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Parents' Guide to

Stardust

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Dazzling fantasy romcom has some dark moments.

Movie PG-13 2007 128 minutes
Stardust Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 17 parent reviews

age 14+

Just fun!

I think this is what all movies should be like. Fun, entertaining, not only for kids, but good for them too, clever plot, characters we can care about. I'd recommend it highly!
age 14+

Great movie, not for kids

This one of my favorite movies, but I would not show it to a child. There’s some seriously scary stuff (the princes vying to be the next king, the witches, even the charming sky pirates) and the whole story line with Tristan is kind of adult.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (17 ):
Kids say (34 ):

Stardust's plot is a bit overstuffed, Claire Danes comes off a little too serious in a charming but not-so-starry turn, and the many cameos are entertaining but a bit distracting, too. The movie clocks in at a long-but-fast-moving two hours and eight minutes. There are so many threads to keep track of that it's a wonder viewers don't end up in knots. But one detour, though overlong, needs no excuses because it's so much fun: Tristan and Yvaine's healing sojourn with Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro, absolutely amazing), a pirate who pretends to love being brutal but much prefers cooking, piano playing, hairdressing, and dancing in women's clothing.

The violence level is surprisingly high. Swords and knives are drawn left and right -- though cartoonishly enough, and little actual blood is shed (when it is, the color is blue, which somewhat mitigates the gore). The most brutal of the lot is Lamia, played with considerable relish by Pfeiffer, whose race against time is vividly captured through her falling hair and wrinkling skin (the special effects are top-notch). Could there be a bigger (guilty) pleasure than watching the always-luminous Pfeiffer look like a crone? As in most romantic movies, love conquers all in the end. And a late-breaking twist regarding Tristan's mother's true identity and what it means for him is especially delicious. But it's the lovers' journey to the denouement -- made more interesting by their adventures -- that ultimately makes Stardust so satisfying.

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