Stardust movie

[supercheesegirl]

Who else saw the Stardust movie this weekend? I'd like to talk about it, I think.

I think it was definitely a good movie. And I understand why they had to change some things from the book. I get that. I noticed: (1) changes that I approved of, (2) changes that I didn't like but understood, and (3) changes I didn't like and also didn't understand.

(1) Changes I approve of: Mostly things that don't really affect the story much. I don't think it matters much that Dunstan's wife Daisy got dropped from the film version. Having the market every nine years isn't really essential to the story; having the other side of the wall be the kingdom of Stormhold, rather than all of Faeryland with Stormhold in it, well, it cuts out a few words, at least, so I get it. Also, having the stars themselves give Tristan information, instead of the magic tree--kind of hokey, but a way around introducing another character.

(2) Changes that I didn't like but understood: I get why the ending had to change. I really do. You can end a book with a wistful sadness (meaning, that Tristan eventually dies a mortal man and Yvaine must live on and can never go home), but that's not going to work in a movie. But I think that all the people who see the movie and then go buy the book are going to be incredibly shocked.

- I didn't really like the fact that all the witches got killed in the end. I understand, basically, why it had to happen--in movies, witches are evil and they need to die in order for the heroes to triumph. But I think it would have been so much more interesting to finish the witch plotline the way it was written in the book. More interesting, and more kind. But they needed to kill the witches, because Tristan had to triumph, and also because they needed a climactic battle. Also, if they'd done the book's witch ending--the witch finds she can't take Yvaine's heart because Yvaine has given it away, and that also means Yvaine can't return to the sky. Although I think they could have written around that. But, final battle important, I get it.

(3) Changes I didn't like and also didn't understand: Okay, why did the pirate captain have to be a big closeted fruit? Completely not in the book, and it also didn't really add anything, I thought. Except an opportunity for DeNiro to cavort, which I must admit he did fabulously. But I don't get why he couldn't just be a kindly pirate. But at least the other pirates were supportive.

- Not sure why Victoria's character was changed. In the book, she wasn't honest with Tristan--she really loved Mr. Monday--and when Tristan came back she was torn up because she wanted to marry Monday but also felt she had to honor her promise to Tristan. She was, at least, an honorable character, and in the end she got what she wanted (to marry Mr. Monday instead of Tristan). I'm not sure why it was necessary for her to be disappointed in the movie. The only reason I can think of is that that was done because it's a movie and that's the sort of thing that happens in movies, that the snobby beautiful girl regrets turning down the nerd after he becomes a king. But, again, would have been so much smarter and more interesting to make her happy in the end.

- Also, in the book, Tristan doesn't realize that he loves Yvaine until he sees Victoria again. Not sure why they changed that in the movie, except that I guess they wanted to get the two of them in bed together and that was the only spot where it fit. But, it didn't really fit. I liked the original better, and it also made more sense in terms of Tristan's character development.

Anyway, I did like the movie, as a movie. I had some quibbles with it as an adaptation, that's all.

Favorite things about it: the time on the pirate ship, and also the seven brothers. I absolutely loved the seven brothers. Primus is my favorite character anyway, but the brothers just completely stole the show and won me over. I'll buy the DVD just for them, I think.

Comments

[myras-girls.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the book for a very long time so I remembered little of the book. I almost re-read the book but I didn't because I didn't want to be disappointed in the movie. And I love love loved the movie!

I quite liked that pirate captain was a crossdresser. I thought it added more fun and flair and some great humor to the movie. Plus DeNiro did such a fantastic job with that! Yays!

Do you think Tristan actually realized he loved Yvaine before going to Victoria? What about his message to Yvaine- that he was off to the be with the woman he loved? I think maybe he wasn't completely certain until he got to Victoria to see her again. Otherwise why would he have gone at all?

I also wish they would have kept the part about Yvaine giving her heart to Tristan meaning the witches couldn't have it. I was fine with killing the witches but I think it would have been nice to say that the witches couldn't take Yvaine's heart.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

I think that the innkeeper garbled the message and so Yvaine misinterpreted it. I think Tristan said, he was going to see Victoria, to tell her that he had found his true love (meaning Yvaine) and that he was going to spend his life with her (Yvaine). I think he was going to see Victoria to let her know he was okay and to say goodbye, to put her behind him so he could move on with Yvaine.

If you think about it the other way, that Tristan wasn't completely certain he loved Yvaine, then that makes him a liar and a jerk, for sleeping with her knowing how she felt about him.

