This film is an intelligent, sardonic send up of several genres that pokes fun (affectionately) at fairy tales, swashbucklers, love stories and basic conventions of film. One of my favorite scenes is where Inigo Montoya first confronts his quarry after years of searching. His adversary does the unexpected-and what most villains in real life WOULD do under the same circumstances, with hilarious results in the scene. Basil Rathbone probably whirled in his grave!
Not by any means Citizen Kane (we already have one of those, anyway) but a champ in its weight class, with a perfect score, a fine script and good performances. Far more true to the flavor of the original fairy tales that it spoofs than even the best of Disney's takes. I loved it the first time I saw it and love it more now. Well worth watching. Recommended.
The Princess Bride
1987
Action / Adventure / Comedy / Family / Fantasy / Romance
The Princess Bride
1987
Action / Adventure / Comedy / Family / Fantasy / Romance
97% - Critics
94% - Audience
8.0Keywords: based on novel or bookcult filmswashbucklerimpersonationgrandfather grandson relationship
Plot summary
An elderly man reads the book "The Princess Bride" to his sick and thus currently bedridden adolescent grandson, the reading of the book which has been passed down within the family for generations. The grandson is sure he won't like the story, with a romance at its core, he prefers something with lots of action and "no kissing", but he lets grandfather continue, because he doesn't want to hurt his feelings. The story centers on Buttercup, a former farm girl who has been chosen as the princess bride to Prince Humperdinck of Florian. Buttercup does not love him, she who still laments the death of her one true love, Westley, five years ago. Westley was a hired hand on the farm, his stock answer of "as you wish" to any request she made of him which she came to understand was his way of saying that he loved her. But Westley went away to sea, only to be killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts. On a horse ride to clear her mind of her upcoming predicament of marriage, Buttercup is kidnapped by a band of bandits: Vizzini who works on his wits, and his two associates, a giant named Fezzik who works on his brawn, and a Spaniard named Inigo Montoya, who has trained himself his entire life to be an expert swordsman. They in turn are chased by the Dread Pirate Roberts himself. But chasing them all is the Prince, and his men led by Count Tyrone Rugen. What happens to these collectives is dependent partly on Buttercup, who does not want to marry the Prince, and may see other options as lesser evils, and partly on the other motives of individuals within the groups. But a larger question is what the grandson will think of the story as it proceeds and at its end, especially as he sees justice as high a priority as action.
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A satiric comedy with humor and sadness, dark with the light.
Lively swashbuckler
THE PRINCESS BRIDE is one of those well-loved 1980s classics that I'd never seen before, so I thought I'd better get around to watching it as everybody else has, it seems. It turns out to be a slight but lively swashbuckler in which various heroic characters team up to battle a dastardly prince and his allies in a quasi-historical world.
The film had a budget of 16 million dollars and yet it looks rather cheap in places, but I guess that's part of the fun. Although the narrative is set in some kind of unspecified historical past, the script is replete with modern-day gags which work nicely somehow. It's the humour that makes this so entertaining, and without these gags I think it would have been rather ho hum.
Cast-wise, we're saddled with the weak and weedy Cary Elwes as the erstwhile hero and Robin Wright as the uninteresting damsel-in-distress, but the best actor by far is Mandy Patinkin who excels as the master Spanish swordsman. Patinkin has natural wit and flair, plus plenty of charisma that really comes across. Christopher Guest and Chris Sarandon are the pantomime villains, there are cameos for comedians like Billy Crystal, Mel Smith, and Peter Cook, and a nice supporting role for lovable wrestler Andre the Giant. In fact this is an all-star thing with a wraparound story involving Fred Savage and Peter Falk. THE PRINCESS BRIDE was shot mainly in the Peak District here in the UK, which looks fantastic, and contains a lovely fencing bout that brings to mind the likes of Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn. Watch how the last half hour was extensively ripped off for ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES.
Funny touching love story (not just the fairy tale)
A boy (Fred Savage) is home sick, and to his dismay, his grandfather (Peter Falk) has come to read him a fairy tale. It's the story of the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright) who falls for farmboy "As you wish" Westley (Cary Elwes). He goes off to make his fortune, but after news of his death, Buttercup is being married off to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). Then the princess bride gets kidnapped by three rogues (Wallace Shawn, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant).
This is possibly the best fairy tale reimagining ever. Peter Falk's feign indifference narration sets off the great adventure, and Fred Savage has just the best balance. Director Rob Reiner has put together all the fairy tale snippets and create something even better. The characters are memorable. And who could forget the fun that Wallace Shawn has choosing the poison drink. Mandy Patinkin is absolutely amazing as the swordsman seeking revenge from the six finger man. And there will never be another André the Giant.