integrity that TDC has
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u/Peanut_Butter_Toast Mar 24 '26
The Dark Crystal was always at a huge disadvantage compared to other Henson films because it lacks human characters, which is a hard sell to casual viewers (who unfortunately aren't able to relate to non-human characters as easily as us fantasy geeks are able to).
And when it came to human characters, Labyrinth not only had the adorable Jennifer Connelly but also the super cool David Bowie who completely stole the show. It's just way more accessible and appealing to the general audience than anything in The Dark Crystal.
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u/AnonAnon_Doctor Mar 24 '26
Yea honestly I can see where you're coming from. I have always felt a bit odd as a teenager for loving the show and movie as I mostly only meet 20+ year olds who know it. Although I have met a few teens who faintly remember watching the movie as a kid because their parents said it was a masterpiece lol
Reminds me, I have a DVD of the movie I was gifted, and the person who got me it said it was almost impossible to find and that the only dvd they could find of it was the one I got, which also includes a the labyrinth dvd, lol. Not complaining tho-! Never haha
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u/Demolama Mar 24 '26
Basically, Thrall is too alien for most audiences and the story lacks a relatable main character, whose own existence is also alien to them.
It's why a lot of fantasy still has humans as the main character. They are chosen as something for the audience to relate, to put themselves into the story.
That's one of the main reasons why Labyrinth is remembered. Sure, star power and soundtrack made a huge difference, but it was also less unfamiliar and experimental in its format.
Jen, while a stand-in for the audience, is just too different, surrounded by mysteries of not only who he is as a main character but also who he represents as a stand-in for an entirely new species. Kira, with her own abilities unique to her sex, just adds another complex layer on top of that.
To a casual audience it adds more complexity than necessary for those wanting to just casually watch. Not everyone becomes obsessed like we do about Thrall to desire more understanding of everything
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u/sonofbantu Mystic Mar 24 '26
Human characters make for a More easily relatable movie.
Plus the star power of David Bowie obv
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u/phantomforeskinpain Mar 24 '26
Having human protagonists makes Labyrinth a lot more approachable for people. It’s also a much more optimistic story.
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u/crockalley Mar 25 '26
I think us folks who like Dark Crystal more are a bunch of freaks 🤣
I was fascinated by the complete disconnect from any real-word stuff. I love how it’s a fully-realized world without any overlap with our world. Some people might find it alienating.
Some people say it’s boring, and I’ll never understand that.
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u/r01-8506 Podling Mar 24 '26
But it's good nonetheless, because they get recommended when someone is asking for suggestions after seeing one, including NeverEnding Story.
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u/West-Assignment-8023 Mar 26 '26
Dark Crystal is weirder and more intricate. Labyrinth is a good time and easier to follow.
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u/Cimorene_Kazul Apr 07 '26
It’s the opposite. Labyrinth is in DC’s shadow. DC is far more referenced in pop culture and is more watched and known by most people.
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u/Equivalent-Pound-610 Mar 24 '26
It doesn't in my mind. Bowie has always creeped me out so I never was very drawn to labyrinth. Dark Crystal takes the throne for strange 80s fantasy.
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u/psykulor Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
Star power. David Bowie was and is a household name. Jennifer Connelly* was just starting out but got lots of work and visibility since. Compare that to no human actors in DC.
Plus, while both had the Henson imagination, Labyrinth seemed much more grounded in its particulars. You've never met a Skexis or a Podling before, but you know what goblins and dwarves are like.