SummaryA young boy listens to while his grandfather reads him the adventures of Buttercup (Wright), the most beautiful woman in the world, and Westly (Elwes), the man she loves, in the fairy-tale kingdom of Florin. [MGM]
SummaryA young boy listens to while his grandfather reads him the adventures of Buttercup (Wright), the most beautiful woman in the world, and Westly (Elwes), the man she loves, in the fairy-tale kingdom of Florin. [MGM]
As you watch this enchanting fantasy, feel free to be thrilled or to giggle, as you wish. This time, Happily Ever After lasts 98 minutes. [21 Sept 1987]
As a good fairy tale should, The Princess Bride teaches but never preaches. It's a lively, fun-loving, but nevertheless epic look at the nature of true love.
Charming, witty and beautiful, a short saga which wears fairy tale inspirations on one sleeve and fantasy inspirations on the other. And, if it had a third sleeve, there we'd see traces of swashbuckling, too. The Princess Bride hits all the right notes, from the gently-plucked musical score (provided by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits) to the familiar-yet-surprising twists and turns of the plot to the positively irreplaceable casting decisions. That last one really stuck with me on this viewing, the realization that every single part was filled by the perfect actor. Cary Elwes and Robin Wright as the smitten, star-crossed lovers; Mandy Patinkin in a vigorously youthful revenge role, complete with a spectacular catchphrase; Andre the Giant as the good-natured, softly-spoken mountain of a man; Wallace Shawn as a smooth-talking Sicilian who might be too smart for his own good; Billy Crystal and Carol Kane effortlessly lightening the mood; Christopher Guest as a cowardly enforcer; Peter Falk and Fred Savage as the story's connection to the modern world. Take away any one of those players and the film suffers. Rob Reiner, working from novelist William Goldman's screenplay, brings an inherently literary tale to life in ways that must have seemed impossible at the onset. Together, they deliver just the right mix of levity and romance, dramatic tension and comic timing. A few seams show here and there, particularly when scenes aren't shot on-location or monsters threaten the key players, but somehow that just adds to the bemusing magic of it all. Tough to think of a better love letter to the not-so-innocent myths of old, or a more timeless rendition of their common themes.
Though not as visually impressive as comparable Terry Gilliam fare such as Jabberwocky, the verbal wit is fast and abundant (abetted with cameos by Billy Crystal, Peter Cook and Mel Smith), and you'd better believe the midnight movie crowd will remember almost all of it.
Rob Reiner's not up to it: when the movie is meant to be romantic, the tone is frequently mushy and sexless, and when it's meant to be anachronistic and satiric, it's vaudeville-vulgar.
I liked the first half of the movie, I liked the scenes between the grandfather and grandson, I disliked the second half of the movie and how little sense it made. Is it entertaining? Yes and I very much enjoy the cast but I think it's one of those movies that weighs a bit on the overrated side.
This is in the top 5 worst movies I’ve ever seen. It was incredibly simple with so much corny humour. The plot seemed pointless and didn’t seem to go anywhere. There wasn’t a single character in the movie I was invested in. If I could have turned this movie off 20 minutes in I would’ve.
I watched this for my english stuff but this is terrible. the actors are terrible. the main girl character is a b****. WORST MOVIE IN HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! like, it's actually terrible. it's like a movie made by kids.