Movie Review: Stardust
Jan. 13th, 2008 08:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
velvetpageI can't believe this film flopped at the theatres. It's funny, slightly campy, fantastical in all the right ways, well-acted, and original. I haven't read the book, but the movie has Neil Gaiman written all over it, in a bunch of little sub-plots that had me giggling throughout. This movie is definitely worth purchasing on DVD if you haven't already, and I would leap at the chance to see it on the big screen.
The plot is the classic fantasy trope of people from this world crossing into another, magical realm, and finding adventure there. Combined with that is the classic fictional trope of a young man going on a quest to prove his love to his girl, whom the audience immediately realizes isn't worthy of him. He decides to go bring back a fallen star, expecting it to be a lump of rock.
Meanwhile, in Stormhold, the old king is dying. He is faced with the unprecedented situation of having more than one son still alive at the time of his death, so he does something magical to the ruby around his neck, throws it out the window with some magic behind it, and tells his sons that the one who restores the ruby will be king.
The ruby knocks a star out of the sky. The star lands in Stormhold, in the form of a beautiful woman played by Claire Danes (excellent choice.) She picks up the royal gem and puts it around her neck.
Flash to the home of the tree witches, where we learn that the heart of a star is what keeps witches young and powerful, provided it's cut out of her while still beating and whole.
The movie is about all the people seeking the star, and by extension, the star running away, in the company of the young man who has captured her to take back to his love.
The funny bits: the ghosts of the slain princes hang around until a new king is crowned, as commentators and voyeurs. The witch who goes after the star is played by Michelle Pfeiffer, and she keeps getting older every time she uses magic. The goat cart, followed by turning the goats into innkeepers, sparked much hilarity. And Robert DeNiro was pure gold. I will never watch a movie with him again, without thinking of one particular scene.
I believe it was![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sassy_fae who predicted this movie would be the next Princess Bride in terms of DVD sales, quotability, and fan following. I think she may be right.
The plot is the classic fantasy trope of people from this world crossing into another, magical realm, and finding adventure there. Combined with that is the classic fictional trope of a young man going on a quest to prove his love to his girl, whom the audience immediately realizes isn't worthy of him. He decides to go bring back a fallen star, expecting it to be a lump of rock.
Meanwhile, in Stormhold, the old king is dying. He is faced with the unprecedented situation of having more than one son still alive at the time of his death, so he does something magical to the ruby around his neck, throws it out the window with some magic behind it, and tells his sons that the one who restores the ruby will be king.
The ruby knocks a star out of the sky. The star lands in Stormhold, in the form of a beautiful woman played by Claire Danes (excellent choice.) She picks up the royal gem and puts it around her neck.
Flash to the home of the tree witches, where we learn that the heart of a star is what keeps witches young and powerful, provided it's cut out of her while still beating and whole.
The movie is about all the people seeking the star, and by extension, the star running away, in the company of the young man who has captured her to take back to his love.
The funny bits: the ghosts of the slain princes hang around until a new king is crowned, as commentators and voyeurs. The witch who goes after the star is played by Michelle Pfeiffer, and she keeps getting older every time she uses magic. The goat cart, followed by turning the goats into innkeepers, sparked much hilarity. And Robert DeNiro was pure gold. I will never watch a movie with him again, without thinking of one particular scene.
I believe it was
sassy_fae who predicted this movie would be the next Princess Bride in terms of DVD sales, quotability, and fan following. I think she may be right.