About as much flavor as water.

Rating: 5/10 (30 December 2016)

I checked this out on the recommendation of several online communities, and frankly I don't see what all the fuss is about. Don't get me wrong, Stardust has its fair share of interesting plot devices, and the performances by the cast are generally well done. A number of reviewers have likened it to The Princess Bride, which actually possessed a sense of self-awareness and wit, both of which seem generally lacking here.
This film survives by grasping at the low-hanging fruit provided by the fairy-tale and fantasy genres, meaning that anyone who's seen a handful of them knows where this story is headed at all times. There is a general lack of direction and substance, just a large assortment of run-of-the-mill fantasy elements.
There are a number of distracting editing gaffes, most notably the scene around an hour in where the dagger against a man's neck changes position back and forth a total of ten times between shots.
If films were rated on the number of deus ex machina moments they provide, Stardust would receive top marks. But they're not - and there is much left to be desired here.