Stardust (PG)

Once upon a time there was a humble producer of British gangster films called Matthew Vaughn. He bravely rescued the beautiful Princess Claudia from the clutches of an evil sorcerer named Copperfield and they lived happily ever after with their showbiz pals, most of whom appear in Stardust. In fact, Vaughn’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fairytale is so tightly crammed with familiar faces (Robert De Niro, Peter O’Toole, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais…) that few have enough screen time to really show off; although De Niro is both amusing and depressing as a cross-dressing pirate. Tracking the fantasy-land travels of village lad Tristan (Charlie Cox), the script isn’t as sophisticated as its obvious forebear The Princess Bride. But once you’ve slogged through a dull first half hour, there are enough witty touches to make it sparkle.

DVD Extras:

The Making Of doc offers added diversion for FX aficionados.

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