Movie Title: Stardust
Year Released: 2007
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Genre: Fantasy / Adventure / Romance
Rated: PG-13 for some fantasy violence and risque humor.
Basic Plot: A young boy named Tristan lives in a quaint English town called Wall. Aptly named, the town sits next to a stone wall that separates our world from the world of Faerie, where all manner of magical things occur. Tristan is in love with a young girl named Victoria, but she doesn't return his love. One night, Tristan and Victoria see a star fall across the wall in Faerie. He promises to go and retrieve it and bring it back to her if, in return, she marries him. Thinking it an impossible feat, Victoria complies. Little does Tristan know that the star is actually a living, breathing girl named Yvaine, and others are out to find her too.
The movie follows Tristan and Yvaine's adventures through Faerie and the people, both good and bad, they meet along the way. Those people include: a band of brothers who are fighting to become the next ruler of the kingdom of Stormhold, an evil witch who wants to cut out Yvaine's heart in order to acquire everlasting youth and beauty, and a flamboyant sky pirate played by Robert De Niro.
My Thoughts: Nothing will change how much I love the book Stardust is based on, but I think
this is one of those rare occasions when I like the movie better. That
says volumes, especially in this case since I do adore the book so much.
There are several noticeable differences between the movie and the book. That surprised me because I know from reading his blog that
Neil Gaiman, the book's author, had creative control over the making of
the movie. Then again, he's never been one to mind if adaptations of
his stories are changed.
One big difference is Robert De Niro's character, who's completely new
to the story and wasn't in the book at all. It was great
to see him doing something different from his usual roles and playing a very humorous, quirky character. He fits right into the story and is a welcome
addition in my eyes. As for the rest of the cast, Charlie Cox and
Claire Danes make the perfect main characters. I couldn't imagine
anyone better for both roles. Michelle Pfeiffer has proven her
versatility in both this movie and Hairspray by playing a villain.
She's great at being the baddie.
Another
huge difference is the ending, which I won't delve into for fear of spoiling it. I'll just say that I prefer the movie tie-up.
To be honest, I don't think the
movie would have worked as well if it was a near-perfect adaptation of
the book. The lightheartedness of the movie made it more enjoyable. Despite their differences, the
same quirky magical feel is evident in both the movie and book versions of the story, and many things are kept the same, so die-hard fans of the book
won't be too disappointed. Stardust is almost a modern-day version of The Princess Bride because although it's very much a fantasy movie, it's filled with quirky humor. So if you liked The Princess Bride, you'll probably enjoy Stardust. All in all, Stardust is fun, adventure-filled, romantic, comedic, and wonderful, and I think everyone should see it!
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