A modern pantomime but without the wooden scenery or acting - 75%

Rating: 7/10 (17 March 2008)

Having tried (and failed) to get my Better Half interested in the brilliant "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy, I was somewhat surprised that she wanted to see this so badly. A number of our work colleagues had recommended it which is normally enough for us to catch a bus into town and head for the cinema but having missed it, she wasn't about to let the DVD go the same way. Feeling very much like an English version of "The Princess Bride", it is a fantasy adventure with its tongue firmly in cheek but for those of us who prefer serious fantasy films, "Stardust" might not satisfy those die-hard fans missing Peter Jackson's genius.
The film introduces us to Tristan (Charlie Cox), a young man living in the English village of Wall which, unknown to most, borders a magical world called Stormhold. Watching a falling star with the object of his affection Victoria (Sienna Miller), Tristan promises to bring the star back to her to prove his love for her and sets off into Stormhold to bring it back. But unknowingly for him, the star is actually a beautiful woman called Yvaine (Claire Danes) whose life is in mortal danger. Pursued by an evil witch (Michelle Pfeffier) and a villainous prince (Mark Strong), Tristan finds that achieving the impossible is really quite difficult.
Essentially, that's the plot in a nutshell but what I neglected to mention is that the story allows for a seemingly endless list of cameos that nearly puts "Ocean's 13" to shame. Ricky Gervais, Peter O'Toole, Rupert Everett, Dexter Fletcher, Mark Williams, Adam Buxton, David Walliams - admittedly, not all of them are household names but this is one of those films where you'll recognise (or think you recognise) almost every character in the film. Sadly, the biggest cameo is also the most unusual and the biggest let-down - Robert De Niro as Captain Shakespeare didn't really feel part of the story at all and, personally, was a bit of a disappointment. But what makes "Stardust" work is that it covers all the bases for a decent family movie. It lacks the visceral brutality of "Lord Of The Rings" but makes up for it with plenty of comic touches such as the collection of ghosts commentating on proceedings. There are one or two moments to scare them as well but that's why we hide behind the sofa, isn't it?
"Stardust" isn't perfect - the whole thing feels disjointed like it's merely a collection of scenes with different characters. In essence, this is a million-dollar pantomime complete with stereotypical villains and plenty of broo-ha-ha and if that's what you're looking then you probably couldn't do better. However, I will hold my hands up and confess that I am a serious fan of fantasy. I don't go to conventions and I don't believe that early Eighties nonsense like "Red Sonja" are genre highlights. I just want a film that feels authentic and believable and in all honesty, the only films to do that are... you've guessed it, "Lord Of The Rings". A tad unfair, perhaps because "Stardust" plays the same game with different rules. This is a fantasy film for those who don't like fantasy, for those who haven't the time or patience to cope with more weightier material. This is a film, then, for my Better Half.