What has Tristan (Charlie Cox) sweating? Specifically, he's just lost a fight with a witch who's about to kill him but more generally speaking, the quest for love in Stardust.
Rob Reiner's The Princess Bride was a modest box office success in 1987. Word of mouth, home rental and purchase as well as TV airings allowed it to reach a wider audience and be recognized as the classic it is. 2007's Stardust was also a modest hit and we hope it is recognized for its greatness in the coming years.
Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn's screenplay traces Tristan's growth from boy to man. As a boy, he thinks he knows everything including that Sienna (Victoria Forester) is the love of his life.
For this false love, he will risk anything, do anything, leave his home to find a fallen star to bring back to Sienna. And all the while, as she freely tells Tristan, Sienna's planning to marry another.
Everyone wants the star. For various reasons. Including three witches.
Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) is the witch-queen. Her sisters Mormo (Joanna Scanlan) and Empusa (Sarah Alexander) allow her to devour the last piece of their previous star so that Lamia's youth can be restored and powers strengthened as she sets out on the quest to bring back the latest fallen star and carve out its heart. She will be Tristan's most formidable foe but far from his only obstacle.
There will be sword fights and voyages to the skies, standing on clouds and much more in this Michael Vaughn directed film (he directed this summer's hit X: Men First Class, now out on DVD). Along the way, he will get to know the fallen star, Yvaine (Claire Danes).
And to know himself. He'll be aided in that by a witch's slave (Kate Magowan) as well as by a pirate captain (Robert De Niro in his finest role).
And by Yvaine who will realize what love is and what she feels for Tristan only after after the witch Ditchwater Sal (Melanie Hill) turns him into a mouse.
All will lead up to an explosive climax that kicks off with a battle between Lamia and Ditchwater Sal
which builds to a showdown at the witches castle.
Stardust is a piece of film magic that garnered strong reviews and deserves a much larger audience.