Stardust is a great romance and action movie. It is about a man who makes a promise for his beloved woman and win her heart. In order to win her heart he goes across the wall of his land to bring a star for his beloved. But there is a turn around. The star is actually a woman. After their adventures together they meet a pirate in the sky who helps them see that their love for each other cannot be hidden as well as helping the man become more of a fighter than a coward.

But not only that the 3 wicked witches are on an adventure to capture the heart of the star for eternal life and beauty. They go through the far lands to try and capture her until the end but the girl is protected by the man. Who do not know it yet but love each other. It all falls in to place.

This is practically what it is about. It has comedy romance adventure and action. A great great movie. On average I would give this movie a 10/10 it is a great movie. I love it with all my heart. A perfect movie for teenagers and adults. This is still my favourite movies of all time after all the other movies who have come out after this one. For all the people with a thirst for romance, comedy and adventure this is movie is for you!

Few things are more nerve-wracking for a lover of books than to see a movie adaptation of one. The same questions come up every time: What did they ruin? Can they possibly have done anything better than (insert author’s name here)? Will this movie be a waste of my time? The movie Stardust raised those same questions, and answered them.

Neil Gaiman is undeniably a very gifted writer; Stardust the book is an instant favorite with those who read it. His writing style is rich, descriptive and exciting; everything a reader wants from a good story is there. The palms of every fan of this book were a little sweaty when they headed into the theater to see this movie for the first time.

Stardust the movie is undeniably a very good movie. A big name cast, including Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller and Michelle Pfeiffer supports an unknown in the starring role- Charlie Cox as Tristan. The talent in the movie is extraordinary, but not overwhelming. One problem that often comes from having superstars in a movie is that the character they play is lost in their name: this is hardly the case in Stardust. Actors become secondary to the characters they portray, and portray well.

The special effects in the movie are as wonderful as the actors: gorgeous scenery, ranging from Iceland to Europe, provides a dramatic backdrop for every scene. Computer generated effects are smooth and realistic, which is satisfying as they could have been overdone, given the fantastic nature of the story. These effects are combined with a stellar soundtrack (if you’ll pardon the pun): it’s a combination of all that is good in music. From pieces adapted from classical composers such as Antonin Dvorak and Johann Sebastian Bach to a wonderful song from Take That in the credits, the music provides a subtle yet emphatic tone to scenes. The obvious effort that went into transforming Gaiman’s book into a movie pays off completely. Stardust is an artistic masterpiece.

Certain elements from the book, such as Tristan’s ability to locate any place within the kingdom of Stormhold, are left out of the movie. This proved to be a disappointment, because it is one of the central pieces that make Tristan an intriguing character from the very beginning of his story. In contrast to that unfortunate change, other differences between printed page and silver screen were delightful. De Niro’s character is vastly different from the Captain in the book, yet the change is one that adds a lighthearted feel to the movie, which could have become too dramatic.

Stardust is not a movie that will change the world, but it is certainly one of the best movies adapted from a book to be made recently. It will leave viewers feeling as though the two hours they invested in it were well-spent, and no one will be able to resist smiling, laughing and having a good time while watching it. On the whole, Stardust is most definitely a movie worth watching. And then watching again. And again.

By: Neil Gaiman (Writer), Charles Vess (Art)

Written by superstar scribe Neil Gaiman, Stardust is a pleasant departure from the traditional presentation of graphic storytelling. The story is presented in the form of a text based book with wonderful illustrations by Charles Vess strategically placed throughout its entirety.

Gaiman doesn’t disappoint with his straightforward (by Gaiman standards), but skillfully developed, fairy tale following a young man’s quest to win the heart of his true love. Set in the era of Victorian England, the tale begins in a mostly quiet village but quickly moves into realms of magic and witchcraft as readers follow the young man in pursuit of a fallen star which he must retrieve to claim his heart’s desire. His journey affords Gaiman the ability to do what Gaiman does best as he expertly creates detailed landscapes and colorful characters. Needless to say the young man isn’t the only one after the fallen star as numerous antagonists are added to the mix making for an excellent yarn all around.

The story is not hard to follow, pedantic or painfully verbose. It is, simply put, a well crafted short story collected in a trade paperback that presents nicely. Extras include a sketch and cover gallery at the back. Of note: this book is not a children’s fairy tale as it contains sexual content and graphic violence (probably should have mentioned that right off the bat as a selling point). Suggested for Mature Readers. (Grade: A)

- Chris Williamson

Yeah, yeah, I know… there are a big number of readers here who have probably never even seen an episode of VERONICA MARS, and you’re all wondering when the regular blog posts start back up. I mean, wasn’t there some 80’s toy line that got optioned into a script today?

Seriously though, here’s all the news you probably already got somewhere else by now:

Oh, the new TRANSFORMERS theme song is sweet.

Sean Connery will NOT be appearing in Indy 4. Bummer.

The Speed Racer site is up and running!

Judd Apatow is being sued by someone who claims he stole the story for KNOCKED UP. We ain’t buying it. For a second.

CBR continues their weekly coverage of the big X-events.

Neil Gaiman is giving us a bit more DEATH confirmation. Puts a smile on the face.

AND… Chud’s got some interview snippets with Mr. Gaiman on the subject.

Enjoy 5 beautiful pages (plus cover) from Alan Burnett’s debut on SUPERMAN/BATMAN.

Continuing with all things Gaiman, three STARDUST TV spots are up over at the movie site. Click ‘Video’.

Shadowpact artist Tom Derenick is now DC exclusive.

Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass are re-teaming on IMPERIAL LIFE IN THE EMERALD CITY. Sounds interesting.

The Broken Lizard team (SUPER TROOPERS, BEERFEST) have a new pic in production: TAILDRAGGERS.

MySpace Comic Books has an exclusive first look at Devil’s Due’s DRAFTED.

This one will get people talking: WB is adpating Orson Scott Card’s EMPIRE.

Newsarama’s got some clips with FF2 writer Don Payne.

Assassin’s Creed, for PS3, XBox 360, and PC, hits this November. Looks very, very good.

Is my favorite comic book company from when I was a kid, coming back? Valiant apparently returns, but sans MAGNUS, TUROK, and SOLAR. Not sure how to feel.

Whew… I think I’m caught up now. Maybe.