January 29, 2008

  • Stardust

    I rented Stardust today on my way home.  I've wanted to see it since before it was out in theatres; was a little wary due to sketchy commercials featuring Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro - two of the biggest names in the film, but after seeing the film, actually my least favourite performances in an otherwise wonderful film.  Anyway, I didn't get to see it when it was out in theatres and it just happened to be a new release in the DVD rental store, so I brought it home to watch.

    I'll be wanting to buy a copy of the dvd when I can!

    Here's my review:

    Truly
    a fairytale for grownups (especially the sexual humour and violence), Neil Gaiman's latest masterwork will bring out the child in any grown-up who still remembers fairytales with fondness.  Having only just watched it, I can say that it has instantly become one of my favourite films. Heartwarming, charming, and witty
    throughout, Stardust is enough to warm the heart of anyone with a glimmer of
    the romantic in them. Combine this with compelling performances by
    Charlie Cox and Claire Danes, a rousing and adventurous musical score by
    Ilan Eshkeri, beautiful production designs, sharp and quick pacing
    throughout much of the film, endless tongue-in-cheek jokes, rapier
    wit, excellent dialogue (that doesn't venture too far into the cheesy
    as it could so easily have), a delightful story by master writer (and
    producer) Neil Gaiman (who wrote the original novel), amusing and
    entertaining characters (oh the ghosts!), plus everything you could want in a fairytale
    and you have some of the best 2hrs 8mins you've spent in quite a while.
    Stardust also has one of the most creative climactic and original concepts for a swordfighting sequence that I have ever seen.  It's one of those rare movies where I found myself smiling almost the
    entire way through, and I definitely didn't realise until I looked at
    the running time here that it was over 2hrs long. The only things that
    detracted from the film, personally, were two of the biggest-name
    actors in the flick: Robert DeNiro and Michelle Pfeiffer. While Robert
    DeNiro's performance was entertaining enough thanks to the colourful
    character's writing, he didn't even attempt a British accent (or even a
    Pirate one) and an American accent in a fairytale about Princes and
    Witches always stands out like a sore thumb to me. I can't say much
    better of Michelle Pfeiffer's attempt at an accent (slipping in and out
    of her accent), I must say she was a far more menacing witch in The
    Witches of Eastwick than in this film. Oh well, still one of the best
    films I've seen in the last year.  A good, long-lasting effect feel-good movie.

    -Four and a half lightning bolts out of five!

    Oh, and my mini-review for my favourite movie (alongside The Matrix), Contact:

    My favourite movie - it embodies that sense of wonder one feels gazing
    upon the stars above and always makes me wish I'd gone into astronomy.
    At the same time, it mixes in a healthy dose of intellectual reflection
    on some of the most fundamental debates of human existence.
    -Five lightning bolts out of five!