With its "animatronics" technology, Jim Henson's 1982 film, The Dark Crystal, in both form and theme depicts key elements of David Leeming's description of the hero myth's rites of passage in The World of Myth: An Anthology. As in Leeming's rites of passage, in this film the protagonist's heroic experiences lead him to "wholeness" and "full individuation" (220). At the formal level, by concealing puppet strings, providing puppets with exceptionally life-like and fluid motions, and creating convincingly …showed first 75 words of 933 total…

…showed last 75 words of 933 total…story, her tendency to trust her intuition, and her harmonious relationship with the natural environment, all play a pinnacle role in Jen's ability to complete his journey. Ultimately, with these rites of being born in a time of need, of being called to adventure, and of experiencing great trials, as well as with the animatronics technology, Henson's Jen, like Gepetto's famous puppet, Pinocchio, experiences the process of individuation, becoming both whole and (almost) wholly human.