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Stardust (2007)

Director: Matthew Vaughn

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Synopsis

Based on the best-selling graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, 'Stardust' begins in a village in England and ends up in places that exist in an imaginary world. A young man named Tristan (Charlie Cox) tries to win the heart of Victoria (Sienna Miller), the beautiful but cold object of his desire, by going on a quest to retrieve a fallen star. His journey takes him to a mysterious and forbidden land beyond the walls of his village. On his odyssey, Tristan finds the star, which has transformed into a striking girl named Yvaine (Claire Danes). However, Tristan is not the only one seeking the star. A king’s (Peter O’Toole) four living sons – not to mention the ghosts of their three dead brothers – all need the star as they vie for the throne. Tristan must also overcome the evil witch, Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), who needs the star to make her young again. As Tristan battles to survive these threats, encountering a pirate named Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro) and a shady trader named Ferdy the Fence (Ricky Gervais) along the way, his quest changes. He must now win the heart of the star for himself as he discovers the meaning of true love.

Movie review

From Time Out Chicago

Although witches and unicorns living in a magical realm may conjure up images of Willow or Labyrinth, Stardust actually owes an equal debt to The Princess Bride. Like that film, this so-so fantasy aims at an adult audience eager to let out their inner child. Tristan (Cox) lives in an English village which sits right next to a big wall, on the other side of which is a magical land called Stormhold. To impress the vain, aloof town beauty (Miller), Tristan promises to bring back a shooting star. That task sends him into Stormhold, where the death of the king (O’Toole) has led to a murderous battle for succession among his sons.

Meanwhile (and this film is so stuffed with plot that the word meanwhile comes up a lot), three witches, led by Pfeiffer, are in hot pursuit of the same star. They want to consume it to lengthen their already overextended lives.

Tristan discovers that the star is in fact a woman (Danes), and sets about dragging her back to England. Along the way, they encounter flying pirates led by Captain Shakespeare (De Niro, making his obvious miscasting into a joke), who has a penchant for dressing in drag. Things get weirder from there. If you like fantasy with the occasional tongue-in-cheek moment, it’s pretty enjoyable, but it doesn’t shine like Princess Bride.

Author: Hank Sartin

Time Out Chicago Issue 128: August 9–15, 2007

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