Blu-ray Movie Reviews

In the English countryside resides a small village bordering a mystical land which can only be reached by climbing through a wall. Young Tristan (Charlie Cox) crosses through in order to capture a falling star as a gift for a local hottie (Sienna Miller). Unbeknownst to him, in the parallel world the star is a corporeal being (Claire Danes) who's also smokin' hot. Soon thereafter Tristan learns his true destiny that will forever alter his life.

While the first act takes a little while to pick up steam this is a very entertaining movie. It reminds me of The Princess Bride because of the cute romance, adventure, and humor and in many ways is a superior film to the cult classic. The all star cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, and Peter O'Toole in important supporting roles. Surprisingly the film didn't receive a lot of press when it hit theaters in 2007 but holds up well on repeat viewings.

Video Highlights

• AVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Digitally manipulated color palette
• Inky blacks
• Longer shots are quite soft
• Close-ups exhibit excellent detail

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
• Surround channels are very active
• LFE is intense, but not foundation-shaking
• Intelligible dialog

Director Matthew Vaughn (no relation) and DP Ben Davis surely spent some time in post altering the color palette to give the fantasy land its unique look, but this isn't a complaint, merely an observation. The audio track is outstanding especially if you enjoy active surround speakers.

Bonus Materials

• Commentary by writer/director Matthew Vaughn and writer Jane Goldman
• "Crossing the wall: The Making of Stardust" (HD)
• Nothing is True…(SD)
• 5 Deleted scenes (SD)
• Blooper real (SD)
• Theatrical trailer (HD)

If you're a fan of fantasy films, I'm sure you'll enjoy this due to the captivating story and great performances, especially by De Niro and Pfeiffer. The presentation is solid, especially the audio track, and the bonus features are an improvement over the previously released HD DVD from 2007. Recommended for fans.

Release Date: September 7, 2010
Studio: Paramount

Movie: 8/10
Picture: 8/10
Sound: 9/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Panamax M5400PM power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics