Stardust Parent Guide
A swashbuckling, rollicking fantasy adventure with touches of Monty Python-style wit.
Parent Movie Review
Tristran (Charlie Cox) is hopelessly in love with a local village girl named Victoria (Sienna Miller). But while he professes undying love, she only has eyes for what she considers a more suitable match, the rich and socially acceptable Humphrey (Henry Cavill). Still Tristran isn’t about to give up on his quest to win Victoria’s heart.
One night, after inviting her out to share a glass of champagne in the forest with him, Tristran sees a falling star and vows to bring it back to her as a sign of his ardent affections. More than willing to get rid of the pesky shop boy for a while, Victoria gladly sends him on the quest.
However, when Tristran arrives at the point of impact, he finds not a cold, hard lump of space rock but a beautiful young woman who’s been (not surprisingly) injured during her fall from the heavens. Still determined to complete his mission, Tristran starts the long walk home with Yvaine (Claire Danes) in tow. Nevertheless, he’s not the only one interested in her arrival.
Three, moldering, decrepit witches have been anticipating her fall for centuries. By cutting out and eating Yvaine’s heart, the witches’ youthful beauty and vigor will be restored. Leaving her two sisters (Sarah Alexander, Joanna Scanlan) at home to prepare for their transformation, Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) sets out to capture and dismember the celestial body.
Meanwhile, the king of Stormhold (Peter O’Toole) has died, leaving his three living sons (Mark Strong, Jason Flemyng, Mark Heap) fighting for control of the kingdom —with their four ghostly brothers (Rupert Everett, David Walliams, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Adam Buxton) as witnesses to their murderous antics. Whichever brother can find the royal ruby will be able to claim the throne. As the unscrupulous princes race around their kingdom, they cross paths with the young couple.
Yet witches and would-be kings aren’t the only trouble Tristran and Yvaine encounter. Shanghaied by a shipload of air-borne pirates and their fierce Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro), the hapless couple is threatened by the raucous band of buccaneers and nearly undone by a shady, black market merchant (Ricky Gervais) who wants to sell the star and make a quick buck.
It all makes for a wild, swashbuckling adventure with plenty of swordplay and numerous depictions of impaling and death. Added to the physical blows are magical spells and evil sorcery meant to hamper the humans as well. Yet despite the frequent and sometimes graphic portrayals of murder (along with a pair of implied, casual sexual encounters, a cross-dressing bandit and a few moments of bawdy humor), the film unfolds as a quirky comedy reminiscent of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Directed by Matthew Vaughn. Starring Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro. Running time: 127 minutes. Theatrical release August 9, 2007. Updated June 11, 2020Watch the trailer for Stardust
Stardust
Rating & Content Info
Why is Stardust rated PG-13? Stardust is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some fantasy violence and risque humor.
While audiences won’t want to confuse Stardust with pixie dust (meaning leave the Peter Pan crowd at home), this more adult-appropriate story about finding true love and discovering inner strength unfolds in a fantasy setting where everyday characters aren’t always what they appear.
Beyond the movie ratings: What Parents need to know about Stardust...
In an attempt to secure power and everlasting life, characters are stabbed, impaled, poisoned, crushed by a chandelier, drowned and pushed out of a window. A lively group of ghosts (who are seen depicting their modes of death) are involved in the story from the sidelines. The trio of witches uses magical incantations, voodoo dolls and the entrails of freshly slain animals to work their sorcery and put hapless bystanders under spells. In turn, animals attack and kill a woman and a brilliant light causes the explosion of one witch. Infrequent bawdy jokes (including a male character being turned into a woman) and two implied sexual encounters between unmarried couples are depicted along with some sexual comments and innuendo. The film also contains brief portrayals of alcohol use, mild cursing and occasional profanities.
Page last updated June 11, 2020
Stardust Parents' Guide
How does the lure of power and the desire for immortality influence the characters? What impact does it have on their treatment of others?
Yvaine believes people are not always what they seem. Who are some of the characters that have their true identity revealed? In the case of Tristran, what is the difference between being a shop boy and being a boy who works in a shop?
After centuries of watching mankind from the heavens, what has Yvaine learned about human nature? Why is Tristran continually motivated to prove his love to the offish Victoria? What does Yvaine teach him about love?
Loved this movie? Try these books…
This film is based on the novel Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman’s first novel, Neverwhere also features a young man who winds up in a hidden world - Richard Mayhew, young businessman, slips through into another reality when he stops to do a good deed.
Lewis Carroll wrote two novels about a young girl who stumbles into a hidden world, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
Four siblings discover a hidden world in the back of a wardrobe. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is a great introduction to his beloved series about the land of Narnia.
In Naomi Novik’s novel, Spinning Silver, a young woman winds up in a mysterious world of ice and snow that exists side by side with her world. Suitable for teens.
If you enjoyed the sky pirates in this movie, you are sure to get a kick out of Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. This is a rollicking tale of the high seas for older kids and teens.
Home Video
The most recent home video release of Stardust movie is December 17, 2007. Here are some details…
Shooting onto DVD, Stardust sprinkles fans with a collection of bloopers, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette and the movie’s theatrical trailer. Audio tracks are available in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English, French and Spanish), with subtitles in French and Spanish.
Related home video titles:
In this film, Mark Williams follows up his performance as Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, with the portrayal of a billy goat that is turned into a human innkeeper. Pirates, a masked swordsman and a beautiful girl named Buttercup all come to life when a grumpy old grandpa opens the pages of a book in The Princess Bride.