2008 Woodie Awards
"Stardust" fantastical, briefly hilarious
Movie offers viewers fantasy with a touch of satire
Helen Nevius
Issue date: 8/27/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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4 out of 5 stars
Pros: engaging plot, hilarious when it wants to be
Cons: kind of corny
"Stardust" is in many ways a classic fairy tale. The story unfolds in a magical kingdom where witches, princes, and pirates abound. Good and evil do battle with swords and spells, and good triumphs in the end as it should. No matter what dire circumstances the protagonist finds himself in, viewers can be sure he will win out in time for the happily ever after. With its exaggerated fairy tale elements, the story sometimes mocks the genre but takes itself a little too seriously to be called satire. In the end, "Stardust" delivers an engrossing tale of magic and enchantment with a bit of humor mixed in.
The movie follows young Tristan Thorne (Charlie Cox), who lives in the English village of Wall. He is determined to win the heart of the beautiful, self-absorbed Victoria (Sienna Miller), but his earnest attempts to woo her are no match for the suave charm, fencing skills, and stylish moustache of his rival Humphrey (Henry Cavill). In a desperate last-attempt at winning his conceited darling's love before Humphrey proposes, Tristan vows to retrieve a falling star for her. He sets out on a journey to where the star landed in the England-adjacent, enchanted land of Stormhold.
However, Tristan is not the only one looking for the star- it was knocked out of the sky in the first place by a ruby flung from the deathbed of the King of Stormhold (Peter O'Toole). Now the king's power-hungry and homicidal sons are racing against each other to retrieve it, knowing that the one who does will inherit the crown. In still yet another part of Stormhold, the witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) sees the star streaking across the sky and sets out to find it so that she and her sisters can consume it and restore their youthful beauty.
Tristan travels to the crater where the star landed, but to his surprise he finds not a smoldering piece of rock but a woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes) who is not at all interested in being a present for Victoria. Tristan soon finds himself trying to drag Yvaine back to England with him while evading the scheming princes and witches.
Pros: engaging plot, hilarious when it wants to be
Cons: kind of corny
"Stardust" is in many ways a classic fairy tale. The story unfolds in a magical kingdom where witches, princes, and pirates abound. Good and evil do battle with swords and spells, and good triumphs in the end as it should. No matter what dire circumstances the protagonist finds himself in, viewers can be sure he will win out in time for the happily ever after. With its exaggerated fairy tale elements, the story sometimes mocks the genre but takes itself a little too seriously to be called satire. In the end, "Stardust" delivers an engrossing tale of magic and enchantment with a bit of humor mixed in.
The movie follows young Tristan Thorne (Charlie Cox), who lives in the English village of Wall. He is determined to win the heart of the beautiful, self-absorbed Victoria (Sienna Miller), but his earnest attempts to woo her are no match for the suave charm, fencing skills, and stylish moustache of his rival Humphrey (Henry Cavill). In a desperate last-attempt at winning his conceited darling's love before Humphrey proposes, Tristan vows to retrieve a falling star for her. He sets out on a journey to where the star landed in the England-adjacent, enchanted land of Stormhold.
However, Tristan is not the only one looking for the star- it was knocked out of the sky in the first place by a ruby flung from the deathbed of the King of Stormhold (Peter O'Toole). Now the king's power-hungry and homicidal sons are racing against each other to retrieve it, knowing that the one who does will inherit the crown. In still yet another part of Stormhold, the witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) sees the star streaking across the sky and sets out to find it so that she and her sisters can consume it and restore their youthful beauty.
Tristan travels to the crater where the star landed, but to his surprise he finds not a smoldering piece of rock but a woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes) who is not at all interested in being a present for Victoria. Tristan soon finds himself trying to drag Yvaine back to England with him while evading the scheming princes and witches.
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