User reviews

I went to a small advance screening of this movie on July 19th, knowing no more than the names of a few of the actors and that it was a fantasy/adventure quest of some sort.

The plot line really is nothing like I have seen, and a unique story is certainly appreciated with everything else that is currently in or coming soon to theaters. In spite of what first impressions may give, it isn't cheesy, corny, tacky, or ridiculous, and is actually highly entertaining and funny. The flow is quite well done, nothing seems rushed or dragged out. The soundtrack, for lack of better words, is magical and adds much to the film, as opposed to simply filling the silence as often happens in movies or TV. And even though I might have known what was coming at points, I still couldn't bear to stop watching the screen; to my knowledge, not a single person left the theater during the entire movie.

My one gripe is that there seems to be almost no marketing for this film, and as brilliant as it is I can't figure out why.

The 14 year-old in me is immensely happy that they're now able to make really good looking fantasy movies, and that they're all the rage, what with Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia making loads of cash at the box office. This year will see (and already has seen) several more, most notably The Golden Compass, which has the most exciting trailer I've seen this year. Stardust, based on a novel by Neil Gaiman, showed up in theaters this week with little more than a peep. I saw no previews for it, only a couple of commercials. The critical reaction is kind of blah. I wouldn't even have seen it if not for the fact that I have to wait on a friend to see The Bourne Ultimatum, and that nothing else interesting opened this weekend. Well, if you'll forgive the horrible pun, the stars must have been rightly aligned, because I went to see Stardust, and I loved it. It's not a huge movie like Lord of the Rings. The plot line is your very basic fantasy quest (the hero sets out to look for a fallen star) filled with obstacles. But within that basic outline, the story is lively and imaginative. It's simply aiming to be a lot of fun, and a charming little romance. And it succeeds wonderfully. There were a lot of big films this summer, but none of them were nearly as fun as this one. There's a lot going on, but the story is told well and is almost entirely coherent. It isn't a masterpiece, but it definitely can occupy the same kind of ground that something like The Princess Bride has (though I don't like it quite as much as the earlier film). A lot of fun to be had here if you're a fan of the genre.

Surprised at how much I enjoyed this. The characters were really well developed, the world building was fantastic and the action was really enjoyable. Mark Strong is great as ever as the villain, but it has to be Robert DeNiro who just steals the film in the weirdest role I could think of for him. The story is genuinely intriguing, but it's the world building that really did it for me. I really felt immersed in this fantasy world, and the exposition was delivered really naturally. As much as I have gripes with some of Matthew Vaughn's films, the actual direction is never the issue, and it's quite good here too. Now my main issue is that the film is trying to juggle quite a lot of storylines, and it feels a bit rushed as a result. You could probably cut Michelle Pfieffer's plotline down quite a bit in order to concentrate on the main storyline more. But overall, this is a surprisingly fun film that I would definitely recommend

Why are the previews so blah for a movie that is so awesome!! Everyone should know what an excellent movie this is. It is engaging and funny from moment one, original, and well-acted. I wish the movie was doing itself as good press as it deserves!

For anyone that loved The Princess Bride, Labyrinth, and other truly funny and original fantasy adventure, this is one of the great ones. Robert DeNiro is hysterical. Relative newcomer Charlie Cox is an incredible leading man. Claire Danes is fantastic as always. Michelle Pfiefer is making quite a splash with her recent returns to the screen. There are also a lot of wonderful moments from minor characters...even down to facial expressions.

The power to dream is a wonderful thing. There's a saying, "Not all dreamers achieve, but all achievers dream." By exploring our imagination we shape our own futures. Or build empires. Perhaps overcome our fears, limitations and obstacles. Gain wisdom and benefit mankind. Or (put simply) just find our way to true love and happiness. Freud might express such things in symbols. The language of fantasy.

Tristan ventures out of a rather twee English village called Wall. He goes through a break in the wall. A portal. In search of something that will prove his love to Victoria (Sienna Miller). Victoria doesn't take him very seriously. So he pledges to bring back a falling star.

Stormhold is the world outside the wall. He discovers the fallen star has taken the form of a beautiful girl, Yvaine (Claire Danes). To complicate matters, three evil witches want to get hold of Yvaine. If they can eat her heart, it will replenish their youth. (One of the witches is played by Michelle Pfeiffer, who does fabulous young-old transformations of looks and manner.) The 'good guy' they meet on their way is Captain Shakespeare (Robert de Niro). He has a fierce, swashbuckling pirate exterior but is a sweetie closet queen underneath. Heirs of Stormhold meanwhile are engaged in a pitched battle over inheriting the Kingdom. Ricky Gervais is an added extras. A buffoon trader throwing in standard Gervais-type gags well. Tristan's purity of spirit arouses the love of Yvaine, so there is a nice little triangle going. Till he achieves the maturity to discern pedestal divas from real women.

