August 12, 2007

Stardust

We went to see Stardust late last night, and it was fabulous. I doubt that it will be a huge blockbuster, but it already takes its place alongside The Princess Bride, Big Fish, and Willow as one of my favorite fairy tale movies. Robert DeNiro is wonderful, as are Michelle Pfeiffer and Claire Danes. Ricky Gervais does a nice little turn as a merchant in (apparently) illicit lightning bolts, and Peter O'Toole was great as the dying King.

What I liked most about it was that it was played exactly as something that might have come from the collection of the Brothers Grimm. It was a new story, set in a new world, but it felt like something my great grandmother would have read to me when I was a small boy. I could imagine that she had done so but that I'd just forgotten it.

While I wouldn't say that this is a kids' movie, I worry about the pronouncements in the media that you shouldn't take kids to see it. Yes, it's violent, and I probably wouldn't want to deal with a 6-year-old's nightmares, but I can honestly say that I wouldn't have made my kids wait until they were 13 to see it.

Like the Grimm's tales, it doesn't pull its punches. The witches are bad, and they do wicked things (including a bit of animal mutilation). The evil princes are jealous and scheming, and they kill each other in evil ways. It was by turns sweet and romantic, then cruel and kinda scary...just like the original Snow White and Cinderella before they were Disneyfied.

Comments

Why didn't they pick you tp replace Ebert, anyway?

I love reading your movie reviews. Not enough to actually go see the movie, but that's only because I don't go to the movies... :)

Posted by: Ric The Schmuck at August 12, 2007 10:47 PM

Thanks, I needed that. I've been on the fence about this one. The stars didn't seem right for the kind of movie it was. Perhaps I'll wait for cable, but good to know it didn't suck.

Oh, and hi! :)

Posted by: Faith at August 13, 2007 01:35 AM

Clearly you and I are in agreement about this movie, right down to the Princess Bride comparison :)

Posted by: geeky at August 13, 2007 10:02 AM

Fabulous! Thanks for the heads up. Sounds like a "must see."

Posted by: shelley at August 13, 2007 07:16 PM

I'll wait and rent. In the meantime I'll see The Bourne Ultimatum a second time.

Posted by: domino at August 14, 2007 02:28 PM

I read the book four times. I'm so happy the movie is getting great reviews (especially from a film critic of your stature). I'll go see it this weekend.

Posted by: michele at August 16, 2007 08:11 PM

If you don't see a way to enter a comment, it's not because I don't love you. It's because they have been set to auto-close after 5 days.

Thank you, comment spammers. Thank you to hell.

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