The Princess Bride

Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, Andre the Giant, Fred Savage, Billy Crystal, Peter Falk
Directed by:Rob Reiner
Rating:PG
Genre:Fantasy, Romance, Comedy
1987

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary:A grandfather (Peter Falk) tells a story to his grandson (Fred Savage). The story follows stableboy Westley (Cary Elwes) and his love, Buttercup (Robin Wright). Westley is reportedly kidnapped and killed by pirates, and years later, Buttercup becomes engaged to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Buttercup is kidnapped by a giant (Andre the Giant), a criminal, and a Spanish swordsman and only a mysterious masked pirate can save her.

Review:

Tim: The Princess Bride has the perfect blend of fantasy, action, and comedy. Out of these three, however, the comedy is by far the best. The film is serious, but takes the subject matter lightly, making you question if the film is a farce, or a serious fantasy tale. This duality makes the film enjoyable and keeps us, as viewers, on our toes. Watch for the duel scene at the top of the cliffs. This is one of the funniest scenes of all time (at least in any fantasy film I can possible think of). I laughed so hard here.

Cary Elwes perfectly embodies the hero of this saga. He is strong, heroic, but also absolutely hysterical. His character (and subsequently) his performance are in perfect tune with the themes and pace of the film and makes for an enjoyable viewing. He gets excellent support from a great story which is both entertaining and fun.

Near the end of the film is where I found the biggest problems. The whole princess-threatening-to-commit-suicide was a little dark for me, especially if the movie is rated PG and appeals to children. Maybe I am old fashioned, but I found this a little too intense for many children to watch.

I really enjoyed the act of framing the story by having Peter Falk telling it to his grandson, Fred Savage. It added an interesting element, continually reminding us that this is just a story told from an old man to a young one. It helped us suspend our disbelief for the duration of the film.

The final strong element of the film is the supporting cast. In addition to Elwes and Robin Wright, who are both excellent, director Rob Reiner assembles an amazing cast. Having Andre the Giant play the giant in the film was an inspired casting choice. Also, Billy Crystal is great in an unrecognizable small role. It took me a long time to figure out it was him and only his voice finally gave him away.

The Princess Bride features the best the fantasy genre has to offer and is an excellent film for children or adults. You will have fun with this movie.




Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Willow, A Knight's Tale