Stardust is a full-on, large scale fantasy that does credit to its myriad stars. Wholly positive, and written with a clarity that makes it more worthy of psychoanalysis that a coven full of Harry Potter romps. Production values rival Hollywood, and the storyline is free of the racial stereotyping, misogyny, religious or class agendas than shape and pervert so many large scale fantasies.

That is not to say that Stardust is without its faults. Plot and dialogue have many predictable elements, and the fairytale quality may be too saccharine for some audiences. But if you want an excuse to let your heart fly, this film may well provide it.

As a boy, I remember listening in wonder to albums by the Moody Blues (who practiced in a house not far from where I lived). They made records with names like "In Search of the Lost Chord," and wrote lyrics like, "Thinking is the best way to travel." I would fill my head with books on magic and mystery, from Timothy Leary to Aleister Crowley. Shaping dreams. Learning to make them real. Nowadays people might talk of NLP or positive thinking. Adults that remember how to dream with the force of youth but with the vision and application of maturity. Do you still enjoy that feeling?

You are advised not to wait for Stardust on DVD. See it on the biggest cinema screen you can find. And Dolby Digital Surround Sound if you can get it. The actors look like they had a ball. Maybe you will too.

This fantastic picture concerns a Tristan (Charlie Cox) , a young living in an English village rounded by a wall . But a breach surveyed by a keeper (David Kelly) is the walk for a world fantasy named Stronhold . Tristan trespasses the breach looking for a fallen star (which results to be Ivaine : Claire Danes) to demonstrate his love for a beautiful girl (Sienna Miller). But also a nasty witch (Michelle Pfeiffer) and the King's (Peter O'Toole) heirs (Mark Strong , Rupert Everett) are looking for Ivaine and the jewel she holds . Meanwhile , Tristan and Ivaine get away and aboard a flying vessel full of pirates (Dexter Fletcher , Fogerty) and commanded by a sympathetic captain (Robert De Niro).

This exciting motion picture displays derring-do adventure , romance , fairy tale , spectacular fighting and fence and with phenomenal outdoors . The flick gets lots of bombastic special effects including supernatural transformations , flying ships , stars explosions and numerous images have you on the edge of your seat . Riveting set pieces illuminate the full-blown adventures blending witchcraft , wizardry , necromancy and turns out to be extremely amusing . Casting is frankly extraordinary , Michelle Pfeiffer plays magnificently a shamelessly villain-witch and Robert De Niro as the likable gay pirate steals the show . Ideal cast is completed by awesome US and British actors . The movie packs a sensational production design by Gavin Bouquet (Star wars). Mesmerizing photography with wonderful , marvelous landscapes by Ben Davis . Emotive soundtrack appropriately adequate to fantasy by Eshkeri . The pic was brilliantly directed by Matthew Vaughn . He's a good writer, producer (Guy Ritchie movies) and director, though only made one film titled ¨Layer Cake¨ (with Daniel Craig) which achieved big time . Rating : Better than average. Essential and indispensable watching.

I like how the characters grow throughout the movie. The fairytale is quite unique, and the movie manage to not bore me the whole time im watching it. Will I watch it again? Yes, I will

'Stardust' was a splendid watch. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it turned out to be. To me, it seemed like just another passable fantasy flick but 'Stardust' is a lot more than one might expect. It is a fairy tale about a fallen star and a young boy. Vaughn's direction is solid. The visuals are fascinating, even though sometimes the CGI is obvious. The cinematography is stunning and the soundtrack is beautiful. The writing is commendable and the dialogues are fine.

Comparisions might be made with 'Lord of The Rings'. While I did not like Peter Jackson's movie as much as others did, I throughly enjoyed 'Stardust'. However, 'Stardust' too has its share of flaws. I thought the ending (in spite of some humorous moments) was a little dragged on and gave the film a fluffy touch. The American actors act very well but some of them lose the British accent at times (at one point Michelle Pfeiffer pronounces the 'r') but this is a very very minor case and the reason why I mention it is because it was something I noticed. This minor point does not make me like the film any less but the unnecessarily stretched ending somewhat does.

