[2][3] Somewhere in 15th century Europe, Rumpelstiltskin, a mystical, deformed hunchback is pursued by mob to a nearby cliffside after kidnapping the baby promised to him of a local village woman in exchange for spinning straw into gold.

After several failed attacks from the mob, a gypsy witch transforms him into a small, stone effigy to be imprisoned for a thousand years released prematurely only under the stipulation that a heart-felt wish be made unto it involving a child.

In present day Los Angeles, police officer Russell Stewart is gunned down in the line of duty during a botched car jacking, widowing his pregnant wife Shelly in the process.

Rumpelstiltskin then murders a passing biker and steals his motorcycle which he soon trades out for a tanker truck and continues pursuit as it leads into the mountainous outskirts of Bakersfield.

After her car dies the following morning, Shelly flags down fellow motorist and chauvinistic "professional asshole" TV show host, Max Bergman whom, in denial of her story, reluctantly chauffeurs them forward.

A lengthy vehicular pursuit ensues through the winding terrain terminating with Max duping Rumpelstiltskin with a dune buggy to drive off a hillside and into a standing tree below igniting the tanker into a fiery explosion.

Shelly confronts the now severely injured Rumpelstiltskin and calls out his name three times reincarcerating him back to his stone effigy form to presumably live out the remainder of his thousand year sentence.

[5] The film was released on DVD on January 10, 2004, by Lionsgate Home Entertainment AllMovie wrote, "this groan-inducing would-be camp [...] boasts some good makeup by Kevin Yagher but is still easily the worst of the '90s crop of fairy-tale horrors.