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Paramount / 127 Minutes / 2007 / Rated PG-13 / Street Date: September 7, 2010
In hopes of wooing a beautiful girl, Tristan (Charlie Cox) promises to bring her a falling star. But he’s in for the adventure of his life when he discovers the star is actually a celestial beauty named Yvaine (Claire Danes). When old witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) attempts to steal Yvaine’s youth, Tristan must protect her at all costs including his dealings with the peculiar pirate, Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro).
Novelist Neil Gaiman originally wrote the story inspired by The Princess Bride and wanted to craft a fairy tale for adults. That he did. The violence is a little rougher, some sexual shenanigans are more bawdy and the crafty plot is something to behold. Many have said that Stardust doesn’t know what it wants to be, but I just think that’s untrue; the tones and themes are very consistent. Motivations are clear and nicely dovetail into the plot. It’s an easy swipe at a wondrous, risk-taking film.
While the big named stars help to green-light this project (notably De Niro, per the director), the fact remains that the story hinges on Tristan’s quest for love. With that motivation understood and accepted, everything fell into place fairly naturally for me, and I went along for the ride, and enjoyed the whole picture.
However, while I dug the story, the opulent production by Gavin Bocquet (Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith), vivacious acting and dazzling photography by Ben Davis (Hannibal Rising), I can’t say that I was fully and emotionally engaged with the proceedings.
While a recent viewing of the bloody and merciless High Tension certainly had plot problems, poor dubbing & isn’t exactly original, nevertheless, my heart was pounding in my throat much of the time. Sure, it’s a different kind of movie altogether – a horror film - but Stardust didn’t ever come close to electrifying me like much of High Tension. Perhaps it’s because Stardust is so outrageous and fantastical (but so are Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings) that I can’t place myself closer to the story, I’m not sure. Additionally, Ilan Eshkeri’s score is pleasant and attentive, but hardly memorable. And the whimsical CGI effects are better looking in some scenes than others.
Performances are critical – they must be convincing in this glittering and capricious story. Although she’s a jittery and bizarrely insecure in interviews, Michelle Pfeiffer is certainly a confident and potent Diva on screen. Bravo! Warm Charlie Cox as Tristan is spot-on and definitely carried my interest with his youthful plight that forces him to get tough; he’s definitely my favorite. While De Niro is interesting in his colorful character, he is a tough sell and fans might be in for a little shock. But kudos to De Niro anyway. And Jason Flemyng helps to keep things interesting. Claire Danes is an increasingly celebrated actor, but I like her perhaps as much as fellow DVDFile colleague Mike Restaino likes the coy Jerry Seinfeld; I see and respect the talent, but something rubs me the wrong way. Danes is certainly sincere and has some good moments, but she strains way too much. Despite portraying a celestial fallen star much like a mythical goddess, no less, nothing is ethereal about Danes’ earthy poise. That aside, I still enjoyed the adventures, the quirky dialogue, moments of comedy and Matthew Vaughn’s confident direction.
The film had a strong budget of $70 million including a heavy promotion, but it only made $38 million domestically. However, its worldwide tally is a hefty $133 million, and with the coming holiday season, this Blu-ray should enter more homes and find a wider audience, which it deserves. The big question might be if I liked this better than The Princess Bride. I’ll say that The Princess Bride is probably a better, more clever film and magically more involving, but if I were to watch one or the other right now, it would probably be Stardust.
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