Stardust: The Movie is Better than the Book

<img src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000FC13Y0&Format=SL160&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=xen02-20" style="all: initial; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: right;" ><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=xen02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000FC13Y0" alt="" style="all: initial; border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" >Having just re-read Stardust<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=xen02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000FC13Y0" alt="" style="all: initial; border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" > again, this time having seen the excellent movie<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=xen02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AEBB8PQ" alt="" style="all: initial; border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" > based on the book, I have to say this is one of the few cases in which the movie is better than the book. Don't get me wrong. The book is amazing, and adds a lot of depth to what you get out of the movie, but here a a few of the things I think the movie does better... possible spoilers ahead:

1. Tristan's motivation for going on his adventure is much better defined in the movie.
2. Tristan's father getting re-married in the book makes his night with Una seem like a one night stand that could have been with anyone, not the "love at first sight" romance in the movie.
3. No Robert DeNiro in the book — the whole transformation of Tristan from boy to man just isn't the same and isn't as well defined without it.
4. The ending in the movie might be quintessential Hollywood, but it feels like a better fairy tale ending to match the story.
5. Septimus's death, and overall role in the movie, is used much more effectively.

Feel free to disagree, just my opinion. I guess I'll have to wait for the book based on the movie based on the book to come out.