Stardust

Our family likes the older movies.

I don't know what I was doing when this movie came out but I clearly missed a classic! I was feeling under the weather and this popped up on my algorithm as something I would like - and it was spot on! It has the fantasy vibe of fantastical stories like Alice in Wonderland/WIzard of Oz but told with a humor similar to The Princess Bride. Lots of well known and good actors/actresses in this one.

When I first heard about this film, I had no knowledge of its source, Neil Gaiman's critically acclaimed, same titled work. What drew me to it was its near perfect cast, headlined by the lovely Michelle Pfieffer and Claire Danes, with the ever present Robert DeNiro, who portrays a character new for him considering past performances. Nonetheless, I thought that the film would be campy, pretentious, and overly glorified for its genre. I have rarely been happy to be proven wrong.The film was a great delight, capturing everything one expects to see in a fantasy film: magic, both light and dark; with witches, pirates, princes, and of course, the damsel in distress. It even includes a fair maidan pursued by a number of suitors, though she really only has her sight set on one suitor in particular. Although the film does bring in all the elements that make fantasy what it is, it does however perform a task that is rare indeed. The roles that some of the characters usually play have been reversed, where the princes are not dashing, but instead, they are self-serving, ambitious and power hungry. The man that will save the damsel is not some popular royal figure with his sights set on being honorable and truly noble, but a young man who like everyone else in the world, seeks to discover whom he is and bring purpose to his life. Granted, he does not set out on this journey in the right way, but ultimately, he does discover that even one who deems himself to be little important can find that very importance simply through the actions and decisions one makes in an single moment. The fair maiden turns out not to be so fair, at least underneath in terms of inner beauty. The damsel is not so distressed to where she even has a few devices in her arsenal as well. A pirate proves that the ferocity, vulgarity, and dim-witted charm that make them appealing is not always found in every pirate. Lastly, we finally have a villain that is in essence truly evil, exhibiting a chilling, frightening charm towards anyone who encounters her, hidden behind her striking beauty.What makes the film work is not the special effects or the set design, costumes, or any other thing a standard movie critic is usually obsessed with, but the simple fact that "Stardust" is a film that does not take itself too seriously. It is meant to purely entertain, which I feel it truly does. The cast is in true comedic form. Charlie Cox is convincing as Tristan, the often clueless and bumbling hero. Claire Danes shines as Yvaine, the fallen star who is captivated by the human and magical world. But it is Michelle Pfieffer and Robert DeNiro who steal the show as Lamia and Captain Shakespeare, respectively. Pfieffer's Lamia spends the film in pursuit of her goal, tirelessly and cunningly scheming against Tristan and Yvaine, and demonstrates in several encounters with other characters, especially with the poor farmerboy and Ditchwater Sal, why she is one witch who should never be underestimated. DeNiro's Capt. Shakespeare is appealing through his secret that defines in more ways than one the true meaning of paradox and irony. All in all, the cast, especially Pfieffer and DeNiro, portray very memorable and charming characters.Do not miss out on this rare gem of a comedy. Even if you do not like it in its entirety, the film possesses many things that strike you as entertaining and memorable. Do not deny yourself this gem. I'm looking forward to it in High Definition.

Where to begin! Absolutely adore this movie, a cousin of mine recommended this movie to me and wow what a great movie, it’s got everything fantasy, adventure romance its witty and funny. It’s got such a broad cast of actors and actresses and the roles some of them play really add such charm to this movie like Robert de Niros character and the costuming was lovely, such a treat! I love to dissect the dialogue and delivery of movies and this film has some fantastic scenes. Overall a 10/10 film it’s great for family night!

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. It was an enjoyable fantasy movie for me. It reminded me ofThe Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

This just HAS to be the most underrated movie of 2007 (although I noticed it DID make many reviewers end-of-the-year Top 10 list). The movie is based on a Neil Gaiman novel, so it's typically wildy creative. It follows the story of Tristran Thorn, who lives in the rural England town of Wall. Wall has a wall on one side that separates it from the magical kingdom of Stormhold (in the land of Faerie, although I don't think the movie uses that word). At the bequest of his "true love", Tristran crosses the wall to retrieve a fallen star; however when Tristran gets to the star he finds out it is a beautiful young woman who was knocked out of the sky by a flying gemstone on a necklace. Meanwhile, also searching for the star are the surviving sons of the old King (because the owner of the gemstone inherits Stormhold) and the Queen of the Witches (because the heart of a star confers youth and long life - when eaten).This makes for a pretty exciting action film, a cross between an adventure fantasy and a romance. I've seen it compared to Princess Bride but I don't agree. Princess Bride is a comedy, and it's really a PARODY of the fantasy genre more than actually BEING a fantasy. This movie really IS a fantasy and is NOT a comedy (although it certainly has some humor in it). Not to mention this movie is FAR better than Princess Bride. The acting is across the board excellent; Michelle Pfeiffer is gorgeous (and also hideous in just the right way), Claire Danes is terrific as the star Yvaine (she has a moderately long soliloquy on the nature of love, which I at least found fairly moving), and Robert DeNiro does an excellent job in possibly the strangest role he's ever performed. The storyline is excellent, with a terrific climax and a moving ending.The movie is gorgeously done with impressive scenery and visuals, and a really outstanding soundtrack. Unfortunately, this movie was released fairly lately to Blu-ray and the Blu-ray transfer is acceptable but not particularly outstanding.BTW, I read Neil Gaiman's book AFTER seeing the movie (the text-only book, he also issued it as a graphic novel). The first part of the movie follows the book faithfully, although the book has more characters and scenes in it. However, the movie departs quite significantly from the book beginning at the appearance of Robert DeNiro's "Captain Shakespeare" character (who is not in the book at all). Somewhat surprisingly, I think the movie's storyline is quite a bit better than the book; it wraps up the story quite nicely whereas the book just sort of gradually drifts to a gentle ending.

One of the most fun movies ever! The music, scenery, characters, story…all wonderful!

Our children loved it🫶🏽