STARDUST
When I first heard that they were making Neil Gaimans wonderful novel "Stardust" into a movie, I was filled with excitement, but also a fair amount of apprehension. To be fair, its been a while since I've read the book, so I cant say with confidence whether or not they stayed absolutely true to the source, but since Gaiman was signed on as producer, I'm assuming he made his presence felt during the adaptation. Still, it could very easily have turned into a disaster. So imagine my surprise when it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable films I've seen all year!
Matthew Vaughn helmed the picture and did a good job of holding onto the reigns of a story that spread itself over many different locations and encompassed a wealth of characters.
Oft-times the would-be hero of the story can come across limp and bland, but thankfully that wasn’t the case here. I found Charlie Cox, who played the lead, Tristan, to be very likeable. I'm a huge fan of Claire Danes anyway, but she was great in the role of the fallen star. She has a truth and sincerity to her that I always find refreshing.
Michelle Pfeiffer was absolutely brilliant as the deadly witch Lamia and threw everything she had into the part. And it must be said that she looked stunning. Hard to believe shes turning 50 next year! :O The biggest surprise had to be Robert De Niro, who went above and beyond with the character of Captain Shakespeare and seemed to be having a ball while doing so :D
I'm not at all enamored with Sienna Millar, but she was at least serviceable as Tristans first love Victoria, though she was very much the weak link in an otherwise stellar cast.
Other than the main players, most of the supporting cast was rounded out by what seemed by practically every other British actor working today! Ricky Gervais stood out like a sore thumb, playing his usual fast talking character, but he got away with it since he had some of the funniest lines in the film :D
Stardust was a fairytale in the best sense of the world and had all the traditional elements; fair maidens, dashing princes, evil witches and the fate of a kingdom hanging in the balance. What elevated it above the usual childish fare was the brave move to keep Gaimans wickedly dark tone and black British humor intact.
The only thing that I found a little underwhelming were the visual effects. There weren’t bad, per say, but lacked that all-important "wow-factor". The costumes and sets were gorgeous and the scenery was incredible (though I'm guessing some were just cleverly made matt paintings).
All in all, a hugely enjoyable film that I will no doubt be rushing out to buy on DVD!
