The Princess Bride

A romance, a comedy, an adventure & a fantasy, The Princess Bride is an amalgamation of all of these and is a fairy tale that has been passed from fathers to sons for generations and here is presented in the form of a novel that is being read by a grandfather to his grandson, thus making sure that the book's narrative style & structure is kept entirely preserved.

The Princess Bride tells the story of Buttercup who falls in love with a farm guy but loses him and is at last engaged to the Prince of the region. One day, she is kidnapped & held against her will by three hired helpers; a Sicilian boss, a Spanish swordsman & a giant. But they soon find themselves being pursued by a mysterious masked man who's gaining on their trail.

Rob Reiner has directed some well-known classics (A Few Good Men, Stand by Me & When Harry Met Sally...) but most people are still not familiar with his name because unlike other filmmakers, he has no unique style of shooting a film or possesses a trademark. And this is another one of his films that's pretty different in style & approach when compared to his other works. And Reiner does a good job at it.

The screenplay is adapted from the book of the same name in a manner that preserves its narrative style, camera-work & editing nicely compliment each other, visuals effects never aims for a realistic portrayal of the world depicted in the story plus it benefits very much from its sweet, tender & pleasant performances from its cast, including Andre the Giant.

On an overall scale, there isn't much wrong with The Princess Bride & carries out most of its elements the way it's meant to be. More entertaining than what I was expecting from it, definitely showing a lot of heart, warmth & charm and yet it didn't click enough with me for I'm not really a fan of fairy tales. But for those who've read the book or heard the story or even many newcomers, this will be a delightful experience.

This film is an intelligent, sardonic send up of several genres that pokes fun (affectionately) at fairy tales, swashbucklers, love stories and basic conventions of film. One of my favorite scenes is where Inigo Montoya first confronts his quarry after years of searching. His adversary does the unexpected-and what most villains in real life WOULD do under the same circumstances, with hilarious results in the scene. Basil Rathbone probably whirled in his grave!

Not by any means Citizen Kane (we already have one of those, anyway) but a champ in its weight class, with a perfect score, a fine script and good performances. Far more true to the flavor of the original fairy tales that it spoofs than even the best of Disney's takes. I loved it the first time I saw it and love it more now. Well worth watching. Recommended.

This is one of those rare films that gets better each time you watch it. With something for everyone, The Princess Bride combines romance, action, adventure and parody to create the perfect movie.

Cary Elwes and Robin Wright are beautiful to watch and the story of their love is a wonderful backdrop to the adventure and intrigue played out in this story. Mandy Patinkin is wonderful as Inigo and gets to deliver some of the best lines in the film. Chris Sarandon is perfect in his role as the bad guy prince.

The plot is rich, with adult innuendos the kids will miss all together and levels of wit to entertain the whole family. The dialogue is full of very funny catch phrases- many of which are still part of my repertoire more than a decade after I first saw the movie. If you like dry humor and fast wit, The Princess Bride will make your day.

I have owned this video since 1988 and still watch it regularly - it has become my 'sick day' movie because it is such a joy.

There's enough reviews here to show how enjoyable and entertaining this movie is, but I had to put my own word in...

I simply love this movie. I watched it with my parents when I was very young, and have been watching it constantly ever since. It's a movie that I just can't seem to grow tired of. For one, I absolutely love the medieval fantasy genre, both in books and movies. From a small child I've loved knights, castles, dragons. the whole sort. This movie, quite simply, puts the viewer into an imaginative world where everything seems real. Second, the characters are so enjoyable to watch, you really begin to feel for them - all of them. Even humperdink, whose name does him justice, gets pity at the end. Lastly, the grandfather's list of the qualities of the book at the very beginning are all true... this story has everything. That is why it is such a classic, when everything comes down to it. From the moving love story between Wesly and Buttercup, to the dynamic and brilliantly scripted duel between the Man in Black and Indigo, to even the hilarious bickering from Vezinni to his lovable giant, Fezzik... This movie finds a place to include EVERYTHING one can imagine. The story moves along at a great pace, and you feel as though the whole land has been covered when the book is closed. Furthermore, the whole conception of using the "telling a story" approach doesn't taken away from the realism of the story, but raises it even more by showing how mesmerized the boy is, listening to the tale - just as we are, in front of the screen.

Maybe it was how I was captivated to the screen, watching it as a child... Maybe it was how I'd pop the movie in and turn a boring Sunday afternoon an exciting adventure as I grew up... Or maybe it's how I can sit down with friends and all enjoy the movie together, laughing at its funny parts, and cheering at it's exciting moments. The movie has a place in my heart, and that will never go away. A "10" on the scale, and even these words, can't begin to tell how much I love this movie.

A boy (Fred Savage) is home sick, and to his dismay, his grandfather (Peter Falk) has come to read him a fairy tale. It's the story of the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright) who falls for farmboy "As you wish" Westley (Cary Elwes). He goes off to make his fortune, but after news of his death, Buttercup is being married off to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). Then the princess bride gets kidnapped by three rogues (Wallace Shawn, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant).

This is possibly the best fairy tale reimagining ever. Peter Falk's feign indifference narration sets off the great adventure, and Fred Savage has just the best balance. Director Rob Reiner has put together all the fairy tale snippets and create something even better. The characters are memorable. And who could forget the fun that Wallace Shawn has choosing the poison drink. Mandy Patinkin is absolutely amazing as the swordsman seeking revenge from the six finger man. And there will never be another André the Giant.