Movie Review: Stardust
May 1st, 2008 by admin
- Director: Matthew Vaughn
- Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Romance
- Year: 2007
When I was first made privy to a short amount of footage from this movie at the Comic-Con I was just a little bit worried. Yes, it was based on Neil Gaiman’s book by the same title and it had been adapted by the author himself and not only that, he had taken an active role in the production. And at the helm was Matthew Vaughn, better known for directing Layer Cake and producing Guy Ritchie gems Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. One look at the cast and you knew you had something special: Clare Danes, Robert DeNiro, Peter O’Toole, Ian McKellen, Michelle Pfieffer…
…everything about this film was pointing in the right direction and yet, when I saw the footage I was left with a bit of hesitation.
Thankfully, one sitting through the movie dispelled all those worries and though there are a couple of things that I would have changed or done slightly different, this movie is an absolute must see for any fantasy fan and the originality of Gaiman’s world and characters shines through nearly flawlessly!
The story has to do with a young man (Charlie Cox), who promises the girl he loves (Sienna Miller), a fallen star, willing to cross the forbidden wall to fetch it. Upon crossing the wall, he finds himself in a fantastic world where things are done just a little bit different and things are not always what they seem, such as the fact that the star he seeks is not a rock at all but a beautiful woman (Clare Danes). He captures her and races against time and other villains with their own agenda, to try to deliver his star. All the while, taking in some key life lessons along the way.
With solid acting, great directing, good visual effects and a good dose of humor, this movie will most definitely entertain and likely be one to be added to your collection.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Notes: Some fantastic elements, a couple of questionable issues that young children may worry about. Some frightening images, certainly a family film but one that parents will want to watch along with their kids to answer any questions that may come up.
Quote: Narrator: A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?” Pointless, really… “Do the stars gaze back?” Now *that’s* a question.