Stardust

Very good. When Matthew Vaughn's exuberant imagination is not enough, either Michelle Pfeiffer's ever more attractive witch or the amazingly funny Robert De Niro on a truly unique role step in with great gusto. The fantastic story and, above all, the world it creates are less appealing and holistic than, say, The Neverending Story or the still unique The Princess Bride, but I can't recall an American fairy tale where the director managed to combine a purely childish portion of entertainment with a purely adult one so brilliantly and seamlessly. Anyway, I am convinced that if Václav Vorlíček had had the same budget and technical possibilities in his time, he would have handled such an interesting subject a little more magically (though certainly not more entertainingly). 4* and a bit. (26/05/2014)

Camera flights and shots of large panoramas, striking orchestral and choral music, slow-motion shots of running horses – at times it looks like another installment of Lord of the Rings, but it is by no means that. Stardust is a heartfelt, immensely entertaining, and funny ride that will amuse viewers of all ages. It won't bore the little ones, and it won't offend the grown-ups, which is damn hard to achieve, especially in fantasy these days. All the wannabe successors to Peter Jackson burned out until now, almost without exception, but Matthew Vaughn scores with witty humor, clever dialogues, and an excellent cast, with Claire Danes and Robert De Niro leading the pack. And just when it seems like it could fall into cliché and sentimentality, something happens that turns the previous minutes on their head and the ride continues at a brisk pace. A project that wasn't believed in and yet succeeded. (20/07/2008)

An engaging story with a pleasant esprit of British dry humour and finally, after a long time, a fairy tale that does not make a fool of the children and delights the adults with its wit and the originality of its setting. I'm sure I'll read something by the oddball Gaiman sometime. Matthew Vaughn has grown up, and the likeable De Niro hasn't had such a rewarding role in a long time (his "travesty dance" in The Wardrobe is, I'd say, a rare moment in his long acting career). I don't mind the visibly limited budget at all, because this film has a soul and that's worth it. The slightly rushed finale is a bit of a pity perhaps, but otherwise it’s a very nice film. (25/12/2007)

Undoubtedly the biggest cinematic experience from the films of recent times. It is a very pleasant fairy tale fantasy, and very well acted, cast, and thoroughly handled both in terms of direction and script. An impressive romantic spectacle about the search for love and success in life. Contrary to some reviews, I don't think it suffers from poor set design. Scenes with the airship are among those that I will always remember, and as a boy, that's exactly the kind of airship I dreamed of. In several scenes, the authors poke fun at fairy tale stereotypes and lighten the storytelling with jokes and thrilling battles. Intrigues, passions, fights - simply everything that an audience can appreciate. With the exception of really young children (because the film does contain some more drastic scenes), the film is truly for everyone. Overall impression: 95%. (31/01/2009)

I only needed a pleasant mood, a head full of imagination, and a few minutes in the Wall. Thanks to the second projection of Stardust, it became the most pleasurable delight in a very long time. With this, I am paying a huge tribute to the story of Tristan, Yvaine, or Septimus, and I am slowly setting off to search for the star. This radiant enlightenment has given me a romantic mood for months to come. Vaughn, with numerous cliché violations and at the same time confirming all the necessary aspects of a great adventure spectacle, created a heartwarming film after which fairy tales will never be the same as before. Now excuse me, I'm going to dry my eyes. But it's not because of being moved, it's just some specks of dust that fell into them. Guess what kind. (06/07/2008)