'Stardust' boasts of a stellar cast that comprises of both British and American talents. The luminous Claire Danes and the naive Charlie Cox have the right chemistry and look convincing on screen. Danes is literally and metaphorically the star of the film. Michelle Pfeiffer springs a surprise performance as the evil villainess. It's great to see her after a long time, that too in a completely different role which she effortlessly pulls off. Robert De Niro too springs a surprise. I won't say much about him because that would be ruining the fun. Let me just say this much that perhaps one will never look at Mr. De Niro the same way. Notice the welcoming cameos that include a magnificent Peter O'Toole, a funnily odd Dexter Fletcher, a hilarious Ricky Gervais and a pitiful Rupert Everett.

There are so many wonderfully shot scenes. I particularly liked the pre-climax scene where Yvaine is approaching towards the wall and the camera switches back and forth to the different characters. The cinematography and music add power to that key scene. Of course there are many other such great scenes but this was one I freshly remembered. The scenes between Tristan and Yvaine are quite nice and fun and thankfully they are not overly sugarcoated (except in the end). The light comedy is quite cleverly put and special thanks to De Niro and his pirates, the 6 (?) ghosts and Gervais for pulling them off.

On the whole, 'Stardust' is a wonderful film. As stated earlier, i would have liked it more had the ending been a little crisp. Nonetheless, it felt like two hours well spent and I recommend it to those who enjoy original fantasies.

Greetings again from the darkness. This one will be compared to "The Princess Bride" and although it doesn't measure up to that classic, it is extremely entertaining and well made in its own right. The story line is a bit odd and the whole wall thing is never really explained, but the execution is fine, even building up strong suspense.

Charlie Cox plays Tristan, who falls for the wrong girl (Sienna Miller), and agrees to fetch her a fallen star ... who happens to be played by the stunning Claire Danes. Not much suspense on what happens with these two, but the suspenseful part comes in with the wicked witch played by Michelle Pfeiffer and the prince son of King Peter O'Toole looking to reclaim the ruby necklace our "star" is wearing. Lots of bad chasing the good.

Along the way, an encounter with the strangest pirate you will see (including any from the Carribbean). Robert Deniro plays Captain Shakespeare - tough on the inside, and shall we say in touch with his feminine side. Another encounter involves the brilliant Ricky Gervais as a fast talking trader and that is good for a couple of laughs.

Not your typical chase, coming of age, or fantasy film, but director Matthew Vaughn's ("Layer Cake") effort deserves an audience. Sadly the poor marketing campaign will probably prevent it from making any money. My guess it will find big success on video.

This movie is a lot of fun. The actors really make the movie go the distance though. Without giving away the plot, I would describe it as a new Princess Bride cult favorite that should stand the test of time. You get to see a whole different side to Robert DeNiro in this movie! (Worth the price of admission just for that!) All the elements are there from adventure to romance, and well placed comedy.

People of all ages will enjoy it. (My parents even did!) Good special effects, may be scary for the little ones. Good date movie. Great for some escapism.

Deserves an A. (Hope it does well at the box office)

This movie is very well made. Great cast with both the celebrities you know and those you don't. It has an exceptional score to go with it. Unfortunately I'm just not a fan of pure fantasy and that's most of what story has to offer. Expect a cross between Star War optimism and Lord of the Rings fantasy. It's a fairly bright and positive movie despite the antagonists in the plot. This movie delivered everything right whereas a movie like Eragon failed miserably. If you prefer movies grounded in reality and science, this isn't a movie for you. If you like a fantasy getaway where anything is possible, you can't find much better. Overall it's worth the money, but I wouldn't want to see it again. It has a few too many silly moments and almost qualifies as a comedy. I see no need to rush to a theater. Best suited for a DVD rental.

I went into this film with modest hopes, the director had pedigree, I had seen Charlie Cox in Casanova and was impressed, and literally EVERYONE had been raving about it. As the story started to unfold I was introduced to Victorian England on one side of a mysterious Wall, and on the other a magical land, Stormhold. The actual plot weaves together many strands and I don't want to ruin the surprises for anyone, but at the barest it is the simple tale of a young man (Charlie Cox) in love with the village beauty (Sienna Miller). To win her love he tells her he will fetch back a fallen star from the other side of the Wall. Howver when he arrives at the star he finds not a lump of astral metal as he expected but a beautiful woman (Claire Danes). As the two journey back to the wall they find themselves in the adventure of a lifetime. The visuals are brilliant, England looks stunning, in a similar fashion to New Zealand in LOTR, and it s full of wonderful little flourishes, such as the way that the star shines when she is happy, a very simple effect, but one that looks radiant. As well as this the acting good, especially from the leads and Robert DeNiro, whose turn as the captain of an airship is incredibly memorable. This film is THE perfect date movie, it is romantic without being a "chick flick", funny and full of wonderful action pieces that will satisfy any action film fan. All in all it is a truly magical experience from beginning to end, and I now Im raving about it to EVERYONE!

Stardust Another Guarded Review (originally written June 15, 2007)

The marketing machine has only just begun for this one (no site yet? wth?), so I doubt most of you have heard about it. In truth, I hadn't either (sort of). When I got the posting, I thought it was another code name and was actually worried it was Transformers, one of the movies I wanted to see when not working so I can enjoy it 100% as a mere mortal movie-goer. Turns out, it wasn't Transformers and I had been aware of this movie way back when as 'that Neil Gaiman movie'.

What is it about? Well, in short, it's a Gaiman fairy tale about a boy and a fallen star. Any more than that and I'd be giving away plot info which is (a) a breach of contract, and (b) spoiling your fun. If you really want to know what it's about, go buy the book. Rumour has it, Gaiman might be something of a writer.

Not knowing what to expect in a movie can be so pleasant if the surprise is worthwhile. And for this one, it certainly was. This screening was 'special' in that it included not just film critics, but also exhibitors (they rarely have a mixed screening) and local sci-fi/fantasy folks. So, you know the expected audience, right? I mean, with this crowd and the title of Stardust, I knew what to expect.

Oh how sweetly wrong I was.

Yes, it is a fairy tale written by an author famed in comic bookdom (and even books without pictures, if those truly exist). But it was not Lord of Rings. It was not even another Lord of the Rings wannabe (ahem, Eragon). It was much more intimate than all that.

But, like Lord of the Rings, it was the, well, humanism of the film which sells the fantastical qualities. It's surely a romantic tale, but with generous splashes of humour. Not slapstick Shrekian humour. It's more along the lines of dramedy than comedy. Before I go on, let's do this movie review thing.

Acting is, in the very least, good. It's always hard to say more than that for fantasy films but I do believe there were significant superbly acted roles. Michelle Pfieffer is not, sadly, one of those. She plays a villain, and she does the job. Nothing special. Rupert Everett, though, he was a real jerk. That is, a great villain. Peter O'Toole is, well, Peter frickin' O'Toole -- which is marvellous. Ricky Gervais is perfectly cast and shows why. Robert De Niro seemed to be having too much fun for the most part. When he wanted to deliver the goods, though, he did. And Charlie Cox (who?) as the lead character was fine surprise from a guy I ain't never heard of.

Claire Danes. Claire Danes. Claire Danes. I've always been of mixed opinion with her. She can be great, and then she can seem to miss the mark. In this, she's the former. And she is, quite literally, the star of this film. Sure, her accent stumbles here and there. And, yes, she's not as good as she can be when Cox isn't in the scene. However ... well, see for yourself.

Special effects are muted yet accomplished, and only significant where they should be. Best flying ship yet -- sorry Potter. Direction is light-hearted and flows nicely. Cinematography could have been better but not everyone films in New Zealand. All else is top bracket.

And now that that's done...

...the writing. Oh, the writing! Neil, you devil. It's hard in today's climate to do anything original and, at first, you begin to wonder. A kingdom, a dying King, a boy out to prove his own worth, witches, ghosts, a quest (or three) -- what's new? But Gaiman's story draws you in with its surface familiarity only to subvert it all into a sweetly original tale of a boy and his heart. And, though you suspect how it's all going to turn out, you begin to wonder in the third act and -- if you're me -- find yourself pulled into the rousing climactic confrontation and hoping for the best. In the end, you'll find this story, this movie, is what all fairy tales should be but all too often are not. Fantastical and real.

(I wish I could talk about Septimus vs Tristan but I won't ruin it for you. For those who read the book, rest assured, it's done properly.)

Those I spoke to afterwards had the same impression I did. A great film for all ages to enjoy, and the new {WITHHELD} for this generation. The blank gets filled-in only after the movie is in wide release because, well, you might be expecting it. You'll know when you walk out, anyway. I sincerely hope Stardust doesn't get lost among the tentpoles. Even if it does, it'll be my pleasure to push into the hands of everyone I know.

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Forgot to add the {WITHHELD} reveal. I'm a few years late, but ... "A great film for all ages to enjoy, and the new THE PRINCESS BRIDE for this generation."

Perhaps a bit lofty an assessment but I'm still confident that years from now, there will be the same "Oh, I love that movie," response to this as there is now for The Princess Bride.

(Edited for grammar and stuff. Still rather spastic in tone and flow. I am not Gaiman. Duh.)

The reason I say indirect because this movie actually has a purpose besides just being funny. As well the humor is never just over the top but simple and in the correct places.

