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Princess Bride, The
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| Year: |
1987
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Director: |
Rob Reiner
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| Stars: |
Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Billy Crystal, Mel Smith, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon, Peter Falk, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, Carol Kane, Peter Cook, Fred Savage
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| Genre: |
Comedy, Romance, Fantasy |
| Rating: |
  8 (from 11 votes) |
| Review: |
The Princess Bride is not just your ordinary, every-day, run-of-the-mill, average fantasy - it's much more than that. It's the secret world that we all inhabit in our mind's eye, where we overcome hideous odds, prove ourselves the best swordsman, tactician and intellect, and where not even death can stand between our true love and ourselves.
Quite a boast for a movie. But in The Princess Bride, it comes true. And the color that is portrayed in each and every character is superbly painted by Rob Reiner.
Presented in a rather unique way (grandfather Peter Falk reading the story to his sick grandson, Fred Savage) the plot revolves around the love between a beautiful young girl, Buttercup (Robin Wright) and the handsome farm-boy, Westley (Cary Elwes). A slowly evolving realisation of love is seemingly destroyed when, whilst seeking the fortune he needs to marry her, he is apparently captured and killed by that scourge of the seas, the Dread Pirate Roberts. After five years of misery, her despair is complete when Prince Humperdinck chooses her for his new bride, which is his right. She has no choice, but uses the freedom her status now provides to go riding alone, as often as possible.
On one of these rides, she is kidnapped by the most unlikely trio - Fezzik, a slow-witted giant of a man; Inigo Montoya, the greatest swordsman who ever lived; and Vizzini, whose intellect is only surpassed by his ego. It's all part of a plot to start a war between the two kingdoms of Florin and Guilder, but you just know that they won't get away with it. And sure enough, soon the chase is on, with the kidnappers being pursued by the mysterious Man In Black, who in turn is followed by Prince Humperdinck and his right hand man, the slimy Count Rugen.
We see the most amazing swordfight in cinematic history, the battle of brawn over brains, and a battle of wits that contains the most classic line ever - 'You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is “Never get involved in a land war in Asia.” But only slightly less well known is this: “Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!" '
And once more, it's Westley and Buttercup against the world - until Inigo Montoya and Fezzik switch sides and join forces with our heroes against the cruel Prince Humperdinck, the vile and greasy six-fingered Count Rugen, and time itself, as they need to defeat the bad guys and rescue Buttercup before the wedding ceremony is completed by the very impressive Priest (one of Peter Cook's finest roles).
This movie is well scripted, has some great characters, excellently cheesy performances, and really gets you going from the start. Rightly well-placed at #90 on the Internet Movie Database's all-time list, it's got to be seen.
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| Reviewer: |
Paul Shrimpton
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| Rob Reiner (1947 - )
Mainstream American actor, producer and director, son of Carl Reiner. After starring in the long-running sitcom All in the Family, Reiner turned to directing with This is Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, romantic blockbuster When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men. But when the dire North flopped, the films made less of a mark, like The American President or The Story of Us. He still acts in small roles. |
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