Even with limited screen time, De Niro Cracked me up.

Rating: Null/10 (3 July 2011)

Just when you think you've seen it all cometh a fairy tale right out of Never Land. However, you won't find Peter Pan or Tinker Bell in this fantasy adventure, rather, an original set of characters in a truly magical world.
When young Tristan Thorne promises the girl of his dreams the moon and the stars, he sets off on a fantasy quest literally reaching for the stars. Caught between malevolent witchcraft and greedy heirs to a mythological kingdom, his adventures take him on a perilous journey through air, land and sea arriving at an enlightened conclusion that true love can never be bought; no matter what the price.
Penned by graphic comic novelist Neil Gaiman, this is a fantastic tale set between pre-modern England and the netherworld. On screen, it's a film filled with action, suspense, romance and comedy and goes on to breathe life back into a genre that hasn't enjoyed much significance since "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Even so, while "The Lord of the Rings" is mainly an intense battle between good and evil, Stardust appeals to a wider audience for its atmospheric plot, flamboyant acting, exhilarating score and surreal cinematography and is a refreshing change given its originality. Acting is just stellar thanks to an ensemble cast starting with an initially unrecognizable Michelle Pfeiffer as an evil and conniving witch and Tristan's main adversary. Her first brush with magic may have been in "The Witches of Eastwick", but given here role here, her character is both ugly and cinematically flawless. Excuse the pun, but Pfeiffer fans will be most certainly zapped! Claire Danes also gives in a commendable act as a fallen star turned fragile mortal. If her role is meant to symbolize the frailty of purity and innocence surrounded by greed born of evil, then she does so with all that we have grown to expect form her. Opposite Danes is newcomer Charlie Cox in the lead as the blindly infatuated Tristan. For one of his first major film roles, Cox delivers unexpectedly with a performance equal only to Orlando Bloom's rookie days as an up and coming actor.
Perhaps the most surprising and stand performance in the entire movie comes from Robert De Niro as Captain Shakespeare, a mean swashbuckling pirate on the outside, with an embarrassing secret on the inside. In my opinion, De Niro almost single-handedly steals the show despite his limited screen time, not because he is one of my favorite actors, but solely due to his hilarious antics behind closed doors. Now if you are accustomed to De Niro's Mafioso demeanor complemented by his signature repetitive dialogs, then like me, prepare to laugh your head off. And trust me, you won't see it coming either, so avoid the built-in DVD/Blu-ray trailers. Rounding off the cast are some memorable contributions from Mark Strong, Nathaniel Parker, Sienna Miller and a cameo from Peter O'Toole.
Co-written and directed by Mathew Vaughn, this is a film not to be missed especially if you liked his previous work in "Layer Cake" and "Snatch". Special effects though seldom, do create a visual impact when used and is punctuated at the right moments. Even so, blink and you might miss some of the best moments. If you haven't done so already, this is the perfect film if you have been considering an upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray.