Stardust

I apologize for the lateness of this post, but that's just the kind of week I've been having. But my difficult week is to your benefit as it means you get a rare Saturday post. I've got some fun things coming on Monday you won't want to miss, and the Awards Ceremonies commence on Monday as well. Other than my own category, I do not know who has won the other awards, so I am very excited to attend the ceremonies and see who our victors are this year!But anyway, on to today's post... This week's Favorite Family Film is a more recent offering, but became an instant family favorite nonetheless. Stardust is an epic, adventure story filled with swashbuckling pirates, evil witches, nefarious princes, and a beautiful fallen star that everyone seems to be hunting for their own purposes.This movie takes its themes and blends them into a fun-filled mixture of creepy and corny, sweet and stunning (visuals), hilarious and heartwarming that just somehow works really well.A little over-the-top at times, Stardust does a fantastic job of throwing you into an unfamiliar realm as you follow young Tristan through a hole in the wall bordering his normal and hum-drum little village into an unexpected place of magic, mystery, and danger.Remember my first Favorite Family Film recommendation? Well, I can't deny that Michelle Pfeiffer is a big reason I love this movie... even if she does play a villain. She does a fantastic job being creepy and also just a little constantly "put out" with fact that everything about her quest is so difficult. Watching her be annoyed is pretty entertaining by itself.Tristan is a sort of sweet, bumbling oaf at the beginning of the movie, and I enjoy watching him grow up, as it were, and come into his own throughout the story. He sets out on a quest to win the heart of the most beautiful girl in his village, and ends up on an adventure quite a bit bigger than anything he expected. Along the way, he must dodge the villainous princes who are competing to find their father's necklace so they can ascend to the throne (succession rules in this land are a bit cut-throat). He also meets some highly entertaining characters such as the ferocious Captain Shakespeare (who really would rather not be ferocious at all... think of him as a sort of unwilling Dread Pirate Roberts).And in the center of it all, the lovely, naive, innocent young star who has fallen from the sky and whose only wish is to go home without being used or killed or eaten... is that really so much to ask? If you enjoy a fun, fantasy romp with a fairy-tale feel and movies that have a little bit of everything... you will love Stardust.

Stardust is available to watch for free through Amazon Prime. You can also rent it through the likes of iTunes and Vudu.