Film: Stardust

Cast: Charlie Cox, Clair Daines, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer

Tagline: This summer a star falls. The chase begins.

Review Summary: A fun romp worth the price of admission.

Based on the book by Neil Gaiman and Charlie Vess, I had high hopes for the movie Stardust. While those hopes weren’t quite realized, the film itself remained thoroughly enjoyable. Though it has been compared to The Princess Bride ad nauseum, Stardust is in no way a modern equivalent. But neither does it try to be, and it is important to note that, stylistically, these are two extremely different films.

The biggest problem the film suffers from is its amazingly slow opening. The first third of the film, and perhaps as much as the first half, needs much stronger editing and more action. Switching back and forth between the journeys of 4 characters was time consuming and, in the end, boring. The primary obstacle each of the characters face is time, and as a result the story becomes a kind of competing travelogue saved only by some pretty snappy dialogue. Unfortunately, the dialogue isn’t enough to carry these early scenes and they lag horribly.

But then DeNiro hits the screen and the entire mood of the film changes. There I was, struggling along, not sure whether this was a comedy taking itself too seriously or a drama trying to maintain a humorous edge, and DeNiro defines it in his first 30 seconds on screen. From that moment on, Stardust is an absolute joy to watch, and the tedium of the first 45 minutes is forgotten. The build to the climactic scene is extremely well crafted, and though much of the film I found predictable, including the ultimate resolution of the conflict, I very much enjoyed the journey on which I was taken to get there.

Aside from the first 45 minutes or so, I do have 3 other minor complaints:

1- By and large, I hate voiceover narration. It is extremely difficult to pull off well, and I can count on one hand the films in which I believe it was successfully implemented. Unfortunately, Stardust isn’t one of them. In fact, I think it is likely the main reason the first third of the film tends to drag.

2- The ending was disappointing. Again, this is primarily due to the voiceover. By shifting back to it in the film’s final minutes, the personal connection developed between the audience and the hero and heroine is severed and lost. When all is said and done, this lessened the overall effect the film had on me.

3- Charlie Cox as Tristan. While he does a perfectly fine job and there is absolutely nothing wrong with his performance, throughout the film I couldn’t help but see Paul Rudd in his place. I think Rudd would have brought a much needed comic-flair to the opening of the film, and he is easily a strong enough actor to carry the more dramatic moments. So while Cox isn’t miscast in the role by any stretch of the imagination, I think Rudd would have made a more robust Tristan.

The Bottom Line: All in all, Stardust is a good film with strong performances, especially by DeNiro who needs to do more comedy.