7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
In the sleepy English village of Wall, young Tristan Thorne promises the prettiest girl in town that he will bring her back a fallen star. Now Tristan must cross a wall between the village and a mysterious kingdom lit by unending magic and unfolding legends of which he will quickly become a part.
Starring: Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Charlie Cox, Sienna MillerAdventure | 100% |
Fantasy | 95% |
Family | 91% |
Romance | 62% |
Coming of age | 17% |
Comic book | 6% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
People aren't what they may seem.
When it comes right down to it, the "happily-ever-after" Fairy Tale might be the most reliable basis for a story that
ever
was. No matter whether it's in literature, oral tradition, song, or film, there's something to be said for that basic
"character comes from meager origins to find his or her destiny, conquer evil, fall in love, and, yes, live happily ever
after." Its
basic
elements have worked in everything from Snow White to Star Wars, and they've been amped
up
and given a shiny new home in Director Matthew Vaughn's (Kick-Ass) Stardust, an honest
Fantasy/Fairy Tale picture that delivers the goods, even if it never really distinguishes itself from others of its kind
from either a thematic or
contextual
perspective. Vaughn counters the picture's recycling of several basic genre themes and elements by
lending to the film a wild but also earnest and heartfelt tone that makes it a fun and
all-encompassing experience, one that's home to plenty of action, romance, laughs, and magic, not to mention a
unique
collection of characters that bring a touch of humanity to a movie that's packed with otherworldly elements.
Stardust isn't the most unique picture ever made, but it's an example of a new movie working with old
material and building something not just watchable but even a little bit memorable out of it.
Better to be tied up to Claire Danes than some random weirdo.
Stardust falls onto Blu-ray with a handome and sturdy, but not jaw-dropping, 1080p transfer. It's hards to find a glaring weakness in the image, even if, at times, blacks become a bit too absorbing, colors tend towards the warm end of the spectrum, noise flutters around the background, a few elements go a bit too soft, and some scenes take on something of an unnatural digital sheen. Generally, though, Paramount's transfer captures a nicely filmic image; Stardust's depth of field is impressive, it retains a layer of film grain, and it never appears riddled with unsightly debris or print damage. Detailing is moderately strong across the board as seen in woven clothing, the texturing of skin, and a pebbly dirt road, among other elements seen throughout the film. Colors are strong, appearing vibrant but neutral during bright daytime scenes and more subdued but still natural and pleasant when lit only by candle, campfire, or moonlight. The 1080p transfer brings out a few warts in the special effects, notably in Captain Shakespeare's flying pirate ship, but the benefits of the high definition presentation far outweigh any such negatives. Fans should be pleased with Paramount's effort on Stardust, but it's not quite up to the same level of excellence as the studio's best efforts.
Stardust debuts on Blu-ray with a high quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. There's little to this track at first -- surround effects are minimal and music doesn't play with much vigor -- but as the adventure gains steam, so too does the soundtrack. The score plays as incredibly large and spacious, even without an aggressive back-channel support element. Bass is oftentimes heavy and potent but not lacking in precision; Shakespeare's ship rumbles through the soundstage with plenty of heft in tow. The track does capture some distinctive surround elements that are delivered with pinpoint placement and help open up the soundstage to capture the sheer magnitude of the picture's scope and sense of adventure. The final action sequence is demo-worthy all the way, combining all of the track's positives into one extended listen that's sure to please both the most ardent Stardust fan and the most demanding audiophile alike. Rounded out by clean, precise, and center-focused dialogue, Paramount's Stardust soundtrack is a worthy companion to a grand Fantasy/Adventure Fairy Tale.
Paramount brings the long-awaited Stardust to Blu-ray with a fair collection extra content, headlined by an audio commentary track with Director Matthew Vaughn and Writer Jane Goldman. It's certainly not the most engaging track; the participants slog along and point out little tidbits at only a modest pace, but it is refreshing to hear Vaughn's honesty as he discusses some of the film's shortcomings or places where the film suffered from a lack of money. Vaughn and Goldman also discuss working with both big stars and relative unknowns, the picture's special effects, and more. Crossing the Wall: The Making of 'Stardust' (1080p) is a five-part feature that's broken down into the following segments: The Quest For the Stone (5:25), a short piece that looks at the beginning stages of translating Neil Gaiman's novel to the screen; A Portal to Another World (9:02), a piece the examines the challenges of translating the novel into a shootable script and within the allocated budget; What Do Stars Do? (15:24), a closer look at the casting process; A Quest of Enormous Importance... (9:20), a brief look at the shoot both on-location and in the studio; and Have You Seen a Fallen Star? (16:17), an in-depth study of the film's special effects. Next up is Nothing is True (480p, 10:14), a short piece that takes viewers behind-the-scenes of Stardust with Novelist Neil Gaiman and Illustrator Charles Vess. Also included is a collection of five deleted scenes (480p, 5:32), a blooper reel (480p, 5:25), and the Stardust theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:29).
Other than some pacing issues in the first hour, Stardust proves itself a success of storytelling even considering its recycled plot elements. The movie's flat-out fun; it's big, adventurous, and plays with a nice mixture of humor, heart, and heroics. The special effects are fine, the acting is good even if the characters are a bit one-dimensional, and Matthew Vaughn's direction is effectively steady. Stardust is a modern-day fan favorite, and while it may not be destined to nestle up against some of the best Fantasy/Adventure/Fairy Tale pictures of all time, it's a fine movie in its own right and is well worth a watch. Stardust's Blu-ray yields strong picture and sound qualities and a fair assortment of extra content. Recommended.
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