Overwhelming adventure full of fantasy , a love story and pirates

Rating: 7/10 (25 February 2009)

This fantastic picture concerns a Tristan (Charlie Cox) , a young living in an English village rounded by a wall . But a breach surveyed by a keeper (David Kelly) is the walk for a world fantasy named Stronhold . Tristan trespasses the breach looking for a fallen star (which results to be Ivaine : Claire Danes) to demonstrate his love for a beautiful girl (Sienna Miller). But also a nasty witch (Michelle Pfeiffer) and the King's (Peter O'Toole) heirs (Mark Strong , Rupert Everett) are looking for Ivaine and the jewel she holds . Meanwhile , Tristan and Ivaine get away and aboard a flying vessel full of pirates (Dexter Fletcher , Fogerty) and commanded by a sympathetic captain (Robert De Niro).
This exciting motion picture displays derring-do adventure , romance , fairy tale , spectacular fighting and fence and with phenomenal outdoors . The flick gets lots of bombastic special effects including supernatural transformations , flying ships , stars explosions and numerous images have you on the edge of your seat . Riveting set pieces illuminate the full-blown adventures blending witchcraft , wizardry , necromancy and turns out to be extremely amusing . Casting is frankly extraordinary , Michelle Pfeiffer plays magnificently a shamelessly villain-witch and Robert De Niro as the likable gay pirate steals the show . Ideal cast is completed by awesome US and British actors . The movie packs a sensational production design by Gavin Bouquet (Star wars). Mesmerizing photography with wonderful , marvelous landscapes by Ben Davis . Emotive soundtrack appropriately adequate to fantasy by Eshkeri . The pic was brilliantly directed by Matthew Vaughn . He's a good writer, producer (Guy Ritchie movies) and director, though only made one film titled ¨Layer Cake¨ (with Daniel Craig) which achieved big time . Rating : Better than average. Essential and indispensable watching.