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Stardust (2007)

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Time Out rating

Average user rating

156 reviews

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 London

There’s a lot of seductive qualities in this knowing, pomo, digitally assisted, widescreen, family oriented fairy tale.

It’s adapted with roistering glee by Matthew ‘Layer Cake’ Vaughn from Neil Gaiman’s cult comic-strip, a time-travelling fantasia with princely rivalry, piratical villains, chivalric romances, marvels, magical spells, mythical struggles and Hovis-ad English villages. It plays like a live-action riposte to ‘Shrek’. As if to compensate for carrying human baggage – sorry, actors – Vaughn throws everything at the screen he can. Castles in the sky and hovels on the ground come hurtling towards you courtesy of combined computer and visual effects. Before you settle into its amusingly generic ‘Victorian’ England setting (and the comforts of Ian McKellen’s velvety voice-over), you’re rocketed off on Google Earth-style journeys to the magical, mock-medieval, manically overdesigned virtual world of ‘Stormhold’, then back again to its teeming, independent microcosmics satellite hidden behind the olde village’s guarded stone wall. Like Gulliver’s puny captors or the ropes on Munchausen’s balloon-ship (which is quoted here), the film’s cast has the task of tethering its chaotic flights of fancy.

Charlie Cox, in naturalist register, makes a fist of the young, cambric-shirted hero – Tristan , charged with bringing back a fallen ‘star’ (which turns into an annoying Claire Danes) by his hiss-ably haughty love (tressed-to-kill Sienna Miller). But the rest – O’Toole, Pfeiffer, Gervais et al – wisely camp it up, with Robert De Niro out-camping everyone in a film-stealing turn as buckleswashing Captain Shakespeare. You could call it a cousin of ‘Time Bandits’ or ‘The Princess Bride’, but it lacks the former’s originality and the latter’s heart. No matter, little kids will like the miniature elephants herding in specimen bottles; this writer liked the futuristic gifts – plastic flowers!

Author: Wally Hammond 2007-10-16 10:59:00

Time Out London Issue 1939: October 17-23 2007

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User reviews of this film

Lidz..x said...

Posted on Nov 15 2007 15:32 this film is the best film i have eva seen it is so amazin i so recomend people 2 see it if not u r missin out on a massiv opertunity

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Debbie said...

Posted on Nov 15 2007 13:57 Great fun and very enjoyable film to watch!

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john said...

Posted on Nov 14 2007 16:56 im taking theoldlady to see this on friday it loks/sounds good

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claire said...

Posted on Nov 14 2007 15:37 i think this film wer totally amazing and entertaining cnt wait for it 2 come out on dvd!!

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ADAM said...

Posted on Nov 13 2007 17:25 Brilliant. If your looking for a complicated twist and turn film your in the wrong place. this is an easy going fantasy with great special effects. pop up star actors and great love story. De nero so funny and settings and music truely heart capturing..

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MISTY said...

Posted on Nov 13 2007 16:32 IM GOIN 2 C IT WIV MY BOY FRIENDON FRIDAY

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misty-mu22 said...

Posted on Nov 13 2007 16:31 IM GOIN 2 C IT WIV MY BOY FRIEND SATURDAY

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Freddy said...

Posted on Nov 12 2007 20:18 Bad really bad

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dave said...

Posted on Nov 12 2007 20:17 Lovely lovely lovely films about nothing

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Dave said...

Posted on Nov 12 2007 20:16 Really really really, I heard peope moaning at the dialogue and they were 5 years old

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dave said...

Posted on Nov 12 2007 20:14 Utter .... shite, cobbled together, 3rd rate script, tedious.

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victoria said...

Posted on Nov 12 2007 11:48 the film is bril and loved to see it again. but take my family with me. i love the twist between war and love. i will go and see it over and over again

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Laura said...

Posted on Nov 12 2007 03:52 I utterly adored this film. I was expecting it to be pretty mediocre (I only went because a friend wanted to see it), but I was so pleasantly surprised. It's more Grimms' fairytales than Disney with a lot of the dialogue definitely aimed at the older audience members. I'm planning on going again next weekend. I'd recommend it to everyone!

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lauren t said...

Posted on Nov 11 2007 20:29 just soooo AMAZING really want 2 see it again (please mum)

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phoebe & sophie said...

Posted on Nov 11 2007 14:03 we juzt seen the trailer and we fink itz well mint but were about to see it @ da cinima so tell ya wot we fink bout it after we watch it xxxoxxx L.P.A.C

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