-Muggle Film Reviews-

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Stardust - My rating: ★★★★ (4/5 stars)

The village of Wall sits at the border of 19th century England and the magical realm of Stormhold, and one night, young Tristan Thorn sees a shooting star fall from the sky and land beyond the wall. Vowing to retrieve the star in exchange for the hand of the girl he loves, Tristan sets out on his journey. Also looking for the star are a coven of witches who want to use the heart of the star to become young again, and the surviving heirs to the throne of Stormhold. Of course, in this magical realm, a shooting star is more than just a lump of rock, and once Tristan finds the star, he and Yvaine must make their way back towards the wall. Between dodging the others looking for the star, dealing with their own growing feelings for one another, and a jaunt on a flying pirate ship, Tristan and Yvaine’s story is exciting and highly entertaining, with a happy ending that is sure to leave you smiling.

My favorite part of this movie is probably the time they spend on the pirate ship, although the heirs to the throne of Stormhold are also quite entertaining. The story itself is whimsical, although a little weird at times, and the characters are interesting and unique. If you like exciting fantasy adventures, and don’t mind a bit of weirdness in your movies, I’d highly recommend this movie.

As a side note, if you like the movie (or even if you don’t), I’d also highly recommend the book that it’s based on. The book is written by Neil Gaiman, and while it has most of the same characters and a similar overarching plot, it’s very different from the movie. I actually like the book even better than the movie, especially because the climactic showdown between good and evil happens in a way that’s not at all what you’d expect.

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Now You See Me - My rating ★★★★½ (4.5/5 stars)

What’s the difference between a thief and a magician? For the Four Horsemen, a group of extremely talented magicians, there isn’t one. When they close a show in Vegas with a trick that supposedly involves teleportation into a bank vault, FBI agent Dylan Rhodes is assigned to figure out how they stole the money. With the help of an Interpol agent and a former magician, he follows the Horsemen as they continue to perform, and continue to pull off seemingly impossible robberies.

I can’t say much more about the plot without spoiling the movie, as the movie itself is like a magic trick within a magic trick, full of twists and turns. And just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, you’ll realize how completely wrong you were. As one character states, “Look closely, because the closer you think you are, the less you’ll actually see.”

And if you like the movie and want a sequel, you’re in luck - Now You See Me 2 hits theaters this summer, with Daniel Radcliffe joining the cast.

Reviewed by Kris Shah