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]
Directed By:Rob Reiner
Written By:William Goldman
The Princess Bride
Metascore
Generally Favorable
78
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.3
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
78
80% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
20% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
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]
90
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.
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.3
85% Positive
271 Ratings
271 Ratings
13% Mixed
41 Ratings
41 Ratings
2% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
Sep 21, 2024
10
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.
90
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.
80
Not even the crude ethnic humor--Billy Crystal's Mel Brooks-ish Miracle Max--pricks the dream bubble, and the spirited cast has a field day.
75
Reiner's penchant for hip little riffs -- Billy Crystal as a yiddish wizard, etc. -- dilutes primal power in favor of genial fun.
50
The movie is ungainly – you can almost see the chalk marks it's not hitting. But it has a loose, likable shabbiness. [19 Oct 1987, p.110]
50
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.
Oct 27, 2023
10
Perfection. Perfect characters, perfect story, and perfectly quotable dialogue. Charming, funny, and heartfelt.
Nov 24, 2020
6
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.
Jun 25, 2023
0
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.
Jun 27, 2011
0
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.
Production Company:
- Act III Communications
- The Princess Bride Ltd.
- Buttercup Films Ltd.
Release Date:Sep 25, 1987
Duration:1 h 38 m
Rating:PG
Tagline:The story of a man and a woman who lived happily ever after. Even though the courtship almost killed them.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 2 Wins & 4 Nominations
American Comedy Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