The combination of the entire story makes this a movie for pretty much anyone not just a certain group of movie goers. With just enough special effects actions while not over doing it, each part of the experience actually compliments itself. From what I could remember there wasn't anything but good acting within the movie. Not that you couldn't expect much less from Robert Deniro or Michelle Phieffer. But the rest of the cast and even the small parts were written and accomplished well.

This could be probably the best attempt I have seen to repeat the greatness of one of the most underrated movies of all time. The Princess Bride.

OK here is how I do this. I grade movies on 10 components. Each component will inherently start with 5 points. It can then lose or gain 5 points for a possible 10 or 0.

Mood: Action, Romance, Comedy, Drama, Suspense - I give this component 10 points. It had a perfect balance of all five aspects. The Action was fun and exiting. The Romance was not overdone, but still very emotional and moving. I laughed hard and long throughout the movie and still I was captivated by the fantastic drama, and riveting suspense.

Plot - I give this component 10 points. I thought all the good fairy tales had already been told. I found my self, sitting in the theatre, returned to my childhood, and in that instant I again believed in unicorns, wicked witches, and falling stars that make dreams come true.

Cinema Photography - I give this component 8 points. While the movie captured the story very well in the majority of the angles, I found my self more than once trying to figure out what happened just off camera.

FX - I give this component 10 points. I love that they used C.G.I. sparingly. The epic scenes were believable. The magical powers were frighteningly realistic. All in all less is more, and this had it ALL! Cast - I give this component 10 points. No names and seasoned actors alike, the cast was amazing! Michelle Pfeiffer was wonderfully wicked, Charlie Cox made Tristan come to life, Claire Danes gave emotion to the stars, and I will never look and Robert De Niro the same again.

Acting - I give this component 10 points. Even the newbie actors played their rolls to perfection. Once again, I will NEVER look and Robert De Niro the same again.

Character development - I give this component 9 points. This felt a little rushed and I think if the movie had been a bit longer they could have done the characters a little better justice.

Dialogue - I give this component 10 points. The dialogue was smart, witty, fun… even the mush had good dialogue.

Score - I give this component 7 points. I can honestly remember only one small piece of music from the entire movie. I am not complaining beyond the fact that the music could be more memorable.

Ending - I give this component 9 points. Almost perfect ending! I feel that certain aspects of the ending should have been more pronounced, while others could have been more subdued, but no threads were left untied.

Total: 93% Buy the DVD? HEL YES! See it in the Theatre? Most definitely! Bottom Line: Excellent movie for everyone! EPIC! I strongly recommend seeing it in the theatre, I know I'll be going back for seconds!

Surprisingly good. I watched this based solely on the high IMDB score and, as usual, it was legit. A really enjoyable take on a fairy tale adventure story without sci-fi and with just enough CGI effects to enhance the feel and the magic. It should be more well known than it is.

When I saw the previews for this movie I knew I'd love it but I had no idea how much I'd love it - This movie is so entertaining - A young man sets out on a quest to find a star to bring to his "Crush/Love interest" to win her hand in marriage - Little does he know, He is not the only one chasing the star - Brothers fighting for the throne are after it - and Some witches want the star - Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert Deniro, and Claire Danes - are the bigger names - And boy do they play their parts well (Especially Ms Pfeiffer) - Magic, betrayal, and love are only a portion of what's in store for you when you watch this movie - Trust me it's a must see - Very original and entertaining from beginning to finish -

I was not expecting much from this movie. I was given a ticket for an advanced screening. I had just gotten off of work. It was hot and I was tired. I had to wait in the movie line for 40 minutes and there seemed not to be any cool air flowing through the hallways of the theater complex.

Once seated in the theater, tired and frustrated, the movie started, I did not recognize any of the actors in the beginning, but the flow of the movie was perfect. Right from the beginning I became consumed with the movie, getting more and more excited with each minute passing. I think this movie is destined to be a fantasy/fairytale classic. The actors were fabulous, the pace was perfect, and the ending was magical.

Barring a largely inappropriate soundtrack, rather tedious tracking shots and some poor choices in CGI, this is the summer's most charming movie.

And I do mean charming. This movie doesn't ooze charm - it tickles the cockles of your heart with it, though. Claire Danes and Charlie Cox as the protagonists Yvaine and Tristan are entirely appropriately cast, and by the end of the movie you will fall pretty much in love. The rest of the cast perform admirably, with especial kudos to Robert Di Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Just don't expect the book. Vaughn has made some pretty drastic changes stylistically. Just think of it as an adaptation, with its own unique charm, and you'll enjoy it just as much, if not more so, as I did.