Some aspects are really cool and fun, some are really cheesy, which ends up with this movie not being as good as it could have been, but still good. At least it's got a bit of that Gaiman darkness in it.
to all the hopeless romantics out there (just like me), this movie is one fairy tale that'll definitely melt your heart and bring out the mushiest side of you.
this love story is about a young man named tristan who goes on a quest to win the heart of victoria, a spoiled and arrogant lady who takes advantage of her loyal suitor. tristan's journey leads him past the guarded wall of his village and to yvaine, the fallen star his beloved victoria asked for. and as he takes her with him to get back in time for victoria's birthday, they experience an adventure crossed by brothers fighting for a coveted throne, evil witches, pirates and a long lost mother.
along the way, yvaine will teach tristan what true love is all about and, in the end, he will discover a destiny bigger than he imagined for himself and the person his heart belongs to.
this movie has everything i enjoy watching: a magical plot, crazy adventures, a sprinkle of humor and, of course, an epic love story. the best scene would have to be the part where yvaine professes her love to tristan (who was transformed into a mouse). claire danes, who plays yvaine, nailed every word and each pause. it couldn't be any more perfect.
A bit long by the end, I certainly like it better than the princess bride, wich I never understand why it was so popular.. With a wonderful story full of imagination and creativity, a well-done direction, a perfect cast, enough jokes, action, suspense, romance and else, this is the ultimate and perfect fantasy movie! I completely fall in love with it, beyond my expectaction and at my big surprise!
Loved it! Really fun fantasy story with all the right parts. Has some really great humorous parts to it. And such a cute love feeling. Even if you don't like it watch just so you can see Robert De Niro in drag.
Stardust, based on the acclaimed illustrated novel by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, takes viewers to the mystical land of Stormhold, where stars walk, ships fly, and magic is real. A fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, Stardust leavens its mature fairy tale with elements of romance, horror, and comedy. There's less whimsy to be found here than in The Princess Bride, but the film is likely to appeal to the same group of older children and adults that appreciated Rob Reiner's classic.
Stardust adopts its basic storyline from Gaiman and Vess' beautifully rendered 1997 novel. Much has been changed and condensed but the essentials remain the same. Tristan (Charlie Cox) is a young Englishman who longs to win the hand of Victoria (Sienna Miller). She makes a bargain with him: If he will bring her a shooting star fallen to Earth, she will reject her other suitor in his favor. Tristan agrees and begins a journey across a mysterious wall and into the realm of Stormhold, where magic holds sway. The fallen star, Yvaine (Claire Danes), walks and talks and isn't happy about having been knocked out of the firmament. Tristan promises to find her a way home if she will accompany him to Victoria. But others are after Yvaine as well. The witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) wants to cut out her heart in order to gain eternal life and youth. And Septimus (Mark Strong), the heir to Stormhold's throne, needs a necklace Yvaine wears to finalize his coronation. Friends are few and far between, but a reliable one is found in the person of the cross-dressing Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro), who commands a lightning-collecting airship. (The segment on his ship seems more like Time Bandits than The Princess Bride.)
Although the film may appear, at first glance, to be a family film, it contains enough content to make it a dubious choice for young children. There are sequences of mild horror, in which characters die, sometimes gruesomely. Some of the humor is also designed with an older audience in mind, such as the cross-dressing and attitude of gay Captain Shakespeare. In the end, this is very much a fairy tale in the truest sense of the term, with plenty of the darkness left in that is often expunged from such stories.
As a fantasy romance, Stardust contains all the requisite elements: true love, mystical creatures, magic-wielding harridans, shape changing animals, and a quest. The comedy is uneven. Some of it, such as the bickering between the spectral brothers of Septimus or the antics of a billygoat-turned-human, is worthy of a laugh or two. Other elements, such as Captain Shakespeare's over-the-top frolicking and dancing in women's clothing, seems like it belongs in another movie (and, in fact, was not part of the book). The darker elements are nicely modulated. They're not graphic but they convey the point.
