Alternative Character Interpretation: Victoria is presented as something of an Alpha Bitch (in contrast to her sweet persona in the book), but take note of the picnic scene: she doesn't string Tristan along, she's up front about the fact that Humphrey is going to propose to her and that she'll say yes, and she never gives Tristan any hint that he's going to end up with her. But then again, she does backtrack and offer Tristan the Engagement Challenge, and seems excited to see him when he does return — so was she just playing him and Humphrey off each other the whole time?
Award Snub: "Rule the World" by Take That (Band) was submitted for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, but didn't receive a nomination. Despite that, it was one of Take That's biggest-selling singles, and remains a staple of their live performances.
Crosses the Line Twice: Lamia killing Ditchwater Sal by blasting her head off in a magic duel? Horrifying. Sal's headless body dancing around like a decapitated chicken for several seconds and smacking into the Wall? Hilarious.
Septimus' theme in the soundtrack is mostly in the time signature 7/8, likely a reference to him being the seventh numbered out of eight siblings.note the track is also, appropriately, the seventh track on the soundtrack album
The witches' names (Lamia, Mormo, and Empusa) are taken from Greek mythology. In the movie, Lamia only refers to the other two by name once, and the casual viewer has no way to know which is Empusa and which is Mormo. The final battle, however, references aspects of the Greek mythology of Empusa and Mormo, clearly identifying both (Empusa, said in mythology to have flaming hair, battles Septimus by shooting torrents of fire his way, and Mormo, in mythology often called Mormolykos (terrible wolves), has a major moment involving said animals). Also, although not said to be sisters in Greek mythology, all three monsters (Lamia, Mormo, Empusa) were described as vampiric beings that stole the youth and life force of young people through feeding on their flesh and blood.
Claire Danes received great praise for absolutely nailing an English accent. Some even claimed it sounds more natural than her real voice.
This was Charlie Cox's first lead role, years before having a stronger career in television, first in Boardwalk Empire as Owen Sleater and then as Matt Murdock in Daredevil (2015).
Ho Yay: Captain Shakespeare winking at Humphry at the end (who doesn't seem disinterested).
It Was His Sled: This movie is rather infamous for subverting Robert De Niro's tough guy image by revealing his pirate character to be a closeted gay crossdresser.
Bernard, the boy-turned-goat-turned-hot-chick, who is very happy to be helping Yvaine undress. Though it's not really Les Yay in this case since, again, Bernard is actually a boy, he's just been transformed by Lamia into the shape of a girl when this is transpiring.
In a much more creepy sense, Lamia and Yvaine pretty early on. The massage scene, anyone?
The dead princes' Jacob Marley Apparel is mostly played for laughs — particularly Secundus, since the circumstances of his death leave him with an incredibly comical squashed face — but poor Sextus, who died in a fire and clearly looks it, can make viewers squirm (Secundus even mentions in a deleted scene that he can see Sextus' ribcage) not to mention Quintus, who has an axe embedded in his head.
It's very unsettling to see Lamia use a wax doll to first violently break Septimus' arm and leg, and then cause him (via throwing the doll into a fountain) to drown in mid-air. Even his ghostly brothers are rather unsettled.
Just imagine if Tristan had taken Yvaine through the threshold to Wall as planned, or if she hadn't been stopped in time from crossing by herself...
Peter O'Toole as the delightfully soft-spoken, black-hearted King of Stormhold, who has encouraged his seven sons to kill each other for years. He is disappointed that more than one of his sons is still standing when he's on his deathbed.
The King: Of my seven sons, there are four of you today still standing — this is quite a break with tradition, I had twelve brothers— Septimus: And you killed them all for your throne before your father, the king, even felt poorly.
Ricky Gervais only has three scenes as Ferdie — the fast-talking trader — and his third scene has him reduced to merely making animal noises before Septimus kills him, but he has plenty of memorable lines in those three scenes.
Special Effects Failure: Early on in the film, there are a pair of tiny CGI elephants in a cage that are poorly integrated into the scene, looking obviously and glaringly fake.
The epicness when Lamia kills Septimus by throwing his voodoo doll into a fountain and thus making Septimus FLOAT IN MID-AIR has to be seen to be truly appreciated.
Not as dramatic, but almost as impressive, is the scene where Yvaine tries to maul the witch Sal, only to bounce off her like a magnet, except with sparks. Quite a mastery of stunt-acting and CGI.
and The Star Shines