Genres: Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Actors: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jason Flemyng, Ben Barnes, Mark Burns, Adam Buxton, Henry Cavill, Jake Curran, Elwin ‘Chopper’ David, Frank Ellis, Rupert Everett, Dexter Fletcher

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Country: UK, USA

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In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man makes a promise to his beloved that he’ll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm.

"Stardust" based on the best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Charles Vess, takes audiences on an adventure that begins in a village in England and ends up in a magical world.

A young man named Tristan (Charlie Cox) tries to win the heart of village beauty Victoria (Sienna Miller) by promising to bring her a falling star. His journey takes him beyond the walls of his village to a mysterious and forbidden land. When Tristan finds the star, he is stunned to discover that it is, not a lump of meteoric rock, but an angry, injured girl named Yvaine (Claire Danes) – who has no desire to be dragged across the world and presented to anyone’s girlfriend.

But Tristan is not the only one seeking the star. A dying king’s (Peter O’Toole) four sons – not to mention the ghosts of their three dead brothers – all need the star as they vie for the throne. Three evil witches, led by the murderous Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) seek the star’s heart to make them young again. Tristan and Yvaine are forced to flee together, encountering the captain of a flying pirate ship (Robert De Niro) and a shady trader named Ferdy the Fence (Ricky Gervais) along the way. As they travel Tristan discovers the meaning of true love, but does not realize he’s leading Yvaine into even more danger…

Often as dark and brutal as a tale by the "Brothers Grimm", "Stardust" is decidedly not for young children. There’s an adult sensibility to the romance and the fight scenes are fairly violent. Still, with its heart worn proudly on its sleeve, it’s one of the best date movies of the year, a compatibility litmus test for starry-eyed romantics. (Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer)

There are a few great, wonderful effects in "Stardust" - the pirate airship that flying through the clouds, and Pfeiffer’s zillion-year-old witch, who ages and youthens before our eyes.

Genres: Comedy | Drama | Romance

Actors: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr., Skeet Ulrich, Shirley Knight, Yeardley Smith, Lupe Ontiveros, Jill the Dog, Timer the Dog, Billy the Dog, Bibi Osterwald, Ross Bleckner, Bernadette Balagtas, Jaffe Cohen

Director: James L. Brooks

Country: USA

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The trials and tribulations of a compulsive writer, Melvin Udall. After his homosexual neighbor is brutally beaten, he is entrusted to the care of the neighbor’s dog, with a difficult relationship with a waitress to add on top of that. What develops is a weekend trip/triangle between these three individuals, and together they learn the true meaning of "the sunny side of life".

A slow-burning romantic comedy that builds upon a witty script and smart cast, As Good As It Gets ably distracts our attention from its few flaws. In the hurly-burly of Manhattan even someone as obviously weird as Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) can get by, ignored by the swell of humanity. Haphazardly picking his way along the sidewalk, avoiding the cracks, Melvin is comfortable in his routine. He scrubs his hands obsessively, harangues anyone who upsets him and expects breakfast to be served by Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt). She’s just one of the cafe’s many waitresses but Melvin won’t accept service from another, maybe because Carol tolerates his vile stream of invective.

In his high-rent apartment block Melvin counts no neighbour as a friend and doesn’t consider this to be a loss. Just as long as Melvin’s not disturbed in his writing (successful romantic novels, amazingly) he’ll refrain from railing against all and sundry. Yet disturb his equilibrium, as gay neighbour Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear) is wont to do, and Melvin will pin your ears back with his no-holds-barred language. Simon’s art-dealer buddy Frank Sachs (Cuba Gooding Jr.) can’t quite believe the unwarranted attack that he is witness to, all down to Simon’s little dog. The crisis comes when Carol’s son Spencer (Jesse James) falls ill, meaning that she can no longer wait on Melvin… Read more

It’s a great Christmas movie. Story takes place during the Yule season, so many of the plot elements are straight out of Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol".