Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Novel by Neil Gaiman*; screenplay by Jane Goldman
Starring: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller, Michelle Pfeiffer
MPAA rating: PG-13 for fantasy violence and risqué humor
Run Time: 130 minutes
Is it possible to turn an imaginative award-winning fairy tale of a novel
into a large computer graphics enhanced movie and keep any of the original
magic?After watching Stardust, I would say that it is difficult, but it is
possible.
By use of a soothing “once upon a time” narration by Ian McKellen, dreamlike
and otherworldly locations in Scotland and Iceland, a charming performance
by Charlie Cox, and Jane Goldman’s skillful screenplay, Stardust manages to
capture some of the spirit of an enchanting fairy tale, and at the same time
please an audience hungry for special effects and the familiarity of big
Hollywood stars.
Stardust is the story of Tristan Thorn (Charlie Cox), a young Englishman
from a rural village, who, in order to win the hand of the local beauty
(Sienna Miller), promises to bring her a fallen star.To accomplish this
quest, he must cross the cobblestone wall that for hundreds of years has
protected his quiet town, and venture into the magical and perilous realm of
Stormhold.
The fallen star has turned into a spirited young woman, Yvaine, (earnestly
played by Claire Danes).In addition to Tristan wanting retrieve the star
as promised, Yvaine is being hunted by powerful foes—the King’s (Peter
O’Toole) devious and murderous sons, who each are vying for Yvaine’s secret
powers to secure the throne for themselves, and a diabolical witch (Michelle
Pfeiffer), who must cut out Yvaine’s heart and eat it in order to gain
eternal youth.
On their dangerous journey, and as they race to evade their evil pursuers,
Tristan and Yvaine encounter a beneficent sky-pirate (Robert De Niro) and a
unicorn, among other magical occurrences.Ultimately, Tristan learns to
survive on his wits, discovers the meaning of true love, and uncovers the
astonishing secrets of his own identity.Spoiler alert: they live happily
ever after.
Michelle Pfeiffer puts on a great show as the wicked witch, aided by
impressive computer graphics and extraordinary make-up.She owns the screen
whenever she appears.Robert De Niro’s pirate captain is extremely
entertaining, if a bit broad and disconnected to the rest of the film.He
seemed to be enjoying the role while (metaphorically) winking at the
audience.Pfeiffer’s and De Niro’s larger than life performances will
likely find wide acceptance.
As a film, Stardust is caught in the middle by trying to retain the small
charm of a character-driven fairy tale while appealing to a broad audience’s
expectation of Hollywood hoopla.This is a tough place to be.In fact, at
times, it feels as though we are watching two distinct films…the first, a
tender fable of the search for love and acceptance, and the second, a
humorous special effects extravaganza.
Where Stardust succeeds best is when the two aspects coincide and enhance
each other and the emotion of the story line is sufficiently strong enough
to capture our hearts while our eyes are feasting on the screen’s dazzling
effects.
*Neil Gaiman’s novel, Stardust, Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie,
is written for children and adults with lavish illustrations by Charles Vess
that are reminiscent of some of Dante Rossetti’s illustrations.Gaiman is
the winner of three Hugo Awards, two Nebula Awards, one World Fantasy Award,
four Bram Stoker Awards, nine Locus Awards, one British Fantasy Award, two
British SF Awards, four Geffen Awards, one International Horror Guild Award
and two Mythopoeic Awards.
