Stardust
Reviewer: Jordan Brown
Issue 101 March 2008
(6 votes, average: 7.67 out of 10)
click on the stars to submit your rating
Loading …
Star power.
The Lowdown: Journeying into a magical realm to retrieve a fallen star for his beloved Victoria, Tristan finds the beautiful Yvaine in the centre of the crater instead of the rock he expected. With multiple villains after the ‘star’, the pair tries to evade capture while discovering their feelings for one another.
Review: Few people could have expected Matthew Vaughn to direct a $65 million budget, ensemble-cast fantasy epic. While the Layer Cake director has proven to be a dab hand when it comes to directing British gangster films, you’d be forgiven for scepticism regarding the guy helming Stardust. However, if you count yourself among the doubters then you’re in for a pleasant surprise.
Based on Neil Gaiman’s novella, the film takes place 150 years ago in the English town of Wall. Sat with his beloved Victoria, young lad Tristan witnesses a star falling to Earth. Offering to collect it in exchange for Victoria’s hand in marriage, he ventures out of the town in search of the intergalactic rock. Finding the stunning maiden Yvaine sat in the crater instead, he’s soon off on a whirlwind adventure evading witches and princes who want to harness the girl’s magical power for their own dubious ends. With nutty scenarios and barmy characters peppering the quest (Ricky Gervais’ con-man Ferdy, Robert De Niro’s cross-dressing pirate Captain Shakespeare), Stardust is a wacky, zany and utterly charming riot. Still, if one thing stands out as the film’s shining glory, it’s Michelle Pfeiffer’s turn as evil, seductive witch Lamia. Oozing a sinister sexiness, she hasn’t been quite so enjoyable since she donned all that PVC for Batman Begins. On the downside, the disc isn’t exactly inundated with extras. But when the feature is this much fun, you won’t want anything to spoil the magic.
FILM: 8 EXTRAS: 3
DVD Info:
Certificate: PG
Starring: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller, Michelle Pfeiffer
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn, 2007
Distributor: Paramount
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 100 mins
Price: £19.99
Special Features:
Scene Selection
Audio Commentary With Writer Jane Goldman & Director Matthew Vaughn
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Great film. De Niro steals it.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Very plesant movie, kids loved it too. Michelle Pfeifer looks lovely even when a few hundred years old too…. bonus!
May 11th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Decent. Nothing special, but entertaining nonetheless.
June 4th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
*SPOILER ALERT*
I honestly wasn’t expecting a fantasy movie from a guy who’s previously only released mockney gangster films to be any good, but oh how wrong I was.
I think this is one of the best, if not the best fantasy film I have ever seen. The cast is excellent, the locations are great, the story is strong, and the pace never slows down.
Several people have complained that Robert De Niro’s camp pirate, was poor casting, but although I was originally a bit surprised to see him in that sort of role, I soon came to accept that he does it well, and it is a great example to show that he can actually play more than just bad guys, or good guys with a chip on their shoulder.
In fact it’s hard to find any real fault with this film. I guess Michelle Pfeiffer’s (who looks stunning for a woman pushing 50) eventual demise, was a bit strange (did anybody else know that the shine of a star can kill witches?!). The humour of the film was also a bit “hit and miss”, but luckily it is never overly dominant in the story, so it doesn’t affect things too much.
Overall, this really is a truly magical film.