September 4, 2007

Stardust - $6

It would be disingenuous to call Stardust anything but escapist cinema. This is a fantasy movie that does not attain the storytelling status of Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter; Stardust is however quite a fun movie.


Stardust is the story of an insecure teenager named Tristan who attempts to find a fallen star to win the hand of the snobby girl he loves. Tristan ventures into a magical land and an unpredictable adventure begins which involves everything from flying pirate ships to witches to princes battling for a throne.

While I watched Stardust I was acutely aware that the pacing was inconsistent and that some parts of the fantasy aspect were not being explained well enough to be plausible, even for fantasy. Overall these flaws turned what was likely meant to be a fantasy epic into nothing more than Hollywood summer cinema.

Despite a series of serious weaknesses in the storytelling I still cannot deny that I enjoyed Stardust. The imagery was exceptional at times and the movie was funnier than the last few comedies I've seen. The story itself had me interested and along for the ride the whole way. I knew this was not an epic but I was never bored and I was even slightly involved with the main characters right to the end.

Stardust also features performances from the likes of Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Peter O'Toole, a short comedic role by Ricky Gervais and narrating by Ian McKellan. None will blow you away but they each play their role well and added to my enjoyment of the movie.

Regardless of Stardust's faults and "mindless" status, this is a movie you may very well be entertained by, as I was.

I put Stardust on my 'Watch It' list and give it a value of $6.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, the flaws in this movie where massive, yet it grew more and more endearing as the movie went on.

Unknown said...

Thanks Tony...I was wondering about this one and heard mixed reviewed...I'll have to check it out.

Tony Tanti said...

jeff, endearing is the perfect word.

bryce, it's worth seeing but don't expect much.

Sheamus the... said...

some of the rawness of the movie surprised me...pleasently. Agree with what has been said here as well.

Jon Coutts said...

Never heard of it. Good review though.

Michael said...

I loved Stardust. Gave it a 5 out of 5. =o)