What a wonderful discovery this movie was. Having placed it on my NetFlix list on a whim, I was pleasantly surprised when my friends chimed up and all said they thought favorably of the film when I mentioned it. It’s creative, funny and attractive to watch. Staring Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Robert De Niro, and Michelle Pfeiffer - it's a film about one man’s adventure after he crosses the wall.
Pros:
- Creativity – Think of all the different types of fairy tales. Now picture the best parts of each story and smoosh them together into one legend. "Stardust" is kinda like that – witches, ghosts, love, challenges, lessons learned, etc.
- It’s Funny – I will admit that I completely underestimated this movie in regards to its humor. It’s very witty. It’s not gut busting hilarious, but it’s a level of humor adults will enjoy (and appreciate).
- The Acting – Minus the British accents from Danes and Pfeiffer, the performances are interesting, keeping your attention and having you wanting to learn more about them. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more from England’s own Charlie Cox (look for him in “1939” also staring Bill Nighy and Julie Christie).
- The Soundtrack – It reminds me of “Pirates of the Caribbean” which is great because they both create an epic feel. The epic, tough, life altering journey for a movie’s hero.
- It’s Kinda Gross – I like that it doesn’t sugar coat or pan away some of the gruesome death sequences yet doesn't have blood squirting every where either.
- Robert De Niro - He's just a given, but I didn't want to post a review without mentioning him. I think you should rent this movie just to see Jake La Motta as you have never seen him before (hehe).
Cons:
- There’s a Lot Going On – There are … (thinking…counting) 4, I think, stories going on. Nope, I think it's 5. And the main story, Tristan (Cox) trying to bring home a fallen star (Danes), gets very complicated (otherwise it would be a very short film, right?) and goes off on many tangents (a.k.a. adventures).
- The British Accents – Danes’ accent is distracting, but if you can put that out of your mind (and ears) the rest of her acting is great!
- A Little Predictable – I bet you can guess the ending if you haven’t seen the movie. Although I did get a little scared that the happily ever after wasn’t going to happen, but that quickly passed (as I had predicted).
Summary:
Check out “Stardust” I bet you’d be surprised by the quality of this film. I regret not seeing it in the movie theater because the scenery and CG would have been enhanced by the theater’s technology. It’s funny and beautifully shot. It suites it’s running time and will leave you smiling. Just pretend that Claire Danes doesn’t have an accent and you have a grade “A” movie on your hands (or in your DVD player as it were).
What did you think of the movie? Did you see it in the theater? Danes’ accent, did it bug you as much as it did me?
“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra
So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.
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