‘Stardust’ enchanting the cinemas
by Vy Wen
Scheming princes, wicked witches, flying pirates, charming heros and celestial love - what more could you want from a fantasy film.
Stardust has all of the necessary hit-making magic ingredients, with an additional dose of comedy and action-adventure, not-to-mention an impressive cast consisting of Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro.
The imaginations of best-selling author Neil Gaiman and director Matthew Vaughn brings us a story of the adventure of a one young man, Tristan (Charlie Cox) and his quest for a star.
The movie follows Tristan, the son of a local shopkeeper whose dreams of marrying Victoria (Sienna Miller) become a reality when he recovers a falling star.
He soon discovers that the star was not the piece of charred rock he was looking for, but rather a beautiful woman named Yvaine (Clare Danes), who is not too happy to be enslaved to this ambitious but awkward mortal after falling from the sky.
Before long, Tristan and Yvaine are thrown into a whirlwind journey across the beautiful scenery of the Scottish highlands, facing witches, pirates, and princes, before finally discovering that love may be on the horizon.
It’s the consistent injection of humor in the movie, great story flow and twisted characters that really makes the movie stand above the usual fantasy adaptations: Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro), a cross-dressing cut throat sky pirate; gratuitous bathing, groping, dropping boobs, a witch fight that ended in decapitation – all the good stuff of old time witchcraft and modern day silliness.
DeNiro’s unexpected performance was really a highlight in the movie when he charmingly played the tough, Alpha male sky pirate who likes to wear dresses and make up in his own private time.
On the other hand, Michelle Pfeiffer’s character Lamia, the aged evil witch, was almost like seeing her getting in touch with her inner bitch. She was splendidly nasty and scary as Lamia, yet did not lose her sense of humor.
As enchanting as this movie is, it is hard to pinpoint it as a love story, comedy, or action-adventure tale.
All said, Stardust is definitely worth a watch for those of you who are looking for a romantic fantasy movie to distract you from the assignment blues.
Click here to visit the movie’s official website.