There is such a thing as a good fantasy film. If you go into it expecting to see a few dragons, the occasional wand, and to generally suspend disbelief, you can enjoy the best from this genre without succumbing to a lifelong obsession with dungeons or dragons.
The Harry Potter franchise, in both print and onscreen has transcended both fantasy conventions and age groups. The latest film, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” continues the trend of the films becoming more exciting and adult-friendly with each installment.
The cast continues to improve, as well. The kids are getting older and better, and the recurring and new adult actors are always good. I particularly love Gary Oldman in these movies, and I always get a kick out of Alan Rickman’s incredible hair and perfectly dry line delivery as well. Of course, you get the magnificent Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, and Emma Thompson, and the whole thing is like a Merchant and Ivory film, but with flying. Which is not a bad thing.
Upping the ante further is the Oscar-nominated Imelda Staunton (“Vera Drake,” 2005) as a villainously passive aggressive bureaucrat out to rid Hogwarts of its marvelous improprieties, delicious dark corners, and rob it of its nuances and character so that she can institute homogenizing standardized tests and scores. Perhaps she should call the program “No Wizard Left Behind.” As you can imagine, there are motives darker even than standardized testing at work.
Of course, the young witches and wizards rise to the occasion through cunning, bravery and friendship, but, especially for a “kids” story, a surprising number of very bad things continue to happen.
The hero’s greatest skill is not becoming invisible or flying a broom, but resilience and maturity. Maybe these stories have been so explosively popular with readers and viewers, not because they are so fantastical, but because they are so realistic.
The immensely entertaining “Stardust,” however, cannot quite claim a high level of emotional involvement or genre-defying popularity, but I found it surprisingly full of charm and wit nevertheless. Based on the novel by renowned graphic novelist Neil Gaiman (of The Sandman fame,) a writer who is certainly not without his own rabid following, “Stardust” is pure fun.
It is similar in tone to “The Princess Bride” in that people make jokes that are within the confines of the reality of the film, without breaking character. But no, it’s not as good as “The Princess Bride.” After all, what is?
It also boasts a high-class cast that includes Michelle Pfeiffer as a gorgeous witch trying to live forever, Peter O’Toole as a pompous king, and Robert De Niro as a cross-dressing pirate. De Niro was by far the worst thing in an otherwise delightful film.
Gee, a guy that acts tough but secretly wears tutus and is sensitive? What a riot! De Niro also had to courage to give him a ridiculous lisp and a silly prance. What brilliant characterization.
All in all, however, this movie was a great surprise. When it arrived in the mail, I didn’t know why I put it in my Netflix queue, but I gave it a try, and anyone who does the same should be happy.
Vastly superior to the disappointing CGI-fest that was barely recognizable as “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe,” and shorter than the “Lord of the Rings” films, “Stardust” is a rare gift- a film that adults would like that is only rated PG-13.
Both films are currently available to rent.
Contact Asia Frey at afrey@lagniappemobile.com.
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