Is it even necessary to elaborate on this fellow? Jim Henson is the man, the shit, the tits, the one and only. He has been beloved worldwide for close to half a century for his brilliance and imagination. His characters and scenes take even adults into a world of fabulous fantasy.
His ability to create detailed sets and motion of objects is flawless. Whichever of his timeless classics you adore, it is the common consensus that no one does it like Jim.
Puppetry, especially Henson's way, is an elaborate process that seems to be almost a combination of animation and directing live actors, only far more complicated. Henson's scenes are so seamless that we forget that they involve not only lavish sets and well-choreographed characters, but also the multiple human individuals controlling those characters just out of sight, often at least two or three people to one puppet. The puppets themselves range from tiny to ones taller than people.
With pictures such as The Labyrinth or The Dark Crystal, we see a much more sinister side to Henson's mind. Instead of the bright-colored fluffy puppets of Fraggle Rock and The Muppet Show, these creatures are hard and slimy, dwelling in the hard underground cities or dusty castles, their minds filled with sinister plots far above the heads of children. It goes without saying that Jennifer Connely and David Bowie add a lot to The Labyrinth too, but if I start talking about the fact that he refused to wear a modest codpiece under his tights, I will never get back on topic.
With the Dark Crystal, the puppets are so lifelike and believable that it makes the film all the more frightening and poignant. Henson creates an all-too believable world in which we are easily able to suspend our disbelief, in spite of the complete lack of live actors and familiar settings.
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| I am a certified black belt in Ju Jitsu, but I never knew it could be so glamorous, or that it could be done in wedges and opera gloves. |
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