Rated PG-13 for some fantasy violence and risqué humor.
Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake)
Starring Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Peter O’Toole…
A fun fantasy adventure with some pretty humorous moments.
Stardust is the story of a young man who embarks on an adventure into a magic land to retrieve a falling star for the love of his life. His journey delivers more than he bargains for, opening his eyes about love, life and his own heritage.
The film was fun and kept my interest… but I won’t be rushing out to Best Buy to purchase the DVD on its release.
On the bright side—Stardust was creative and original, definitely not the same ol’ thing. The movie takes us on a ride that some have compared to The Princess Bride (not even close in my book), but I would compare more to the quirkiness of a Terry Gilliam film (but again, not as good.)
I love the “fantasy” genre. But in the same decade as the Lord of the Rings films, any other film seems so inferior.
The cast was full of talent from Danes to De Niro. But despite the talented “roster,” most people would tell you that this film is just okay. I asked about 10 people who had seen the film and they all responded the same way. “Yeah, it was pretty good.” And that’s all they had to say. The film really didn’t make a mark. It will be forgotten soon. Maybe the big names on the cast just raise the expectations higher than the film could deliver.
But if you’re looking for a good story and some funny film moments, Stardust is probably worth popping some popcorn and sitting in a comfy chair for two hours.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
The film has witches casting spells, a little “fantasy” violence and some risqué jokes; probably a mild PG-13 by today’s standards. I’d probably let my kids see it (10, 12, and 14) although we’d definitely have a discussion about a scene where a couple disappear into a “trailer” and we see a baby 9 months later. My kids are at an age where I use “implied” scenes like this for discussion jump-starters.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
