The Princess Bride is a classic movie in so many ways that have already been explained before that perhaps I won’t even bother telling you about them. Then again… maybe I will.

Basically this is a fairy tale, being told by a grandpa (wonderfully played by Peter Falks [Columbo]) to his sick grandson (Fred Savage [The Wonder Years]). This isn’t a film about Pater Falks reading a story of course, the story he is telling comes to life. There are so many superb performances that it’s difficult to know which to highlight, but Cary Elwes [Robin Hood, Men In Tights] as the hero of the piece – a young farm worker who braves everything for the woman he loves – is absolutely brilliant. If he didn’t play his role dead straight it would have fallen apart, but he holds up and in some scenes he is frankly incredible. His love is the traditional fairytale damsel in distress – quite horrible to begin with and completely useless – and Robin Wright [Forrest Gump] plays her part perfectly. All the other traditional fairy story characters are here to – the evil baddie who wants to marry the damsel in distress against her wishes (Chris Sarandon), his even more evil sidekick (Christopher Guest), a noble swordsman seeking revenge (Mandy Patinkin, who if possible outshines even Elwes), and a giant (played by, suitably enough, Andre the Giant). There is a host of acting and comedy talent in the cast including Wallace Shawn, Peter Cook, and Mel Smith [Alas Smith and Jones]. Billy Crystal is also in the movie, though I very much doubt that you’ll recognise him… (at least, I didn’t!) Former wrestler “Andre the Giant” also had an important part in the film.

The whole thing is put together with a surreal backdrop of sets that aren’t quite convincing, but work well for that very reason – it’s a visualisation of a fairy tale, and that’s what it looks like. The story has plenty of action and adventure (Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...”) There’s not a cliche that gets missed, which normally wouldn’t be a good thing but with a story portrayed in this manner, a spoof without giving the appearance of being a spoof, it’s great. However, the thing that makes this movie such a joy to watch (again and again… and again!) is the fact that it’s extremely funny. Children will enjoy the action and the visual gags, but there are so many levels of humour here that adults are going to enjoy it far more. This is backed up by the excellent performances by the cast as mentioned above, a nice music score by Mark Knopfler, and spot-on directed by Rob Reiner. The sword-fights in this movie are also terrific – notable for being actually performed by Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin, who trained for many hours, but they’re also perfectly choreographed to the music. Not just entertaining and funny, but art…

There are so many things to like about this movie that I can’t possibly list them all. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are, if you like a good laugh and remember the fairy stories you had read to you when you were a kid, you’ll love The Princess Bride

Other Information

Director: Rob Reiner (who also directed When Harry Met Sally and Stand By Me, respectively 2 years after and a year before The Princess Bride, among many other successful movies.)
Year of release: 1987
Runtime: 98 minutes (not a second too long!)
Rating: PG

At time of writing, The Princess Bride is \130 in IMDB\’s all-time 250 best movies list.

The only Oscar nomination it received was for the title song, “Storybook Love”, by Willy De Ville. Scandalous!

Quotes

(Repeated line)

Inigo Montoya: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

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Westley: I told you I would always come for you. Why didn't you wait for me?
Buttercup: Well... you were dead. ----------

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Miracle Max: You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles.

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Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

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Inigo Montoya: You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.
Westley: You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die.

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Westley: Why can't I move? Why am I up against this wall?
Fezzik: You've been mostly-dead all day.

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Fezzik: It's not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don't even exercise.

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Buttercup: You mock my pain.
Westley: Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something. ---

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Miracle Max: Get back, witch.
Valerie: I'm not a witch, I'm your wife. But after what you just said, I'm not even sure I want to be that any more.

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Prince Humperdinck: She is alive, or was an hour ago. If she is otherwise when I find her I shall be very put out.

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Vizzini: You're trying to kidnap what I've rightfully stolen.

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Trivia

I don’t normally include these, but some of them were just so funny I had to!

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Mark Knopfler agreed to write the music for this movie on the condition that Rob Reiner put the hat that he wore in This Is Spinal Tap (1984) in the movie. The hat appears in The Grandson's bedroom.

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Director Rob Reiner left the set during Billy Crystal's scenes because he would laugh so hard that he would feel nauseated.

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Despite his character Fezzik's almost-superhuman strength, André the Giant's back problems at the time prevented him from actually lifting anything heavy. Robin Wright Penn had to be attached to wires in the scene where Buttercup jumps from the castle window into Fezzik's arms because he couldn't support her himself.

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While rehearsing for the film, André the Giant's thick accent prevented many of his lines from being understood. To remedy this, actor Mandy Patinkin slapped André in the face to get him to concentrate harder.

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When Count Rugen hits Westly over the head, Cary Elwes told Christopher Guest to go ahead and hit him for real. Guest hit him hard enough to shut down production for a day while Elwes went to the hospital.

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According to author William Goldman, when he was first trying to get the movie made in the 1970s, a then-unknown Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to play Fezzik, and he was strongly being considered because Goldman could never get his first choice, André the Giant, to read for the role. By the time the movie was made about 12 years later, Arnold was such a big star they could not afford him, Andre was cast after all and the two big men had gone on to become friends.

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Writer William Goldman was on set during one of the flame burst scenes in the forest when Robin Wright Penn's dress caught fire. Although Goldman knew this was intentional, he was so caught up in the moment that he shouted, "Her dress is on fire!", thus ruining the take.
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Mandy Patinkin claims that the only injury he sustained during the entire filming of this movie was a bruised rib due to stifling his laughter in his scenes with Billy Crystal.


Related Links

Cary Elwes: The Cat’s Meow, The Jungle Book

Robin Wight (now Robin Wright Penn): White Oleander

See Also

Top Ten Spoof Movies
Top Ten Comedies
Top Ten Action / Adventure Movies



Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Good for Groups