Movie Review - “Stardust�
*** STARS
When I first read the pre-production gossip on this film I was totally sure that this movie would be strange if not un-marketable. When the previews started to come out, I made up my mind that this movie was going to be a bloated mess and flop. Man was I wrong! This movie surprised me at every single turn and made me laugh out loud and cheer for the main characters as the movie unfolded. I was completely taken by surprise by the charm and originality of “Stardust”. This movie definitely falls under the category of “sleeper hit” and should be seen by anyone who is a fan of fantasy and witty comedies much like “The Princess Bride”.
“Stardust” opens much like your normal fairy tale or fantasy picture, but we soon see this movie is unlike all of those other kinds of films. The narration is flawless and doesn’t over explain or get in the way of the plot. This bizarre tale takes place in turn of the century England as well as an alternative universe called “Stormhold”. This universe is never fully explained, and not much reason is given as to why these two places co-exist, but this is all forgotten as we are treated to hilarious dialog and great special effects. We get to meet bizarre characters like Robert Di Niro’s gay Pirate “Captain Shakespeare” as well as Michelle Pfeiffer’s hilarious and over the top wicked witch who is in search of the star “Yvaine’s” powers.
Claire Danes as the “fallen star” Yvaine and Charlie Cox as “Tristan” have great on screen chemistry that is fun to watch. The love story in this film is handled in a sweet and comical way without being too cheesy. “Stardust” has great pacing and offers up something new in the form of a fantasy story. This is an adult fairy tale with the intelligence of a great comedy. If you want to get away at the movies this summer and find something new with a refreshing twist, then “Stardust” is your movie. I would say that this film is in many ways more fun than the last “Harry Potter” movie. And those are some big words, so go see it for yourself!
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