The proof of life still in the genre of fantasy

Rating: 10/10 (9 September 2007)

I'm particular about movies depending on the very mood that I exhibit at any given time, but this film caught me completely off guard in its capability for both originality and level of surprise.
After The Lord of the Rings, I thought that perhaps all we had to look forward to in the fantasy genre was for the Harry Potter series to finish its run. I'd seen several attempts of new efforts here and there that simply failed to captivate me.
What held me from the very start was the well-spoken narration by Ian McKellen. From there on it just became more and more charming to behold with each set and character introduction. The whimsy was light and delightful.
There were the archetypes of old, but they were merely touched upon, not hammered upon in great detail. The story was very complicated, yet simple in concept. I thought that the beauty of the story telling was that everyone knew what actually should happen to the main character which was a direct contradiction to his main goal.
I thought it was remarkable that the story held no restraint in eliminating characters. It was quite brutal yet understandable.
The film, to me, was all about true beauty of soul. So many characters were absolutely remarkable for their own inner radiance. The quality of them helped to turn the tale in surprising new directions that really kept the pace exciting.
The ending surprised me above all things most. I'm prone to finding tears of sorrow in movies, but rarely to tears of happiness burst free. In the last moment of the movie, I wept. I praise Stardust for keeping fantasy alive and wonderful. This film is a blissful escape, and a very charming one.