Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-02-25
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
An adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name, Stardust brings a strong cast together for an enjoyable family feast, with plenty to enjoy.

Stardust mixes in romance and adventure, all in a fantasy movie guise, as it follows Tristan on his quest to retrieve a fallen star for the beautiful Victoria. Only it soon becomes clear that there's a lot more going on as Tristan makes his journey (not least a companion more diverting than the aforementioned Victoria). Michelle Pfeiffer, for instance, returns to high profile movie making (after quite a break) in the role of the evil witch, while there's space too for Robert De Niro's pirate and an odd cameo from Ricky Gervais.

Seemingly one of a wealth of family films that made it out of the blocks off the success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Stardust doesn't quite hit those heights, but it has quite a sporting go. It's an uneven tale, albeit one told with enough passion and enthusiasm to encourage you to cut it some slack. And when it gets to the end of the last reel, it's hard to feel shortchanged by what you've just seen.

For while Stardust has problems, it also has laughs, adventure, action and a whole lot in its corner to recommend it. And it is worth your time and attention. --Jon Foster

Synopsis
Director Matthew Vaughn (LOCK, STOCK, AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS) takes his experience with credible crime capers and applies it to the fantasy genre in this charming but not too precious adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel. The many threads of the story intertwine seamlessly, unfolding at an unforced pace that complements the movie's magical special effects. Charlie Cox (CASANOVA) stars as Tristan, a somewhat bumbling shopkeeper’s assistant in the sleepy English village of Wall, so named for the stone barrier that separates it from the magical realm of Stormhold. Tristan is in love with the beautiful, dismissive Victoria (Sienna Miller), who much prefers her other suitor, Humphrey (Henry Cavill), since he has travelled all the way to Ipswich to buy her an engagement ring. Tristan, in a last-ditch effort to win Victoria's affections, offers to bring her a fallen star they've just seen, and she agrees to marry him if he can deliver. Unbeknownst to Tristan, he is the product of his father's (Nathaniel Parker) sole excursion to Stormhold, where he had a tryst with a mysterious slave girl (Kate Magowan) who said she was a princess. As Tristan retraces his father’s steps he discovers that the 'star' is actually a beautiful young woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes). A trio of witches, led by a delightfully wicked Michelle Pfeiffer, wants to capture Yvaine to cut out her heart and gain eternal youth, while the three remaining sons of the recently deceased king (Peter O'Toole) compete with one another to find the gem Yvaine wears around her neck. With special effects that never outshine the performances and a sweet story peppered with hints of Gaiman's dark sensibility, STARDUST is a truly enchanting fairy tale.

Customer Reviews

Not bad, but could have been better.
Its a bit like a mix of Harry Potter and Pirates of the Carribean. In parts it lacks the essence to make it into a very good movie, good special effects, but special effect don't make a great movie if the story is poor in places.

Enchanting adventure
An excellent fantasy. Shooting stars exploding into glowing women, a camp captain steering a lightning trawler, a gaggle of ghosts providing humorous running commentary from the sideline, and at the centre of it all a very important stone that will make the holder king. This movie is an absolute treat and will not disappoint any fans of fantasies.

A fairy tale to make you believe in fairy tales again
I've had this film recommended to me far too many times to count, but have always found an excuse to put off watching it - I've got exams coming up I must revise for, I'm going out tonight and need to get ready, I don't have the money to spend on DVDs at the moment. However, I found this in Woolworths for £8 a few days back, and having no other plans to keep me occupied I decided to buy it and finally see what all the fuss was about.

The story follows Tristan (the result of a one night stand his father had with a imprisoned princess he met across the wall), who, in attempt to capture the heart of the girl he thinks he's in love with, promises to cross the wall to find a fallen star and bring it back to her before her birthday (time limit - 7 days). What he doesn't count on however was that the star would be a person, ad that darker forces were also after her and her necklace with far more sinister intentions.

He also didn't realise that he may just fall in love with her.

It's a classic fairy tale, witches, princes, heroes and heroines, but whether it's because I've been out of touch with fairy tales these past few years, or due to something special in regards to the film and the story, I really enjoyed watching Stardust, and became swept along with the story - I especially liked the idea of the falling star being a person, capable of falling in love.

The character of Tristan is incredibly loveable, and you find yourself rooting for him right from the start. Charlie Cox portayed the character brilliantly, believably, allowing the viewers to connect with this unlikely (so therefore rather typical) hero. Although Clare Danes looked the part of a star, I failed to be impressed with her portrayal of Yvaine, and wondered whether they could have made her character even slightly more likeable, and believable. But my favourite performance by far belongs to Michelle Pfieffer as Lamia. There's not much I can say really to capture how brilliantly Pfieffer portrays this character, but this is one of the classic cases were you really can't tell an actors playing a role at all, but believe the performance totally.

The film isn't really anything special or unique, its a classic story, it's fun, it's scary (for the kids), it's entertaining - yet, it really works, perhaps because it ticks all the boxes of a classic fairytale. Make no mistake, this isn't one to remain in people's lists of top 10 films for years to come, but I am glad to have finally watched Stardust and would recommend to everyone to at least give it a try. There's a certain charm this film possesses, and I found, that at least for a little while, I was transported back to being a kid again, swept away with the story, rooting for the hero to win, the villain to lose, and the guy to finally get the girl.