Stardust (Movie)

Watched Stardust for the first time this past weekend. I was a bit weary; I've read the novel and graphic novel several times, and Neil Gaiman does not translate so easily to film. Mirrormask is a prime example. His words are the main stars, forcing one to pay close attention to the script, yet, the visuals he inspire are so spectacular it almost makes watching one of his films a two-brain job; almost like reading invisible subtitles.

Stardust was a pleasure. Claire Danes did not make me want to purposely shit myself to find an excuse to leave the viewing room. That's a first.

I was surprised how faithful the film was to the novel, and then the third act hit, and the bold magic that Gaiman's worlds often provide was nearly the film's own demise, but that's one of the deterred issues when translating prose or graphic novel work to live-action. What's in the original pages are stimulating to the brain, but when shown on screen; it could easily lull a casual observer to sleep.

The decision makers in the Stardust movie decided to step up the action near the end, and it felt out of place, but did not deflate any of the charm and wonder that the whole product sparked. I thought it was well done.