Stardust takes audiences on an adventure that begins in a village in England and ends up in places that exist in an imaginary world. A young man named Tristan (Charlie Cox) tries to win the heart of Victoria (Sienna Miller) by going on a quest to retrieve a fallen star. His journey takes him to a mysterious and forbidden land beyond the walls of his village. On his odyssey, Tristan finds the star, which has transformed into a striking girl named Yvaine (Claire Danes). However, Tristan is not the only one seeking the star. A king's (Peter O'Toole) four living sons – not to mention the ghosts of their three dead brothers – all need the star as they vie for the throne. Tristan must also overcome the evil witch, Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), who needs the star to make her young again. As Tristan battles to survive these threats, encountering a pirate named Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro) and a shady trader named Ferdy the Fence (Ricky Gervais) along the way, his quest changes. He must now win the heart of the star for himself as he discovers the meaning of true love.
This was a really great fantasy movie. I've always been a big fan of movies like The Princess Bride, Labyrinth, and The Dark Crystal. This was a movie like those. It had some really funny moments, great fight scenes, and very well developed central characters. The only knock that I can really make against it is that it drags a bit at the beginning and that it may be tough for kids to keep their attention through that part (the future steppies ended up bailing to go watch The Simpsons movie because of this). However, once Tristan meets up with the star and they start travelling, the movie is great, fun entertainment.
I very strongly recommend everyone checking this one out. Those of you with children, be sure to remember that it is a little tedious for the first half hour or so.
