Cast: Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sienna Miller, Robert De Niro, Mark Strong, Peter O’Toole, Ricky Gervais, Rupert Everett

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Screenplay: Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman

Running time: 2 hrs 10 mins

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Romance


REVIEW:


When it comes to fantasy flicks, it feels as though every nook and cranny of the genre has already been captured by the prototypes of LORD OF THE RINGS, HARRY POTTER, or even the squeakily less-mature NARNIA. And when it comes to fantasy-slash-romance, THE PRINCESS BRIDE soars close to the top. It takes a whole new breed of fantasy to completely revolutionise the genre. STARDUST, meanwhile, is nothing new. In fact, most of its scenes remind us of other fantasy films. Nevertheless, this is fantasy with fun, which felt like a homage or throwback to those yesteryears before cinema made such glorious fantasy movies. Silly plot, ridiculous characters, magic that defies the laws of reality, but STARDUST is a campy, wicked adventure nonetheless.


Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, whose surreal imagination is a gift but doesn’t appeal to the masses, this is the first filmic adaptation based on his story that truly enlivens the attention of the crowd. Here is a tale of Tristan Thorne (newcomer Brit act, Charlie Cox) who oaths to retrieve the falling star for the hand of the girl he loves Victoria (played by the grumpy yet a beauty, Sienna Miller). With this, he has to cross the Wall, which divides England from the faerie land Stormhold, only to discover that the fallen star is in the form of a woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes in practised British accent).


There are many subplots but most of them are pleasurable to watch and know, including the three wicked witch led by Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer in an enjoyable performance), whose search for everlasting youth and beauty finally comes in fulfilment with Yvaine’s heart to compensate for their sagging and wrinkled catastrophe. Also the tale of the doomed seven princes of the Kingdom where each brother has to kill the other for the sake of the crown, worn by the King (Peter O’Toole, briefly in a cameo), and they are cursed to watch the murders until the one true heir comes to the throne. This provides comic relief, to be honest. These subplots rings very true to Shakespeare’s HAMLET (of course, Gaiman is a fanatic of Shakespeare), and surely enough, one character is named after the legendary English writer-poet in the form of a sky-pirate, Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro in his literally jaunty demeanour), a rowdy and gruff pirate outside yet yearns for the posh tea and colourful costumes inside. De Niro must have had fun playing this transvestite pirate. Still, thankfully, villains are played with spark by Pfeiffer and Mark Strong’s Prince Septimus, also hot on the heels with the fallen star.


Because of too many characters, this is also a film filled with many cameos: Ricky Gervais from Brit sitcom EXTRAS as the comic merchant-turned-duck-squawking-dumb, Rupert Everett as the doomed prince Secundus, and Peter O’Toole in his brief appearance as Stormhold’s King. Ian McKellen, whose voice has probably now been a template for fantasy narration, lends his own deep drawl for the narrative.


Matthew Vaugh, after his first directorial effort of LAYER CAKE, hops into a different genre and tackles this tricksy material of STARDUST. Quite certainly, he pinned down Gaiman’s imagination to appeal to a wider audience and snuck up the gloom and darkness out of sight. The result – a fanciful romp and storytelling flow that is not boring and continues to entertain up to the very last reel. The tinge of romance is not overused but managed well. Although this is eyebrow-raising fantasy (a star in the shape of a woman with a British accent?), we could come to full terms that is indeed “fantasy” therefore anything can happen when the writer says so. It’s also accompanied with a sweeping score that seem to climax every 5 minutes in the film, which is lively and thrilling. However, in terms of plot, flaws seem to exist everywhere as characters turn up in places in the coincidence of time, or perhaps plot device.


VERDICT:


Plot strands not intact but weaves a flighty, pleasurable entertainment all throughout. This well-cast fantasy flick provides nods to good ‘ol days of storytelling and also proves that Peter Jackson’s New Zealand is not only the place where this kind of films are made, but also in the landscapes of Britain too.


RATING: B+