Imagine if the stars could come down to earth as real people and affect your life in fantastical ways. In this adventure tale, a young man named Tristan Thorn has exactly this happen to him.

Tristan witnesses a star falling on the other side of a mysterious wall which, unbeknownst to him, separates his quaint normal village from a magical kingdom named Stormwald. Normally no one crosses this border, but his (supposedly) true love for a young lady named Victoria compels him to go retrieve the star. When he arrives at the crash site he realizes that the star has taken the form of a beautiful woman. Unfortunately for him, also after the star are a gang of princes vying for the throne, who need to restore the color in the ruby that accompanies her, and a coven of ugly witches, who want to eat the heart of the star for the youth and beauty that its magical powers are to restore within them.

The chase that ensues for the star among these three parties is typical movie fare, as is the love story beneath it all, although the plot is nicely tied together by extra characters such as a witch who employs Tristan's mother as a slave. What the movie does best, however, is engulf the viewer in details that need little explanation but still add depth and a sense of engagement, such as a jar of eyeballs looking at Tristan's father inside a marketplace, the fact that the witches can communicate with each other by rubbing a ring and speaking into a mirror, or the capturing of lightning inside containers for later use.

Michelle Pfeiffer contributes a marvelously evil performance as Lamia, the witch who pursues the fallen star. Robert De Niro is perfectly hilarious as a secretly flamboyant Captain Shakespeare, leader of a gang of sky pirates who help Tristan on his journey. The other actors are merely adequate and do their best with a script that sometimes leaves something to be desired. Some of the private moments between Tristan and the star-woman, named Yvaine, are quite strained and awkward, but mercifully, the movie keeps these scenes short and focuses on moving the story forward. The special effects are at times overwhelming or pointless, especially during the climactic final battle, where Lamia implodes all the windows in her hideout with her mind. Other times, such as when we see the pirates' ship sail the skies, the effects are just right and very pleasing. Finally, the ending is predictable but still fulfilling, as we have come to care about the characters' fates by film's end.

As you can tell by this review, I really liked many aspects of 'Stardust,' while others were simply irritating. I recommend it because of its unique fantasy details and a compelling story, but be prepared to roll your eyes at least once at some of the dialogue.

Recommended: Yes

Movie Mood: Date Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Script