The set design successfully replicates the look and feel of the book. Combined with Ian McKellan's smooth narration, Stardust transports viewers to another world. The special effects aren't on the level of The Lord of the Rings, but their application is sufficient to tell the story. Director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) put a lot of effort into making Stormhold into a traditional fantasy setting. (This, incidentally, is the movie that Vaughn elected to do instead of the third X-Men tale.)
The cast is impressive, and includes many luminaries from both sides of the Atlantic. The leads are played by a wonderful Claire Danes (using an effective British accent), who shines as a star, and an understated and relatively unknown Charlie Cox. High-profile Americans include Robert De Niro, who seems to be enjoying himself immensely, and Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays against character as an out-and-out villain. The U.K. contributes Rupert Everett, Sienna Miller, and Ricky Gervais in supporting roles. Then there's Peter O'Toole, whose entire part consists of lying in bed dying. Those who have seen Venus will get the joke, although I wonder whether Vaughn was in on it.
The success of the Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter movies have elevated fantasy from a niche film genre into the mainstream, but Stardust is a little of a throwback to how fantasy movies used to be before the emergence of the multi-part epic serials. It's a lighter, simpler sort of tale. Despite just cracking the two-hour barrier, the film is paced and edited in such a way that the story always seems to be moving forward and there is no sense of drag or a letdown. Stardust isn't as visionary an accomplishment as this year's bloody fantasy 300, but it nevertheless honors the illustrations that inspired its appearance. It's a kinder and gentler achievement but, in the midst of overbudgeted, over-hyped sequels, it's a fresh and welcome entertainment.
A realistic fairy tale! I really love the concept of women as stars. It also kinda explain that when a star falls to our ordinary world, it only becomes stardust. But when it falls into a magical line, like in this movie -the Stormhold kingdom, its true form is revealed, a woman! A very alive woman, beautiful, and most important of all, able to love and be loved. This is the best real-life fairy tale ever!!!
Stardust is possibly one of my favorite films! It is such a creative, fun and magical movie! Great costumes, set and acting! This movie transports you from your chair to the heavens to hidden kingdoms. Everyone should see this film!
Even though the storyline seems one from a child's fairy tale book, the cinematography, acting, special effects, and directing was first-class. A must-watch.
This truly is a film that brought memories back of my childhood, meaning some darn good storytelling! This film fell below the radar for its brand of humor, more intricate subplots, and differing of the cliched fantasy films being churned out withing the past 8 years or so. The unknown male lead was a smart turn and Claire Danes is such a sweet girl. Pfeiffer turns an especially purrfect role and the sphinx eyed viillain-ess! I didn't realize how much I missed her in films! DeNiro does a truly different and memorable turn as the pirate captain. This film is part Pirates, part Princess Bride, part, Neverending Story, part, 10th Kingdom, part Hook. I just love it!! Finally good old fashioned storytelling makes a comeback!!
It looks fun, but it isn't. I'm not usually one for subtext, but this is the most offensively misogynistic film I have ever seen. Every single female character is either malicious and unpleasant, a total slut or inferior and subordinate to men - which isn't even addressed by the finale, and when the Captain Shakespeare, who we know to be proficient at swordplay, puts on a dress, he instantly becomes weak and ineffectual.
Other than this, Stardust is still a boring, patronising, cliched mess about a young man who travels into a fantasy world to get a fallen star to impress his love. The narration is distracting and pointless and the music too loud so the dialogue is drowned. The plot leaps ahead with no set up, there are too many characters and none are developed. The whole finale is terrible and makes no sense, and the by-this-point-loathsome Tristan actually hides and watches Septimus be murdered, despite the fact that he is supposed to be the hero.
On the plus side, the special effects are pretty good and the whole seven princes plot is extremely funny. A shame it is barely focused on.
So, offensive but mainly just rubbish, it says a lot that the most interesting thing I found in this dull film was the adorably bug-eyed dormouse that Tristan gets turned into at one point for no reason. What a loud dud.
This movie surprised me. Very well done. The stroy is great and the magical graphics match. I like how nothing seems out of place and the movie never feels boring. This is definatly making my favorite list. After watching it through I really did think about watching it through again. A must watch and very family friendly.
Fairytales will always be favorites of mine. This one was well done. Costuming was pretty and scenery was good. Story line was what I would expect of a fairytale. Well, done.
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