Stardust

I only needed a pleasant mood, a head full of imagination, and a few minutes in the Wall. Thanks to the second projection of Stardust, it became the most pleasurable delight in a very long time. With this, I am paying a huge tribute to the story of Tristan, Yvaine, or Septimus, and I am slowly setting off to search for the star. This radiant enlightenment has given me a romantic mood for months to come. Vaughn, with numerous cliché violations and at the same time confirming all the necessary aspects of a great adventure spectacle, created a heartwarming film after which fairy tales will never be the same as before. Now excuse me, I'm going to dry my eyes. But it's not because of being moved, it's just some specks of dust that fell into them. Guess what kind. (07/07/2008)

After the two films I've seen from Vaughn (Kick-Ass and this) I'm still not convinced he's much of a director, but he's definitely a cool wingman. Stardust is a not-so-cleverly story edited affair (enough things here could have been resolved in dialogue and didn't need to be unnecessarily shown) that has little will to mask its social budget and devotes its own shot, if not scene, to every digital special effect, no matter how bad. You even realize at the beginning of the film that you hate everything that's been there so far. And yet without it, the gradual coming of age of not just the hero, but the story, probably wouldn't work. First you're delighted with details like the hillbilly Yvaine, the envious witches, the blue blood, and the brotherly shenanigans (with, again, the unbelievably perfect Mark Strong), then the whole direction the film takes with lots of perfect digressions to round out the plot, the best of which I would consider to be the relationship between the fearsome Captain Shakespeare and his crew of cutthroats. And I still enjoy the pirate rapists' tough-guy gesture to this day. "Now remember, Captain Shakespeare has a fearsome reputation." (03/05/2012)

An engaging story with a pleasant esprit of British dry humour and finally, after a long time, a fairy tale that does not make a fool of the children and delights the adults with its wit and the originality of its setting. I'm sure I'll read something by the oddball Gaiman sometime. Matthew Vaughn has grown up, and the likeable De Niro hasn't had such a rewarding role in a long time (his "travesty dance" in The Wardrobe is, I'd say, a rare moment in his long acting career). I don't mind the visibly limited budget at all, because this film has a soul and that's worth it. The slightly rushed finale is a bit of a pity perhaps, but otherwise it’s a very nice film. (25/12/2007)

Stardust is a gem with a playful soul hidden in an undignified shabby technical garb. That is, exactly the opposite of what is usually the case these days. P.S. About a year and a half later: With each subsequent screening (it's a small miracle in itself that I voluntarily watch something more than once), I love it more and more. Slowly, but very surely, it has become one of my favorites... ♫ OST score: 5/5 (10/02/2022)

Camera flights and shots of large panoramas, striking orchestral and choral music, slow-motion shots of running horses – at times it looks like another installment of Lord of the Rings, but it is by no means that. Stardust is a heartfelt, immensely entertaining, and funny ride that will amuse viewers of all ages. It won't bore the little ones, and it won't offend the grown-ups, which is damn hard to achieve, especially in fantasy these days. All the wannabe successors to Peter Jackson burned out until now, almost without exception, but Matthew Vaughn scores with witty humor, clever dialogues, and an excellent cast, with Claire Danes and Robert De Niro leading the pack. And just when it seems like it could fall into cliché and sentimentality, something happens that turns the previous minutes on their head and the ride continues at a brisk pace. A project that wasn't believed in and yet succeeded. (20/07/2008)