PREVIEW: STARDUST ...and a little Potter Stuff

If you'll forgive me, I saw this movie at a screening last Thursday...I typed out a few things that evening, but alas, The Last Temptation of Harry Potter occupied me all weekend. I'd say the book is not amazingly great, but it is satisfying. :)




And now to the film...

This will be a sleeper hit. :)

It is like those fantasy films from the eighties, most notably The Princess Bride but not as funny and a bit too long.

Shout out to Dave and Heather who sat next to me at the screening. I asked Heather, who had read the Neil Gaiman book on which this is based, to give me her opinion of it. Her response was "It was pretty good!...better than Potter['s latest film]".

I personally wouldn't go that far (it's Umbridge for the win!), but it was definitely, surprisingly entertaining.

It has plenty of snarky, dark, humor and the kind of fantasy, syrupy, sweetness that young girls will love. I think it has the potential to be a Labyrinth or Princess Bride of this generation.

It was especially a pleasure watching Michelle Phieffer and Robert De Niro ham it up in their fun roles. Michelle where have you been, girl? Both actors were especially great in this.

Claire Danes didn't annoy me here, as her emo routine usually does... Newcomer, Charlie Cox is just frumpy enough to be convincingly ordinary when needed and just crushworthy enough in that non-threatening, vaguely asexual, way adolescent girls love.

Sienna Miller is perfectly cast here :) in a role that has shades of what many of us I would venture to guess, see her as anyway.

I think this film is that just right mix between 80's kid and 00's kid style fantasy.

I did find the ending in dire need of a good editor, but this one is a hoot. Between the ghosts, Michelle Phieffer, and De Niro this is definitely worth a look-see...And yes, the love story did get at least one *aww-sigh* from me.

And to the ladies I spoke to on the way out...I tell ya' given the history of these types of movies, two background black folk is better than none. WOO-HOO! Progress!! Now, if only some exec would decide to produce Anansi Boys the way Mr. Gaiman wants it done...Yeah, and maybe I'll see a tiny fairy with an afro tonight. ;)

If you are an 80's kid with a fantasy itch or you have kids with that fantasy itch, try this at a nice matinée...or some hydro-cortisone cream.

I'm on the upper end of a smile bordering on a for this one.

PARENTS: If they can watch Legend/Ladyhawke/Labyrinth (what's with the "L"-trifecta, anyway, huh?), then they should be good to go on this. There are deaths shown to gruesomely comic effect and "gay themes" (which are surprisingly well-presented)...but seriously if you're worried about the "gay themes" in a semi-children's film, I hope you don't actually have any kids to pass those worries on to.

P.S. This was actually published on July 24th, but seeing that most of my traffic these days is coming from Cleolinda (thanks a bunch!:D) to see this, I figured I'd move this to the top of the page.

And when you get tired of my reviews, please check my buddies at The Four Guys.