Reviews
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Stardust
Director: Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake)
Novel: Neil Gaiman
Screenplay: Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn
Producers: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Dreyer, Neil Gaiman, Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mark Strong, Robert DeNiro, Sienna Miller
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 128 min
read my spoiler disclaimer
reviewed by Andrew James
Surprisingly, a PG-13 rated movie shines through with Stardust. Although certainly not as great as its predecessors (Princess Bride, Narnia and a dash of Time Bandits), Stardust delivers on almost every level of what it is trying to accomplish; through great story telling, wonderful character(s), on the spot acting, nice effects and most importantly for this type of film, a quick pace that rarely slows down (especially the last 20 minutes or so).
Tristan (Cox) is a young shop keeper who dreams of bigger things and marrying the love of his life. The girl promises to marry him if he travels beyond the forbidden wall and through the countryside and bring back a fallen star that they saw shoot through the night sky. Little does Tristan know that several other parties are equally interested in what the fallen star might contain and they will stop at nothing to get it. And so sparks an adventure the likes of which no one has ever experienced; least of all Tristan, who may discover his real true love along the way.
The most noticeable aspect of Stardust are the familiar faces sprinkled throughout the film. Though the main character is fairly unrecognizable, the rest of the cast is filled with big names and fun, surprising cameos (which are unfortunately given away in the trailer). Michelle Pfeiffer is given a fairly unsexy role that is devlishly delightful and DeNiro has the best role he's had in the last ten years. Claire Danes is surprisingly charismatic as well and she really helps to brighten the screen (both literally and figuratively).
One thing that has hindered a few films as of late is the inclusion of far too many villains for our hero to deal with. It tends to make a plot watered down with little character depth, which takes away our satisfaction of hating a particular bad guy. With Stardust, there are several evil villains (technically eleven that are named), but for some reason it isn't distracting at all. Instead, because each villain is not only an enemy to our hero, but also villains to each other, it adds just the right amount of tension pulling from various directions; making us feel like we're caught right in the middle with the hero and must struggle to figure out how to emerge victorious.
With so many characters all trying to accomplish the same goal, it could've easily gone the way of Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3, which was a confusing mess of a storyline and ultimately completely boring because of it. Happily, the plot in this film stays right on track and we're aware of each character's thoughts and where they fit in with the story and exactly what they are trying to accomplish at every turn. It is just complicated enough to keep the audience interested, but not overwhelmingly convoluted.
The only slight problem I had with the movie was the fact that aside from some of the CGI effects, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching a glorified stage play; especially in the beginning scenes. The settings and props looked fake and the lesser known actors spoke their lines in a theatrical way that just made me feel like I was watching a big budget play. Of course this feeling waned as the story got more action oriented and full of special effects shots, but it was a little distracting at first.
The effects in the film are nice. Nothing shockingly gorgeous like in Pirates of the Caribbean or Transformers, but just the right amount and just slightly campy enough to make for a sparkly spectacle on screen. Sort of as if Terry Gilliam were to direct a Harry Potter film (actually, that's a great idea).
Perfectly rated at PG-13. Through most of the running time I thought what an excellent film that the entire family can enjoy. Then I started to realize that there are a couple of adult oriented themes and there is quite a bit of violence - not blood and gore, but still some fairly strong and brutal death scenes sprinkled throughout. Though I personally wouldn't have a problem bringing my nine or ten year old kid to this movie (if I had one), this is most certainly not a film for the little ones. The MPAA actually got something right this time.
It's easy to see the final ending of the story emerge in your mind an hour before its conclusion. Still, each individual sequence is surprisingly unpredictable. Everytime I thought I saw what was coming, I was wrong. I made a mental note of it the first time, and then it happened again and again. This is a very rare and refreshing treat coming from this type of film.
Though it didn't have me at hello, Stardust ultimately won me over with its terrific and suspenseful action sequences and tremendously charming characters and most notably a fun fairy tale of a story. Not having much to say, the story doesn't really have a whole lot for us to think about during the drive home and will likely be mostly forgotten by the end of the year. During the viewing though, you'll be lost in another world which is very often exactly what we want from the movie theater and Stardust delivers in spades... and swords.
