Princess Bride

Screenplay By: William Goldman

Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy/Romance

Released: September 1987

Rating: PG

Runtime: 98 minutes

A timeless tale of true love and vengeance, The Princess Bride is a classic film and a hilarious fairy tale satire. Adapted from the pages of the novel by the author himself, the movie captures the book's story in flattering light and transfers beautifully to the screen.

The Princess Bride Plot

Sick home from school, a young boy forced to put down his video game controller when his grandfather comes to visit to read him the story of The Princess Bride. Young lovers, Buttercup, a simple peasant girl and Wesley, a poor farm hand, separate so that Wesley may earn his fortune then return to marry his true love. Disaster strikes; however, when Buttercup receives word that her beloved Wesley has met his demise by the hand of the Dread Pirate Roberts. Five years later, she is set to wed the treacherous Prince Humperdink then kidnapped by a trio of misfits for the purpose of starting a war against a rival kingdom. Only a mysterious masked man in black can save her from a terrible fate and prove that nothing can stop true love, not even death.

Characters & Setting

With a full dance card of lovable characters, The Princess Bride waltzes onto the screen, partnered with a smart sense of humor. The good guys are quick-witted with tongues in their cheeks, making light of the worst situations, while the bad guys are dastardly arrogant and snide. Every character a fairy tale is expected to have is represented in a unique way - the princess bride is neither a princess, nor a bride and the fairy godmother is a haggish miracle worker named Max who lives with his equally haggish wife. A charming giant prone to rhyming, a master swordsman with a lust for vengeance and, of course, the dashing hero in a mask all help make the characters in the Princess Bride unforgettable.

Although grounded in modern reality, most of this movie takes place in the imagined fantasy world of Buttercup and Wesley. From the plunging Cliffs of Insanity to the rodent-infested Fire Swamp and the Pit of Despair, the satirically named locations visited by the characters deliver all the danger and desperation one can ask for.

Cinematography & Sound

At times it is very obvious that the actors are on a sound stage, but this is forgivable because they are in an imagined fantasy world in which anything is acceptable. For the most part, the blue skies and hillsides are natural and the less desirable locations are dark and foreboding. More often than not, though, the characters are in warm environments with plenty of light and it's easy to see the action.

This movie is full of "mickey-mousing", a technique in which the music and the movement of the actors are in sync, and it adds another stroke of character to an all ready beautiful and authentic score. The effects are on the mark; important considering the amount of swordplay in the movie, and neither the music nor the effects overpower the words of the performers.

Performance

There are so many wonderful actors in Princess Bride it's hard to choose a favorite. The handsome Cary Elwes and the naturally stunning Robin Wright couple well and there is nothing more delightful than Wallace Shawn, Mandy Patinkin and Andre the Giant as the misfit trio. Billy Crystal as Miracle Max paired with Carol Kane as his wife are hilarious together and Christopher Guest plays a wonderful right hand man to the villainous Prince Humperdink, portrayed by Chris Sarandon.

Final Thoughts

The Princess Bride is a great family movie that will continue to entertain folks for generations to come and if you enjoyed it as a kid, you'll love it even more as an adult. A warning, though, to parents who wish to mimic the film and read this story to their kids: the movie ends a bit differently than the novel, so if you want the happy ending, pop some popcorn and stick with the DVD.