If you want to find out just how far the actor goes in Stardust, the gonzo fantasy flick is streaming on Netflix, and Robert De Niro's performance alone makes it worthy of any queue. There's more to Stardust than just De Niro's bravura turn as the swash-buckling, cross-dressing sky pirate Captain Shakespeare, though. Fans of fantasy fiction, in particular, should have the film on radar, as it's adapted from a book by Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Sandman, Good Omens). And if you call yourself a Gaiman fan, you've got a fair idea of the genre-bending ambition, fantastical insanity, and narrative ingenuity to expect in Stardust.
As for Stardust's intricately-spun narrative, well, it's a vintage Gaimanesque "fish out of water" affair, rife with magical realms encroaching on real world vistas, a kindly British lad falling for a supernatural beauty, and the sort of morally intricate battle between good and evil that the author excels at. If you don't know Gaiman's work, those brief teases should convey just how weird Stardust is. Under the direction of Matthew Vaughn (who sandwiched this bizarro cinematic romp in between Layer Cake and Kick Ass), every ounce of oddity is present on screen, with Vaughn and co-screenwriter Jane Goldman adding layers to the Captain Shakespeare character in ways Gaiman never imagined.
Though De Niro's over-the-top work is front and center, he's not actually the star of the show. Rather, Stardust is primarily focused on Claire Danes (the supernatural beauty in question) and a pre-Daredevil Charlie Cox (said kindly British lad). If those names aren't enough to peak your interest, Stardust also features scene-chewing turns from Michelle Pfeiffer, Mark Strong, Siena Miller, and a baby-faced Henry Cavill. Check it out today.
