Rating: PG-13 Starring: Directed by Matthew Vaughn Special Features: Other Info: Synopsis: “An epic tale starring Claire Danes with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro. In hopes of wooing a beautiful girl (Sienna Miller), Tristan (Charlie Cox) promises to bring her a falling star. But he’s in for the adventure of his life when he discovers the star is actually a celestial beauty named Yvaine (Danes). When an old witch Lamia (Pfeiffer) attempts to steal Yvaine’s youth, Tristan must protect her at all costs, in this magical family adventure that will make you laugh out loud and believe in love again.” “Stardust” is rated PG-13 for some fantasy violence and risqué humor. Mini-Review: Charlie Cox certainly stands out as Tristan Thorne, our young hero. He makes an equally convincing geek and dashing hero. I think using a relative unknown helped make him a bit more identifiable with audiences, especially considering how many other big names are in the film. Claire Danes is also good as Yvaine, our heroine. She’s beautiful and scrappy, much like a fantasy Princess Leia. Danes has great chemistry with Charlie Cox and it makes their eventual romance all the more appealing. But it’s some of the veteran actors that really steal the show. Michelle Pfeiffer is really in top form as Lamia, the wicked witch. Whether she’s wearing ugly makeup or fully beautified, she steals every scenes she’s in. It’s great to see her back on the big screen. Robert De Niro also has a memorable cameo as Captain Shakespeare. He’s a pirate with a shocking secret and it certainly generates a lot of laughs. Also look for cameos by Sienna Miller, Rupert Everett, Ricky Gervais, and Peter O’Toole. Overall, “Stardust” is a fun and quirky romantic, comedic fantasy. If you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, this film more than delivers. While many genre DVDs have a ton of bonus features, “Stardust” gets significantly short-changed. There are no standard extras like commentaries, special effects featurettes, or even any interviews with De Niro or Pfeiffer. Maybe they’re saving these for some sort of special edition. Instead you get “Good Omens: The Making of Stardust” and a blooper reel. You also get five deleted scenes. A couple of them feature more of the ghosts. We see them at the crater when Yvaine first lands. We also see them playing “I Spy” in the carriage as it rolls along. Most significant is an alternate ending showing Tristan as an old man on his deathbed surrounded by his many children….none of whom killed each other. This was a case where the theatrical version was the right way to go. Show Comments |
