Stardust

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)

Very good. When Matthew Vaughn's exuberant imagination is not enough, either Michelle Pfeiffer's ever more attractive witch or the amazingly funny Robert De Niro on a truly unique role step in with great gusto. The fantastic story and, above all, the world it creates are less appealing and holistic than, say, The Neverending Story or the still unique The Princess Bride, but I can't recall an American fairy tale where the director managed to combine a purely childish portion of entertainment with a purely adult one so brilliantly and seamlessly. Anyway, I am convinced that if Václav Vorlíček had had the same budget and technical possibilities in his time, he would have handled such an interesting subject a little more magically (though certainly not more entertainingly). 4* and a bit. (27/05/2014)

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)

Although in terms of technical aspects I can find all sorts of issues, except for the excellent soundtrack, in terms of pure emotion, Stardust affected me like few romantic / fantasy films... I immediately found connection to the likeable heroes, I smiled at the jerky humor, the imaginative choreography and joyfully light storytelling, through which Vaughn masks a relatively forgettable artistic vision and a (lack of) feeling for strong composition. Visually, Stardust is really just a mixture of proven techniques and bad CGI effects, which reveal that 70 million was simply not enough... However, the incomplete impression of the kingdom of Stormhold literally drowns in a nice impression of the story and great characters (especially the central couple and the famous De Niro, who turn a good movie into a great spectacle)... in my opinion Matthew Vaughan managed to create a less than magnificent fairy tale with a big soul. Unfortunately, today's viewer likely prefers magnificence. (01/10/2007)

Undoubtedly the biggest cinematic experience from the films of recent times. It is a very pleasant fairy tale fantasy, and very well acted, cast, and thoroughly handled both in terms of direction and script. An impressive romantic spectacle about the search for love and success in life. Contrary to some reviews, I don't think it suffers from poor set design. Scenes with the airship are among those that I will always remember, and as a boy, that's exactly the kind of airship I dreamed of. In several scenes, the authors poke fun at fairy tale stereotypes and lighten the storytelling with jokes and thrilling battles. Intrigues, passions, fights - simply everything that an audience can appreciate. With the exception of really young children (because the film does contain some more drastic scenes), the film is truly for everyone. Overall impression: 95%. (31/01/2009)