I started to watch this for this review after a long hiatus and I started to question why I gave it such a high score on my list. It isn't full of action like so many other movies (and I prefer a fast movie over a slow one any day.) It doesn't address the human psyche or anything special. But what it does do is tell a story, and tell it perfectly. I cannot find a single fault in how this story was told. Nor could I sit here and tell you that I am bored with any part of this film, even though it is “slow” (being slow does not necessarily mean boredom, but for me it usually is.)
It is also a movie for anyone. No violence or truly scary moments. Plenty of action and suspense. And a very well written story. In short it is an romantic comedy with action added that does do too much of one thing. A little comedy here, a little action there. Just a very nice balance of everything.
The character also are a bit off and unrealistic. Basically abnormal personalities. How can someone possible say with a straight face that they plan on starting a war and killing their bride. Well one of these “abnormal” personalities says just that and it is a funny line to boot.
The characters also have multiple dimensions to them (with the exception of Buttercup). These are lively and complex individuals. They react differently with each character, yet they stay in the same character. The credit for this I believe goes to the director. Parts of the film were unique but they always stayed in character and it felt like the same world throughout.
About buttercup? She has no dimension and is really only window dressing.
The plot It is a simple plot. A princess (who has gone through a tramatic experience) is kidnapped and it is up to someone to rescue her. There’s more to it than that but any more would be giving away too much of the story, and I don’t like doing that in my reviews.
The acting Is well done. Even though some roles were type case, I cannot complain about a single performance...well except one (the princess).
Cary Elwes plays Westley, our hero of the story. He is given some of the best lines and says them so well. He is also the most diverse character in the story and a good actor. He has a great deal of character and his expressed characteristic are altered depending on who he is in the scene with. He is without question the best actor in the film. I do not consider this character to be abnormal or a stereotype.
The rest of the characters listed below (with the exception of the princess and count) are abnormal stereotypes. This would normally be an issue with a normal adventure movie, but this is a fantasy/fairy tale movie, so the abnormal personalities are a welcome addition to the story. They add a bit of comedy and character to the film which is needed.
Mandy Patinkin plays Inigo Montoya a Spaniard that is bent on revenge. He is also a master swordsman. I like the character he portrays but it is pretty one dimensional and shallow. But the audience immediately warms up to him and he becomes a very important part of the story later on. Chris Sarandon plays Prince Humperdinck. He is like the King in Shrek, very egocentric and cares for no one. Wallace Shawn plays Vizzini a Sicilian that thinks he is the most intelligent person on Earth and cannot be out played by anyone. He does a wonderful job in his role and you can feel the conceited personality he portrays. While you are meant to hate him, instead he is a character that is a little lovable. Andre the Giant plays Fezzik, a bumbling strongman/giant. His performance was what you would expect from a wrestler, which is not much. But what he did do is create a character that was extremely lovable. A bad guy the audience can understand and care for. Peter Falk plays The Grandfather. Probably the best actor in the film and the second best performance of the film. He is our narrator and reads the story to his grandson. It is his presence that reassures the audience that this is a wonderful story and you have nothing to fear, everything turns out right in the end. He acts as an anchor. Fred Savage plays The Grandson. While not a great performance, he didn’t hurt the story any. He is representative of the child in all of us. Christopher Guest plays Count Rugan. The most complex character that was not explored in this movie. There is so much I want to know about this guy because he just embodies evil. But he is not the story, he is a side note so the director wisely kept him as a side story that fit in perfectly with the true story. He is also responsible for the true climax of the film, which I think was absolutely necessary.
Robin Wright Penn plays The Princess Buttercup, the most shallow and superficial character in this film. The women’s rights group should protest this movie because the only real female role is developed and executed poorly. In short, she is boring. She is a piece of the furniture on the set. She is not developed at all, rather she stays being a shallow character throughout the movie when so much more could have been done with her role.
The story and writing I love the lines in this movie. They are witty and intelligent. And the lines do not assume that this is a children’s movie, they assume a more intelligent/experienced audience is watching. Now this does not mean I don’t consider it a children’s movie, it is just that most children will not be able to grasp a couple of pieces here and there fully. A child will definitely enjoy it at a different level then we can.
Now how about comedy...is this a comedic movie? My answer is yes, and a well done comedy at that. It isn't your modern comedy with stupid (and sometimes funny) lines, it is a comedy in it's writing and how the actors play out those lines. I think it takes a special actor to pull it off and everyone (except the princess and the giant) were able to pull out these lines in a realistic manner that was still funny. This I think is why so many people I know think this is one of the best comedies made in recent years. And it is due to the writers and the actors that made this happen.
The pacing Not perfect but pretty well done. The plot and story are fairly complicated for a simple movie. So they have to do some lengthy explaining about what each character is about and what happens to each character, especially Wesley. I can’t see any way around these pieces of dialog, but it does slow down the movie a bit much. This is the main reason I took points away from the film.
The character development This is also another part that fell through the cracks because of the style. The character personalities were pretty much set within a minute or two of them being introduced. We don’t get into their psych or personal history much. It is all superficial and shallow. But it’s a fairytale so I can forgive them for this.
Replay value Average. I’ll watch this every few years. It is not a movie my kids enjoy much so they’ve never requested it. I’m the one that puts it on when we watch it as a family.
Should children watch it? Sure. The only real offensive line in the movie is the Spaniard saying “you son of a _______”. And there is a little blood, just not much. Oh ya, there is torture but not the normal torture you would expect to give you nightmares at night.
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale (with a tad bit of comedy thrown in)
The key players Director: Rob Reiner Screenplay: William Goldman Music: Mark Knopfler
My line. This is a funny love story, not your normal chick flick or modern out-there comedy. It tells a story, tells it well, and offers a few surprises along the way. I personally like it because it is a movie I saw several time with my mother and other times with high/college friends. So needless to say it is a movie that entertains me and brings back good memories. Even without that bias, it is a very well done movie worth buying.
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