And what better way to escape the banalities of winter life than with an epic fantasy adventure at the silver screen?
These bold, ambitious movies seem to be the next big thing in the Hollywood nerve centre and thankfully Stardust is an enchanting fairytale that really lives up to its name.
Based on a novel by Neil Gaiman, it is the tale of a young man called Tristan (newcomer Charlie Cox) – an archetype hero, who starts out as a bit of a loser and ends up as a fully-fledged sword-wielding knight.
When he sees a falling star he vows to bring it back home to win the heart of the girl he loves. But to do this he must pass through a gap in an ancient wall, which is the portal to another world called Stormhold.
Meanwhile, a 400-year-old witch called Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) ruthlessly hunts the star (personified by Claire Danes), as a source of eternal life and a bunch of treacherous princes need the star’s amulet to be pronounced king.
As these three forces collide, the story gets in full swing and it is well paced and compelling throughout, even with its lengthy two and a half hour running time.
What’s more, the shroud of fantasy always remains strong – perhaps the idea of another world right under our noses somehow makes it more believable.
Also look out for Robert DeNiro as a camp pirate and a collection of British comedy actors such as Mark Heap from Spaced and Adam Buxton from Adam & Joe playing the spectral form of the defeated princes.
