Fairy Tales can come true, it could happen to you....

Rating: 10/10 (14 August 2007)

One of the hats I have worn in my life was a kindergarten teaching hat. No, the hat didn't have Barney on it, but it was an intense year, where I prepped for hours just to make something "simple". One thing that made life easy though were the abundance of material to be gleaned from fairy tales, be them Hans Christian Anderson, or the collective works of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm. Not only did I get a chance to relive a time that was less complex, it was full of great inspiration and images for stories of my own.
Well, it seems it has also inspired Neil Gaiman, who has really made his mark in the world of film as a writer of fantastic stories. Neil announced his presence with MirrorMask, an absolutely absorbing visual journey into the abstracts that were dominated by geniuses like Lewis Caroll, George McDonald and C.S. Lewis in the previous couple of centuries. He has also scripted the screenplay for the upcoming production of Robert Zemeckis' "Beowulf", which I await the screening of with great anticipation. Original fantasy has taken a back seat until recently, and I am deeply heartened by the release of "Stardust".
This movie has all the attitude and atmosphere of a deep, rich fairy tale. It's full of magic, spells, witches, pirates, mortals and immortals. And, a fallen star. It is peculiar that the plot isn't really about the fallen star, but a story about power. It is infested with side stories, but unlike many other movies, the side stories all fall into place and enhance the film without substituting it with sacrificial flashbacks or projections into the future. No, this film keeps a steady pace, laced with humor and some great twists. There is a dependency on CGI, but for the most part, the CGI never intrudes on the live action in ways that would detract it from it's fairy tale roots. The plot, seeing it is bound by the premise of power, firmly revolves around a dying king and his 7 sons and who will get to wear the crown after the king has departed. However, there are sub plots: Seems a mortal wants to marry the prettiest girl in town, promising to bring her a shooting star that has landed in a mysterious plot of land on the other side of a "protected" wall. There is also a witch and her sisters that wants to be immortal, young and beautiful again. Whatever the case may be, all the subplots are all bound to a beautiful "Star".
The theater experience was pretty damn good. It wasn't overcrowded, and there was a good mix of ages. But the one thing I will say is that even the kids that came to watch this film were held captive from almost the opening scene. There was little talk, and I think only two people got up throughout the entire 126 minutes that this film required to complete. Its just enough time to remember you still have popcorn left in your bag and finish it and your super-size Coke. I recommend this for children over the age of 8.
For the child in you that reveled in the wake of imagination and fairy tales, you really need to see this film. On the big screen. Soon before it goes away. Its opening weekend box office was a disappointment. It deserved more. I could find very little wrong here.