The Dark Crystal (1982)

 

On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and to restore order to his world.

From memory: Magnificently made puppeteer animation fantasy, not quite suitable for children, successfully creates a dark fairy-tale world and convinces with an endearing, mystical story.

Halliwell**: "Surprisingly effective piece of mysticism performed entirely by puppets from the Muppet stable."

Maltin***: "Elaborate fantasy - a cross between Tolkien and the Brothers Grimm - ...Takes time to warm up to, but worth the effort."