Stardust
Unlike the Harry Potter movies, Stardust is a movie filled with magic that follows rules unknown to us in the audience. So while we have become used to what witches can do in the world of Harry Potter, we really don’t know what to expect in the magical world of Stardust. Charlie Cox plays Tristan who journeys into the magical kingdom hidden in the heart of England in order to retrieve a fallen star to win the heart of the town beauty. The star in question turns out to be a beauty too, Yvaine (Claire Danes). She is sought by the very old and very ugly witch played by the very beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer because witches get a good long dose of youth from drinking from the heart of a star. Meanwhile each son of the dead king is searching for the ruby he cast into the sky so he can claim the throne. Robert DeNiro has a show-stealing turn as a take-no-prisoners captain of a flying boat that catches lightning so he can sell it to Ricky Gervais (creator of the BBC The Office).
It’s an enjoyable fantasy romp, and refreshingly original, and the tone set by director and co-screenwriter Matthew Vaughn remains lighthearted and upbeat even as likable characters are killed. That’s a bit of a double-edged sword because it shows how little emotional investment I had in the characters, but at the same time kept a smile on my face for nearly the whole movie.