A young man crosses the border between the real world and the
magical world in order to retrieve a fallen star and impress his love. ACTION/FANTASY
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Stardust (2007)Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Written by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn Starring Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Mark Strong, Kate Magowan, Sienna Miller, Jason Flemyng, Peter O'Toole, Ricky Gervais, Henry Cavill, Mark Heap, Melanie Hill, Ian McKellen Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman |
It's difficult to find a film that's wholly original, or at the very least one that brings something new to the table. Stardust is such a film, sporting a talented cast of character actors and a whimsical plot with all sorts of twists and turns. Plus, if you've ever wanted to see Robert De Niro prance around in a dress, look no further. This film is wildly entertaining and one of the most uplifting and charming films I've seen in quite a while. I'll admit that I haven't read Neil Gaiman's novel, so I've no idea if the film is well-adapted. All I do know is that the film itself is a joy to watch.
The world of Stardust is positively magical, with the village of Wall bordering the magical land of Stormhold, where any and all things can happen. One man, young Tristan Thorn (Charlie Cox), crosses the border into Stormhold to retrieve a fallen star for his vacuous and shallow love Victoria (Sienna Miller). What he finds is that the star is a person named Yvaine (Claire Danes), who is completely new to this world. Together, they must outrun a fearsome witch (Michelle Pfeiffer) who wants her heart and an evil prince (Mark Strong) who wants the ruby necklace she possesses. Along the way, they discover their love for each other and are aided by a cross-dressing pirate played by Robert De Niro, which is a sentence I never thought I'd enjoy writing so much. This film is an absolute must-see for fantasy fans of all ages, as it ditches the grim reality that modern fantasy seems to embrace in favor of a classic, playful world of magic where true love is real and anything is possible if you believe. The story is touching, the characters are quirky and lovable, and the performances are top notch. I'm very happy I watched it after so many years of putting it off. It will no doubt go down as a fantasy classic for years to come. |
