In the old days, being a star was usually the byproduct of being famous for accomplishing something, more often than not in the entertainment industry, where years of blood, sweat, and tears paid off in the currency of choice, namely fame and fortune. In today's pop entertainment-obsessed culture, however, we have for more stars who are famous just for being famous, and show no discernible talent beyond feeding off that very fact.
Long, long ago, in a galaxy, far, far (uh, sorry, wrong fantasy story -- rewind and start again). Long ago, in a fantasy world located on the other side of a barrier appropriately known as the wall, various people are also interested in a star. Not in becoming one, mind you, but instead they're after a certain celestial body, the kind of which is usually is up in the heavens, but has recently fallen to Earth.
There's average village boy Tristran, who promises the star to the pretty but cool as ice Victoria who will marry someone else if he doesn't bring it to her. Some conniving brothers, including Septimus and Primus who have no problem dispatching their siblings if it means their shot at inheriting their late father's throne, need a certain ruby that flew out into space and knocked the star from the sky, and know if they find her, they'll find the stone that will ensure their ascension . Finally, there's a decrepit witch, Lamie, who wants the star because it will mean eternal youth and beauty for her.
What some, but not all of them realize is that the star has taken the shape of a human being known as Yvaine, and she isn't happy to be earthbound, or that Tristran is just using her to get to Victoria. Throw in a bunch of ghosts, a flying rigger whose crew captures and resells lightning, a unicorn, and much more, and you have the making of a fantastical story, and that's exactly what "Stardust" desires to be.
Based on the novel penned by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles Vess, the film is intended as a lighter and more carefree addition to the fantasy genre that's been dominated of recent by the likes of Harry Potter and the far more bombastic Lord of the Rings films. In a way, and especially with its narrator, tongue-in-cheek humor, and love story at its heart, it harkens back to the likes of Rob Reiner's delightful "The Princess Bride."
While not as good as that film (all across the board), there are things to admire and certainly elements that will entertain in writer/director Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of the 1998 fantasy novel (with writing accompaniment by fellow scribe Jane Goldman). Not having read the original work, I can't attest about how it adheres to the source material, or how fans of that will react.
I can say, however, that if anything, the film is certainly ambitious, and stuffs a great deal of material and characters into its slightly more than two hour running time. Some work better than others, and while most everything feels epic, magical, and/or fantastical, it doesn't all jell into a completely satisfying or believable whole.
Unlike its more recent genre-mates (or, I'm assuming, the novel), it doesn't have the luxury of spreading out its story or introducing and building its characters across multiple "chapters." Instead, the filmmakers jam all of that into one setting.
The result is that some characters and story elements feel somewhat shortchanged in terms of storytelling attention and/or time up on the screen. Much of that's due to everything and everyone racing from start to finish to get everything in, with the storytelling -- narrated by Ian McKellen -- constantly shifting from one major story element to the next and then back again.
Considering the popularity of the genre, it's a good bet kids will enjoy the offering, even if the special effects aren't quite up to snuff with the film's bigger-budgeted brethren. And older viewers may just enjoy some of the more "adult" humor, including some black comedy featuring the recently departed brothers' ghosts (visually stuck in their moment of demise) sitting on the sidelines and commentating on the action.
As far as the performances are concerned, Claire Danes is somewhat of a flat disappointment, mainly due to the way her character has been written. Charlie Cox fares better as her retriever turned eventual love interest, but Mark Strong isn't as fun in his role as one might expect, considering how the same might have played out in "Princess Bride."
Michelle Pfeiffer seems to be having fun getting down, dirty and ugly as the evil witch intent on eternal beauty, but it's Robert De Niro who really hams it up as the leader -- named Shakespeare of all things -- of a lightning-catching rigger with a captain's quarters that contain a rather revealing secret. The latter comes out of the blue and doesn't really feel that congruous with the rest of the material, which pretty much applies to that overall subplot as well, beyond the fantastical elements of such a high flying craft and the story's need to transport characters from one locale to another.
Filled with enough current stars to draw attention to its wares, it's nevertheless unclear whether the film will enjoy the same sort or degree of post theatrical release success that befell "The Princess Bride." Aiming for the same sort of tone and older-fashioned fantasy storytelling that fueled that film, this one is certainly imaginative, if not quite as charming, entertaining, or successful as its predecessor. "Stardust" rates as a 5.5 out of 10.
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