Vaughan's winning, clumsy comic fantasy has been subjected to more than a few Princess Bride comparisons, but it's the two films' key dissimilarity that's most interesting: Princess Bride allows its fantastical adventure to flourish in the background of its wit and whimsy, while Stardust unwisely puts these elements at odds with each other, trading in tonal focus for a strained grandiosity (one hopes Vaughan was at least offered a bulk discount on sweeping aerial shots) that leaves it on an awkward fence between the genres. it's a pity, too, because Stardust is an otherwise charming piece of late-summer escapism, stocked with a game cast and a refreshingly fun, ribald attitude that raises it well above any of its peers in the post-Frodo/Aslan cash-in frenzy, even if one is left with the distinct impression that Neil Gaiman's source novel is probably that much more entertaining.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
matthew vaughan's STARDUST (2007)
Vaughan's winning, clumsy comic fantasy has been subjected to more than a few Princess Bride comparisons, but it's the two films' key dissimilarity that's most interesting: Princess Bride allows its fantastical adventure to flourish in the background of its wit and whimsy, while Stardust unwisely puts these elements at odds with each other, trading in tonal focus for a strained grandiosity (one hopes Vaughan was at least offered a bulk discount on sweeping aerial shots) that leaves it on an awkward fence between the genres. it's a pity, too, because Stardust is an otherwise charming piece of late-summer escapism, stocked with a game cast and a refreshingly fun, ribald attitude that raises it well above any of its peers in the post-Frodo/Aslan cash-in frenzy, even if one is left with the distinct impression that Neil Gaiman's source novel is probably that much more entertaining.
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