Stardust

August 10, 2007

Rated: PG-13 Runtime: 128 min Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

STARDUST is based on the graphic novel by comic-book and fantasy writer Neil Gaiman (THE SANDMAN).

Stardust In the 1850s, the remote English town of Wall (So named because there’s a wall around it) has a secret. On the far side of the wall is a magical land where it’s All Rennaissance Festival, All The Time.

Tristan, a villager in Wall, is a shopboy in love with Victoria, who loves another. When they see a shooting star, she tells him that if he brings her that star, she’ll marry him.

He ventures beyond the wall into the magical land, and has a series of adventures. He soon learns that the fallen star has assumed human form, in the comely shape of Yvaine (Claire Danes). So, to fulfill his promise, he has to tow her back to Victoria.

Along the way, they encounter various setbacks. Including a murderous king’s murderous heirs, an evil witch (Michelle Pfieffer) who wants the star’s power for herself, and a group of sky-pirates led by a Pirate King, of sorts (Robert De Niro).

This is a fun movie that plays out like a less farcical, more magical PRINCESS BRIDE LITE. At first, it’s slathering on the magical whimsy pretty thickly (it’s like being a captive audience at an entire season of Cirque du Soleil). But it gets better as it goes along.

I had read the novel this is based on years back. It was a decent read but not particularly memorable; I’d largely forgotten what it was about by the time I saw this, and purposely didn’t refresh my memory, to see how it viewed without comparing it to the book.

This is a lot more accessible than Gaiman’s last movie, MIRRORMASK. That one, though interesting, perhaps was best recommended if you were a fan of Neil Gaiman. This will hopefully find a wider audience.

Posted by Mack Guffin | Filed Under 3 Stars, Action, Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Comedy, Michelle Pfieffer, PG-13, Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller, Theatrical