Title: Short of the Mark
Review: While writer Gaiman aspired to write an adult fairy tale, "Stardust" falls short on both accounts. Another reviewer correctly identified it as a new "Princess Bride," an adult spoof of children's fairy tales. And, as a spoof, it might have worked, except for the graphic violence, exploding heads and several impalings. Bing Crosby once asked, "Would you like to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar . . . or would you rather be a jerk?" "Stardust" chooses to be jerky. When will filmmakers realize that the successes of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are not about the gee-whiz special effects and sweeping vistas but about the integrity of the writing. "Stardust" insults the genre of fantasy rather than complementing it. Want to read an adult fairy tale? Try Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series. Want to see an adult fairy tale? Try John Boorman's "Excalibur."
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