Stardust – 2007 | 130 mins | Adventure, Fantasy | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Stardust was originally a comic written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles Vess, it subsequently became a best-selling graphic novel. The big screen adaptation takes audiences on an adventure that begins in a medieval English village and ends up in places that exist in an imaginary world. This is the second feature from director Matthew Vaughan following his success with the gangster flick Layer Cake, and this frenetically-paced, often beautifully designed sprawling fairytale manages to find the perfect balance of comedy, fantasy and romance, harkening back to earlier films like The Princess Bride and Time Bandits.

Set in the medieval English village of wall, young Tristan Thorne (Charlie Cox) tries to win the heart of Victoria (Sienna Miller), the beautiful but cold object of his desire, by going on a quest to retrieve a fallen star. His journey takes him to the supernatural kingdom of Storm beyond the walls of his village. On his odyssey, Tristan finds the star, which has transformed into a striking girl named Yvaine (Claire Danes).

However, Tristan is not the only one seeking the star. An ailing king’s (Peter O’Toole) four living sons – not to mention the ghosts of their three dead brothers – all need the star as they vie for the throne. Tristan must also overcome the evil witch, Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), who needs the still-beating heart of Yvaine to make her young again. As Tristan battles to survive these threats, encountering a pirate named Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro) and a shady trader named Ferdy the Fence (Ricky Gervais) along the way, his quest changes. He must now win the heart of the star for himself as he discovers the meaning of true love.