Director: Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake)Cast: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes (Romeo + Juliet, Shopgirl), Michelle Pfeiffer (Batman Returns, Dangerous Liaisons), Robert De Niro (Meet the Parents, Raging Bull), Mark Strong (Body of Lies, Sunshine), Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings, X-Men), Sienna Miller (Factory Girl)
The Deal: Desperate to win the heart of Victoria (Miller), Tristan (Cox) ventures into the realm of Stormhold to retrieve a fallen star. Expecting to find a piece of space rock, he is surprised to find Yvaine (Danes). He quickly discovers that he is not the only one seeking the star. Stormhold's King's four sons, led by Septimus (Strong), seek the star to claim the throne, and the evil witch Lamia (Pfeiffer) seeks the star to achieve eternal beauty. With the help of the pirate captain, Shakespeare (De Niro), the two race to safety and uncover some surprising secrets about themselves.
Thoughts: If ever there was a recipe for a successful adult fairy tale, only two films come to mind. Many are familiar with The Princess Bride, but Stardust is just as good, if not better. Stardust boasts fantasy, humor, action, adventure, romance, and an all around fun and entertaining story. It saddens me that I didn't hear of the film until its release on DVD, as I would have loved to see it in theaters. Little kids may not follow, but teenagers and older will find it a wonderful film no matter what mood they are in.
The performances in the film are quite good. Cox is a perfect fit for the lead, as he really grows with the character through the film, from innocent and one-minded to mature and brave. Danes has not been in much I recognize since Romeo + Juliet, but I was happy to see her here. Her character is somewhat innocent, and she has a fun-loving and glowing personality, which works well when your character is a star. Pfeiffer and Strong both do well as the villains. Strong's Septimus is power hungry and action happy, and Pfeiffer's Lamia is wicked and pure evil. De Niro steals the scenes he's in, providing the most ridiculous and funny moments. McKellen is only the narrator, but I will note that he is very fitting for the film and has a great voice for narration.
I like how the film handles Tristan. All he's known is his small town and the one girl he likes in it, but it's not until he adventures out that he really finds himself. The world is such a big place full of many opportunities, and he really comes to realize this. Despite all of the close calls and bad decisions, he realizes he doesn't belong with Victoria, and his best chance for a happy life lies outside the walls of his small childhood town. It all feels right for the character, and he handles these realizations perfectly.
Verdict: A fairly tale for both genders and all ages. It's full of fantasy, action, adventure, romance, and humor, making for an entertaining film from start to finish. ☆☆☆☆
Liked It? Try These: The Princess Bride (1987), Enchanted (2007), Big Fish (2003)
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