Stardust lights up barren Hollywood wasteland

By Katie Williams
Collegian Editor
August 29, 2007

A fallen star, comedic fratricide and Robert De Niro playing a cross-dressing pirate are just some of the plot devices you’ll find in Stardust, which hit theaters Aug. 10. In a summer of tired sequels and dull movies, it’s certainly the most unique and entertaining choice.

Stardust is, in keeping with Hollywood’s style, not entirely original, as it is based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name. The film follows the story of the young hopeless romantic Tristan (Charlie Cox), a resident of the English town of Wall, so named because of the giant wall near the village separating it from the fairy world.

When Tristan’s love, the fickle Victoria (Sienna Miller), reveals her plans to marry someone else, Tristan makes her a deal: if he can bring back the star that just fell to earth before her birthday, she must marry him instead of her fiancé.

Tristan crosses the wall and enters the mystical land of Stromhold, where he meets the star, Yvaine (Claire Danes), who is not too keen on being a birthday present. His trip home is further impeded by a witch (Michelle Pfeiffer) who seeks to cut out Yvaine’s heart in order to be young again, and a band of brothers who not only need the necklace Yvaine wears in order to be become the King of Stromhold, but also to be the last brother alive (resulting in some rather humorous murder scenes).

Understandably, even with the recent influx of fantasy movies being made (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter) the movie’s plot is still a hard sell, but that should not deter one from seeing it. There is never a dull moment in Stardust. It constantly delivers by almost seamlessly blending fantasy, comedy and even a little romance.

Stardust has been compared to The Princess Bride in almost every other review, and that comparison is justified. Both movies are whimsical fairy tales made for cynical adults. It is a fantasy film, so there shouldn’t be too much surprise about how it ends, but the movie still grabs your attention and leaves you surprised by the different twists and turns the story takes.

We may be bred not to believe in unicorns and falling stars, but the film never needs to strain itself to make those plot elements work. A problem most fantasy films have is getting too wrapped up in plot and never developing characters. Stardust does not have this problem, as the characters are fully developed and sympathetic (you even feel a twinge of sorrow for the evil witch).

By far, comedy is the best element of this film, if only because each joke is so unexpected. The Greek chorus-like group of dead brothers that watch over the action are a delight every time they are onscreen. In fact, one of my few complaints about the movie is that these characters don't get as much screen time as they deserve.

The acting in Stardust is all top-notch. Newcomer Cox is completely charming. Danes not only pulls off the hard task of playing the physical manifestation of a star fallen to earth, but does so with a surprisingly believable English accent. The best performance of the film, however, comes from Pfeifer, who is delightfully wicked as she makes her way across the countryside.

It pains me to say that De Niro’s performance is the weak point of the film, at least when his character is first introduced. To get the point across that Captain Shakespeare is not a cutthroat rapist, but in fact a flamboyant cross-dresser, De Niro simply overacts, trying to beat the audience over the head with his character’s personality.

I didn’t feel like I was watching a cross-dressing pirate, I instead felt like I was watching De Niro trying to prove that he could play a cross-dressing pirate. However, in all the scenes after his initial one De Niro calms down, and the character becomes much more real.

All in all, this film is definitely worth seeing. It’s a must-see for any fantasy fan, and even those who don’t normally care for the genre will find something to enjoy in Stardust.

williamsk1@lasalle.edu