Review of Stardust (2010) by Dan M — 20 Aug 2015

When Stardust was sold to me as "another Princess Bride" I was extraordinarily skeptical, and actually dreaded watching it because I was afraid I'd be massively disappointed. Wow, I could not have been more wrong! This film is simply magical and deserves comparison to The Princess Bride because it captures that blend of comedy, romance, and action.

I'll admit that early on I was a bit confused and didn't totally understand what was happening because they don't waste much time on exposition, they allow you to slowly discover how this world works simply by watching.

What I loved so much about Stardust was that it gave me a lot of those classic movie moments that I cherish like a contentious relationship that grows into something more, an evil witch that envies youth and beauty, and a quest to retrieve an artifact that will determine the new king.

Yet, despite all those classic elements, it also offers some twists to the formula that keep you guessing and deliver something new and different to the genre. This is one of those films where, once I started smiling, I was grinning like a fool for the rest of the 2 hours.

I laughed out loud, I shouted out in excitement, and I watched it again the next day. In many ways Stardust made me feel (and act) like a kid again. The wonder was undeniable, the look was amazing, the cast was top notch, even the music took me on a journey.

If you like this type of "fairy tale for the whole family," then Stardust is a must-see. Looks like it is time for me to check out Kick-Ass and Layer Cake, because in my opinion Matthew Vaughn has been 3-for-3 in his other directorial efforts.