The Dark Crystal/YMMV

• Alternate Character Interpretation: The Skeksis, life draining tyrants who destroyed an entire race to preserve their lives or senile old aristocrats who are desperately trying to keep their own identity, but their other halves sent an agent to prevent this from happening.
  • They don't constantly plot the destruction of the earth, they eat (with very poor table manners) and have their own hobbies; and anyone (with a Middle Ages mindset) would try to prevent their own demise even if they weren't completely accurate on it.
    • And, y'know, they soul-rape innocent creatures and seem to enjoy it, but hey, don't let me interrupt the leather pants fitting.
• Complete Monster: SkekTek the Scientist is probably the most cruel and evil of all the Skeksis, seeing as his career is built around draining captured Podlings of their vital essence, reducing them to lifeless slaves. He then gives the essence - in liquid form - to the Emperor to drink and restore his youth... only briefly. Even worse, in one novelization he claims he intends not to give the Emperor Kira's essence, planning to drink it himself. Not to mention whatever experiments he keeps all the animals in his lab for.
  • SkekNa the Slave Master, is described to be the only Skeksis to have been pure evil from the beginning, considering his occupation; it's hard not to see why.
    • SkekEkt the Ornamentalist despite being easily frightened and flamboyant is one as in the novelization, he has a collection of Gefling heads and when choosing a chorus of Podlings, he has the rest killed.
      • All of Skeksis could qualify for this, as they drain the essence of the land, turn Podlings into slaves and commenced a mass murder of a race out of paranoia of a prophecy that actually meant something else.
• Crowning Music of Awesome: The WHOLE soundtrack.
• Cult Classic: Reviewers have said that this is a visually stimulating film, but is one of Jim Henson's most underrated works.
• Fridge Horror: Those Landstriders they summon for transport, who later die fighting off the Garthim? Their cubs are left behind, presumably to fend for themselves.
  • What the Scientist does to those poor animals.
    • More of Fridge Sadness, since the Mystics and Skeksis are the same being, when you consider the posthumous Mystics probably died due to their counterparts Skeksis being killed off in petty schemes or battles with the Geflings.
• Heroic Blue Screen of Death: Jen has one. He healed the Crystal, but Kira is dead. She comes back, but still... not to mention everything going crazy in the castle that makes one wonder if Jen actually succeeded.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: In Age of Resistance, the hammy Sheksis Emperor claims, "I WILL NEVER BECOME DUST!" Which is exactly what happens to him in the movie, when he dies of old age, a weak, pathetic shell of what he is in the series.
• Nightmare Fuel: It's scary enough to see the Scientist drain the essence from the unnamed Podling; the scene where he's about to do it to Kira - someone the viewers likely have far more concern for - is downright terrifying.
  • That is, until she fights back...
• Nostalgia Filter: Many a reviewer on Netflix admits that it hasn't exactly stood the text of time. Some even regret ruining their fond memories and wish they had never rewatched it.
• Sufficiently Advanced Alien: The urSkeks. The companion book suggests that they are not native to the planet.
• Uncanny Valley: The Gelflings are closer to human in appearance than any of the other puppets -- and perhaps for that very reason, some viewers tend to find them the least convincing.
  • The gelfling muppets have no capability for facial expressions, which is darn odd for the main character when considering the amount of effort put into the others.
• Viewer Gender Confusion: SkekEkt the Ornamentalist.
• Vindicated by Cable: A rather underwhelming theatrical release but it did much better in syndication and DVD.
• Visual Effects of Awesome: Admit it, the effects and world building on display here is darn impressive.
• What Do You Mean It's Not for Kids?: That is, not for young kids (age 3-5). Despite Jim Henson being the director, this movie is no Sesame Street (or Muppet Show for that matter). The story is pretty dark for a Jim Henson production and there are some scenes in it that can be considered unsuitable for young viewers, like when the Skesis drain the Podlings and Kira of their vital essence.
• Woobie YMMV, but for the first hour of the movie the chamberlain isn't shown doing anything evil, except for that whimper of his. And twice tries to talk peace with the heroes. It's hard not to feel a little for even a bad guy when he says he comes in peace and in return the hero stabs him. Also he was stripped of his rank and clothing, so it was easier to pity him.
  • Though it turns out he was right to do. Although, you'd be pissed if someone stabbed your hand.
    • the real Moral Event Horizon is when he sells Kira out to the scientist in order to increase the new emperor's lifespan through an unsettling drainage ritual.
  • Jen and Kira being the only known survivors of the Gefling race
    • The Mystics being the good halves of the Urkskek that make up them and the Skeksis probably have seen several of their fellows die suddenly without much reason and likely knowing what the Skeksis are planning, but are too peaceful to do anything.