[igorxa.livejournal.com]

that's exactly the way i interpreted it, the way you first explained it.

[latinismyramen.livejournal.com]

I really liked the movie, but I hadn't read the book. It was really happy-ending-y, wasn't it?

But I have to agree, the brothers were pretty much the best part. And Claire Danes, her too.

[pocketwitch.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the book either (I really need to read some of Neil's novels ... ) but I adored the movie. I also adored Robert DeNiro being fabulous - maybe it wasn't really necessary for the story but it was funny as hell and he was so much fun to watch.

I wondered about the ending - if the book wrapped it all up so neatly and happily; I had guessed not.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

What have you been DOING, woman?? YOU WORK IN A USED BOOK STORE!! Pick up some freakin' Gaiman right now!

[pocketwitch.livejournal.com]

I've got several of his books in my hold box ... but I am a slow reader lately. Not because I read slowly but because I've got SO MUCH ELSE I'm doing that I just don't sit down and read all that much ...

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

I get that. But, really, Gaiman = important! You will seriously love his novels.

[pocketwitch.livejournal.com]

I've read Sandman and I love it, so I know I'll love his novels too. Currently I'm reading Lisey's Story - maybe after that I'll buy the copy of American Gods I have in my box.

[igorxa.livejournal.com]

i haven't read the book. the movie was fantastic, though. i didn't really go into it expecting a fairy tale, but i certainly wasn't disappointed. i think that whatever adaptations were made, the screenplay still stayed true to fairy tale mythology, and that made me pretty happy. after that whole lord of the rings fiasco i generally try to stay away from books that are turned into movies, at least until after i've seen the movie. i know the books are almost always going to be better, so there's no point in ruining my enjoyment of a perfectly good movie by reading the book first. this is exactly why i have yet to read any of the harry potter books. after the first lotr, i immediately grabbed a copy of the book and read the whole thing through and LOVED it. then i had to spend seven grueling, disappointing hours watching what should have been two very good sequels and were instead rife with what i then considered egregious errors and edits. i decided i didn't want to ruin my movie going experiences for SEVEN movies, all of which i knew i'd want to see. i really, really enjoy going to see movies. there's a whole process to it that makes me very happy. i possess the ability to enjoy even the shittiest of movies (i actually liked reign of fire when i saw it in the theaters, enough to exclaim during the credits that it was, "awesome!").

i'd really like to read stardust, and i know i'll want to read the golden compass series, too. but not until after i see the movie.

also, the award for worst movie adaptation ever still goes to breakfast of champions. vonnegut has a fucking cameo, AND THEY STILL FUCKED OVER THE ENDING. srsly, that's one of my favorite books.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

I saw the first LOTR and then read the whole trilogy, too. But I absolutely loved all the movies. I'm not saying that I didn't like the Stardust movie, just that in some ways the differences bothered me. Maybe I'm the opposite of you here: I love the books, and I see no reason to ruin a perfectly good book by making a terrible movie of it. (I'm absolutely terrified by the upcoming movie "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising", which is based on one of my absolute favorite childhood novels.)

Michael Crichton's Congo was a horrible adaptation. They took a fairly decent novel and turned it into a bunch of monkeys running around a jungle. Ugh.

AMY MOTHER AMY GOOD

[igorxa.livejournal.com]

yeah, congo was terrible. but james and the giant peach? PERFECT! that was my favorite childhood book.

i'm also not looking forward to the movie version of the seeker. some things ought not be disturbed.

[lilacgrrl.livejournal.com]

I also didn't reread the book before the movie, despite considering it. I'm glad of that choice. I was able to throw myself into the movie and love it, without doing the constant comparison in my head that I knew would happen if I reread the book. I couldn't remember the ending of the novel, except that it was more bittersweet and not as happy.
Now I want to wait a few weeks, and reread the book again.

I agree with you about the inn keeper garbling the message. I suspect in deleted scenes that will be explained further.

[amazonsun.livejournal.com]

I really loved it! I didn't really care for the book - too "kids book-like" - so I was pleasantly surprised at the movie adaption. Funny...I don't seem to like fantasy books much, but I love the movies.

I loved the DeNiro flamboyancy but agree that it was a little silly. A "nice" captain would have been just fine. Otherwise, I loved the scenes on the ship, I liked how Victoria was portrayed. I didn't remember how the witches got their comeupance in the book, but I liked that they all died in the end. And I liked the movie ending. :) All-in-all....a great movie!