Links:
IMDb.com - full cast and crew
Official Site
FLIXSTER PROFILE for Stardust
Next entry: Superbad Previous entry: The DaVinci Code
-
moviepatron.com is very the most informative. I loved your blog a lot. Thank you.
loans on 06/28 at 07:39 AM -
Your blog website is great. Give thanks to you greatly for delivering a great deal of priceless instruction. For certain i will bookmark your post and will be undoubtedly returning. Again, I admire all your work and sharing a great deal vital facts to the readers.
loans on 08/24 at 05:05 AM -
This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. This is very nice one and gives in-depth information. Thanks for this nice article
payday loans in canada on 09/22 at 12:52 AM -
Pretty perfect publish. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. myzjdyovhqc
no faxing loans on 09/22 at 11:50 PM -
Finally, an issue that I am passionate about. I have looked for information of this caliber for the last several hours. Your site is greatly appreciated.
no fax loans on 09/26 at 12:07 AM -
I’m happy to have found your very good article! I agree with some of your readers and will eagerly look forward to your coming updates. Just saying thanks will not just be adequate, for the wonderful lucidity in your writing. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay privy of any updates. Good work and much success in your business efforts.
loans canada on 09/26 at 09:52 AM -
Very useful article. Myself & my neighbor were preparing to do some research about that. We got a good book on that matter from our local library and most books were not as descriptive as your information. I am very glad to see such information which I was searching for a long time.
bad credit loan in canada on 09/26 at 10:38 PM -
I am doing something of the same interest and will be taking note on this .Thanks.
bad credit loans canada on 09/27 at 01:00 PM -
I’m happy to have found your quite fantastic article! I agree with some of your readers and will eagerly look forward to your coming updates. Just saying thanks will not just be adequate, for the fantastic lucidity in your writing. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay privy of any updates. First-rate work and much success in your business efforts.
loan in canada on 09/27 at 11:18 PM -
I am doing some thing of the same interest and will be taking note on this .Thanks.
payday loans ontario on 09/28 at 01:16 PM -
I will submit a link to this blog on my web page. I’m sure my readers will find this info really tremendous.
canada loans for bad credit on 09/29 at 12:18 AM -
I must say that overall I am rather taken with this web page. It is apparent that you know you subject matter and you are passionate about it. I wish I had got your ability to write. I have bookmarked your online site and look forward to more updates.
bc loan canada on 09/30 at 02:08 AM -
This web page is awesome. I continuously come across some thing new & different right here. Thank you for that data.
canadian loans on 10/01 at 02:17 AM -
This website is amazing. I constantly encounter some thing new & different right here. Thank you for that data.
loss weight on 10/02 at 10:44 AM -
I will post a link to this blog on my website. I’m sure my readers will find this info really great.
credit loans canada on 10/03 at 11:58 AM -
I will submit a link to this blog on my internet site. I’m sure my readers will find this info really fabulous.
bad credit loans online on 10/04 at 01:44 AM -
Thanks for high quality news! Your website is pretty useful for me. I bookmarked your webpage!
faxless payday loan on 10/04 at 08:46 AM -
Great post. Thank for sharing.
bad credit canada on 10/06 at 01:33 AM -
Pretty superior submit. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon.
payday loan online on 10/12 at 09:50 PM -
I must say that overall I am really taken with this site. It is apparent that you know you subject matter and you are passionate about it. I wish I had got your ability to write. I have bookmarked your internet site and look forward to more updates.
loans with bad credit on 10/13 at 11:53 AM -
A especially nice niche blog, and a high-quality design there sparks Simplicity yet complex algorithm of the world wide web. Thank You.
bad credit loans on 10/13 at 10:49 PM -
Thanks for making such a killer blog. I come on here all the time and am floored with the fresh information here.
loans calgary on 10/15 at 01:41 AM -
Awesome concepts on this internet site. It’s rare these days to find websites with data you are seeking. I am happy I chanced on this webpage. I will certainly bookmark it or even register for your rss feeds simply to be updated on your new posts. Maintain up the nice job and I’m sure some other folks researching valued information will actually stop by and benefit from your web page for resources.
bad credit loans canada on 10/15 at 11:09 PM -
Very well, the post is actually the sweetest on this deserving topic. I agree with your conclusions and will eagerly look forward to your incoming updates. Just saying thanks will not just be adequate, for the terrific clarity in your writing. I will at once grab your rss feed to stay informed of any updates. High quality work and much success in your business endeavors!
loan money on 10/17 at 12:22 AM -
Easily, the post is really the greatest on this laudable topic. I concur with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your future updates. Saying thanks will not just be sufficient, for the amazing lucidity in your writing. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay privy of any updates. Solid work and much success in your business enterprise!
payday loan application online on 10/18 at 05:22 AM