"Star Dust"

I just got back from catching a really good movie, so I thought I would get a review posted so folks will be able to get out and see it.

"Star Dust" is a brilliant fairy tale type adventure that I did not really have very high hopes for. While a few characters in the movie were well known actors, I expected it to be just brain candy at best. What a nice surprise. Magical, funny, breathtaking, suspenseful, everything a story book movie should be.

Tristan, (played by Charlie Cox) a lonely shop boy living in a village just outside the walls of a magical city, makes a promise to the woman he loves he will go and retrieve a star for her that has fallen inside the walls of the magical city to prove his love for her. The star turns out to be a beautiful girl named Yvaine (played by Claire Danes). As it turns out, not only are stars alive, but they are watching us from above, and can some times be shot from the sky, and fall to earth. The magical properties of a fallen angels heart, can give extended, if not almost eternal life, if #1 it’s given freely by the star, or #2 eaten by wicked witches that inhabit the land.

Tristan’s, journey takes him into this magical realm, and with the help of a magical candle takes him straight to this fallen star, while others are in search of her, for more dark reasons.

The King of the land (played by Peter O’toole) is dying. He has 6 sons that are killing each other off trying to gain the throne once he has died. In the king’s final act, he takes a magic diamond that is ruby red, and throws it into the sky. It turns white, and the king claims that only the true heir to the throne will turn it ruby red once more. The calamity of this whole thing is when the diamond is thrown into the sky, it hits Yvaine and causes her to fall to earth. When she wakes up, she puts the diamond around her neck. Now she has the king’s sons in search of her for the diamond, and the witches in search of her, for her heart.

While the king’s son’s kill one another, the one who is now dead joins the other dead son’s in this comical club that is stuck being ghost’s along for the ride until the end game is played out, and the rightful king is proclaimed. Only then can they be at peace. This ghostly band of dead brothers play a very funny side kick role as the movie progresses, and the group grows ever larger as one by one the King’s son’s die off or are killed.

Along the way Tristan and Yvaine meet up with Captain Shakespeare (played by Robert De Niro) who has a sky boat that goes around netting lightening from the sky to sell on the market. His small role in this movie is hilarious, but I can’t say anymore then that.

I could go on and on about this movie, and its delightful long story, but I need to wrap this up. Matthew Vaughn, has made a true masterpiece of directing with this enchanting, and funny film. The scenery in this movie at times rivals “Lord of the Rings” material, and is just breath taking. The CGI is fantastic, and the long list of characters all work well together to make this fairy tale come to life.

My rating for this movie is 8.50 out of 10.00