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 (09/02/2022)

A wonderful family movie made even more special thanks to Gaiman’s imagination and his feeling for story. Marvelous casting, from the beautiful Claire Danes all the way down to the horrible Peter O'Toole;everybody fits their roles perfectly and Vaugh demonstrates that he really knows his stuff. Why can’t life be a fairytale like this too? (28/04/2011)

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. (26/05/2014)

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)

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)