Laura's Star review

There's stardust all over the shop in this 2-D 'toon, but not a great deal of sparkle. All about a young girl's friendship with a fallen star who's got a busted prong, it's from the Euro-animators of The Little Polar Bear, - and like that film, it's not suitable for viewers over eight.

No hip wisecracks from big-name voices here, that's for sure. Instead we get an overly winsome tone and dull dubbing by a nondescript British cast. With the visuals resembling a cut-price imitation of Studio Ghibli's wondrous work (Spirited Away, the upcoming Howl's Moving Castle), grown-up viewers' best hope of keeping awake is to play Spot The ET Rip-Offs. Space-being homesickness, miraculous night flying... Heck, there's even a red-hooded kid on a bike.

Still, the wee ones should be gently charmed, though the faceless asterisk hero might not snag their imaginations as much as the way-cooler robo-cat who trundles through the action.