Stardust (Special Edition) [Blu-ray] [2007] [Region Free]

I've just watched this film four times in three days. It is, quite simply, the most breathtaking film I have seen for years.Based on -- and improved upon -- Neil Gaiman's book of the same name, Stardust is the ultimate fantasy-adventure for the entire family.There are three really great things about this film, two of which are extensions of what is in the book, and one was developed by Gaiman and his co-workers for the film after the book was finished.The first great thing is the depth and originality of the magical world he creates. Gaiman's Faerie is as rich and detailed -- and exuberant -- as Hogwarts, though it's a darker place. The film brings to life the wealth of detail which was in the book. Despite being laced with special effects, this does not come across as a special effects movie, because every magical transformation is demanded by the plot and flows instinctively from what was there before: a wonderful example of Aristotle's 'likely impossible' being better than an 'unlikely possible'.The second great thing is the depth of characterisation. It's unusual in a fantasy film to have the level of bickering and banter that we get in this film. It's unusual in any genre to have an exquisitely observed romance develop before our eyes, against the wishes of both main protagonists. The film builds new characters, such as Robert de Niro's gay pirate Captain Shakespeare and Ricky Gervais's wheeler-dealer fence, which add additional resonance (and humour). It also nicely develops the characters of all seven sons of Stormhold, and nicely polishes the ghosts.The third great thing, which is not in the book, is that Stardust the film has a very, very exciting plotline. Gaiman wisely omitted a number of details, and simplified the rather complex relationships. This created the space to focus on the real action, to introduce the pirate interlude, and to replace the entire ending with the most gripping and thrilling magical battle I have ever seen in a film. The last twenty minutes is all new material, making the story infinitely stronger and more satisfying. This is neatly underlined by the reprise of all the surviving characters in the coronation scene at the end -- a very nice touch indeed.Fairy tales need to be told and retold, and improved as they go. Gaiman has seized the rare opportunity of telling his tale better the second time around -- though the original novel was nothing to be sniffed at -- and he and his co-workers have created a masterpiece.I loved this film, and would recommend it to anyone -- something helped by the removal of the sometimes explicit references which occasionally crop up in the book.This is not a 'great' film, in the sense of Dr Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia or The Great Escape. It does not attempt to solve the great questions of human existence, or to plumb the depths of tragedy. But it is the finest film of its kind I have ever seen.One more thing: both in the film and the book, there are elements which have obviously been 'inspired' by other fantasy writers. With becoming modesty, Gaiman, in the epilogue to the book, acknowledges these. The references are not plagiarism, but tributes. The film is all the stronger for them.--Blu Ray update: We now have the Blu Ray version of this. The picture is sharper, more vivid, and much more detailed, especially in the market town scenes. The dynamic range of the soundtrack is also rather greater: the loud is very loud, and the quiet is really very quiet. This is great for a evening's home cinema, not so great for watching with the sound down when everyone else has gone to bed.

I'm not normally a fan of "family entertainment" or "fantasy" films ("Lord of the Rings" being an exception.) Even the thought of sitting through Harry Potter (I had to turn it off after 10 minutes) bores me. However, when I saw that Danes, De Niro and Pfeiffer were starring in "Stardust", I decided to give it a go. From beginning to end, it was a delight. I won't go into details about the plot, that's been written about enough. One of the great pleasures of the film is the light hand with which it is handled without ever diminishing the intensity of the various aspects of the story: the romance, the evil, the adventure. As a result, the film moves along more swiftly than its running time would suggest. Hats off to the director for accomplishing this so brilliantly. Visually the film is a stunner. The performances (with only one exception (Ricky Gervaise, so terrific in The Office, really needs to either learn, or be given the opportunity to do something different)are marvellous. Clare Danes, for my money the best actress of her generation, is superb once again, and Charlie Cox (a new actor to me)more than holds his own. Their scenes together are a delight to watch, charming without ever losing their sense of truthfullness or slipping into cloying sweetness. I look forward to seeing more of his work. Michelle Pfeiffer, whom I always adore and who never fails (The Fabulous Baker Boys, Age of Innocence, White Oleander, etc.) is magnificent. DeNiro in petticoats and feather boas is so brilliantly funny and believable that I'd love to see a sequel focusing on his character. It was a delight to see him return to the film in the closing coronation scene in an hysterically funny moment. Along with Brando, Pacino, Clift, and Seymour-Hoffman, he is one of America's greatest actors (I could watch Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and the more recent Flawless once a week without ever becoming bored or failing to be awed by his versatility). As good as Danes, Cox, Pfeiffer and De Niro are, the supporting cast are never overshadowed. All of them (ok, not Gervaise)are wonderful to watch. The film is loaded with many wonderful moments: Tristan (Cox) declaring his love for the girl who cares more about what he can give her than for him; Danes speaking of the heartbreaking sadness as she, a star, feels when she looks down and sees the cruelty of humanity and the hope she feels when she observes how humans can love; the reaffirmation of loyalty that Di Niro's pirate crew express to him after discovering his secret (though they always suspected) and his touching reaction to their attitude; Pfeiffer's seeming heartbreak when she loses everything and her immediate and scary reversal of attitude. These are just a few in a film loaded with great moments. I'm looking forward to watching it again.