DVD
REVIEW:
STARDUST
12/14/07
One of the main
reasons people go to see movies is to escape the reality of
their lives and immerse themselves in the story being told
or to just simply be entertained. Instead of taking drugs or
drinking large quantities of alcohol, I like to escape by
watching a good movie. To me it’s like therapy. This one is
a superb choice for doing just that. What a journey! Sure,
this might not exactly be the best fantasy movie ever made,
but it does the job of transporting you to another world
full of magic and wonder. It’s like that bedtime story that
you never got tired of hearing as a child. I would be so
bold as to say that it’s the next best fantasy since the
Chronicles of Narnia.
The story takes place in England where a town borders a
magical land, Stormhold, separated by a wall. The aging king
(Peter O’Toole) of Stormhold is unable to choose his
successor out of his 3 remaining sons so he releases a jewel
that flies into the sky and knocks down a star. This falling
star is actually a beautiful girl, Yvaine (Claire Danes),
who takes possession of the jewel. The king’s sons are after
the jewel in order to become the next king, a band of
powerful old witches lead by Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) are
after the star for its rejuvenating powers, and Tristan
(Charlie Cox) is after the star to give as a gift in an
attempt to conquer the heart of his obsession, Victoria
(Sienna Miller). Their lives intertwine as they each try to
complete their quest.
A good measure of the success of a fairy tale film such as
this one is the connection one makes with its characters.
This fairy tale does not fall short. The character
development was just enough to get you hooked and to feel
for each of them individually. From the star, Yvaine, to
Tristan’s mother (Kate Magowan), down to the first mate on
Captain Shakespeare’s (Robert DeNiro) vessel, you get
attached. Speaking of Captain Shakespeare, OMG! Words cannot
describe DeNiro’s role in this movie. You will not believe
your eyes. Priscilla was speechless. Another shocker is
seeing Michelle Pfeiffer look old and ugly. But as old and
ugly as she looked at some moments, she looked just as
beautiful in others. She is another case of someone who
defies time. My favorite character has got to be Yvaine, the
star. Even though this was not a flawless performance by
Claire, and Yvaine at first was a little hard to swallow,
Claire’s beauty totally illuminated the character,
literally. There are few things more precious than making a
beautiful woman glow.
The plot of this film was quite imaginative and yet simple
enough to follow comfortably. The dialogue, however, did not
keep pace at times. Luckily the talented cast helped you get
passed the rough edges. The cinematography also helped.
Beautiful views and sets along with a modest amount of
special effects and CGI helped preserve the illusion of
being transported to this place. Writer/Director Matthew
Vaughn (Layer Cake) as a director in only his second major
motion picture is off to a great start. We can expect
wonderful things from Mr. Vaughn. In the meantime, be on the
lookout for any falling stars, no not Lindsay or Britney, I
mean from the sky.
Movie
Review By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com
VIDEO:
Widescreen Enhance for 16x9 TVs
AUDIO:
Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround - English Spanish French
Subtitles - English, Spanish
French,
BONUS FEATURES:
Just like the marketing for the theatrical
release of this excellent film, the DVD disappoints by not
containing a single features that can be
recommended.
Good Omens: The Making of
Stardust. The main cast, director, writers and producers
talk about the making of the film. The surprise in this
feature was not seeing Robert De Niro nor Michelle
Pfeiffer talking in the documentary (29:20)
Deleted Scenes:
A total of 6 deleted scenes and an alternative ending
running around 5 and half minutes, It was good that the
director left these scenes out they dont add anything to the
film.
Bloopers: Blooper Reel
(5:06)
RATING BREAK DOWN:
| FILM REVIEW |
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VIDEO |
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AUDIO |
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| BONUS
FEATURES |
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People Movie Review
Stardust
|
Roy Lane |
50 |
|
The movie proved very entertaining for
my whole family ages from youth to
senior.The only thing I wish whole
heartedly that they would have left out
was the cude bloopers that restrict the
use by my youngest , who might well find
them funny but would reveal our lack of
parenting skills.. |
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