Stardust looked great from the trailers. Some really big names added to the attraction (Claire Danes, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfieffer, Peter O’Toole, Ricky Gervais). Neil Gaiman as the writer of the novel on which the film was based was definitely a selling point. Still, when I went in to the theater I expected a pleasant diversion and not much else. I was wrong.
This movie has a great deal of heart, is very positive, and its fairy tale ending, while predictable, was totally satisfying. The visuals were great as well. Color was especially well used. In the “real” world of England, colors are earthy and muted for the most part, while in the fairy tale world of Stormhold, colors are much more vibrant and varied – though not to the point that it was shouting at you. That was a great, understated way to separate the worlds, in my opinion.
The action was exciting, though the general tone was light. There was a lot of killing in the movie (7, at least, primary and secondary characters), but it was not gory at all, and was frequently handled with a bit of comedy so it didn’t seem ghastly. The use of the ghosts for comic relief helped a lot.
Much like The Princess Bride, this is a movie about true love that seems like it’s for kids, but adults will love as well. It’s lots of fun with a heartwarming undertone throughout. I left the theater with a full smile on my face. I’m planning to buy the DVD when my kids are old enough to watch it.
Four and a half stars.
[tags]Stardust, fantasy, fairy tale, love, adventure, Neil Gaiman, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfieffer[/tags]
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