The Princess Bride is a 1987 film based on a 1973 book by William Goldman. The film opens to the bedroom of a young boy (Fred Savage), sick in bed. His mother comes in to tell him that his grandfather (Peter Falk) who is there to read him a story, The Princess Bride, that tells the story of Buttercup, a young farm girl who loses the love of her life, young Westley after he goes off to seek his fortune and gets killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts.
Years later she is engaged to be married to the prince of Florin, Prince Humperdink. However, shortly before her wedding, she is abducted by the villainous Vizzini and his henchmen, Inigo Montoya, a great Spanish swordsman and drunk, and Fezzik, a giant with a penchant for rhyme. Prince Humperdink sets off to reclaim his stolen bride, doggedly following the trail of Vizzini.
During the abduction, Vizzini and co find themselves pursued not only by Humperdink but also by a mysterious masked man in black. Soon Buttercup discovers that this masked man is none other than the Dread Pirate Roberts himself. During an argument between the two, Buttercup pushes him down a steep incline, only to realise that it is none other than her beloved Westley.
The pair, finally reunited, are still being pursued by Humperdink, so they decide to escape into the Fire Swamp, home to bursts of flame, Lightning Sand, and ROUSs (Rodents Of Unusual Size). Thus starts one of the greatest adventures and love stories of all time.
The Princess Bride is a truly stunning film that will delight all ages. From the high adventure to the fairytale love story between Buttercup and Westley, and the narration of Peter Falk and an excited Fred Savage interrupting the story to argue that it can’t happen that way, the film keeps you entertained from start to finish. From its chatty swordfights reminiscent of Errol Flynn films to its humour, this film will appeal to the whole family.
Now you might be concerned that as is usually the case, any movie adapted from a book is usually a disaster. However, William Goldberg not only wrote the book, but he also wrote the screenplay for the film, so it still stays true to his vision. The film itself was directed by Rob Reiner, the man behind films such as When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, This Is Spinal Tap and Stand By Me.
The film also has a stellar cast. This star-studded cast includes the talents of Cary Elwes (Robin Hood: Men In Tights), Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds), Wallace Shawn (Toy Story), André the Giant, Fred Savage (The Wonder Years), Robin Wright (Forrest Gump), Billy Crystal (When Harry Met Sally), and Peter Falk (Columbo). Every performance is perfect and memorable, especially Andre the Giant’s performance as Fezzik.
As a matter of fact, Andre was so proud of his performance that once he got hold of an advanced VHS copy of the film he regularly invited some of his wrestling colleagues to his house, gave them a meal and played the film, only to proudly ask them what they thought of the film and his performance.
The film has developed a devoted cult following over the years and was a cultural phenomenon that persists until today. The film lives on in the form of memes (such as the “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means” and “Inconceivable” memes) and even received a 30th Anniversary re-release in 2017. It also inspired the PG-13 cut of Deadpool 2. When Disney wanted to release a “family-friendly” version of the film Ryan Reynolds only agreed to do the edit on condition that he could “kidnap” Fred Savage and do the movie like The Princess Bride.
So if you’re looking for a great adventure movie that anyone can enjoy, look no further. The Princess Bride has it all. Mysterious men in black, sword fights, six-fingered men, adventure, pirates, giants, and true love.
– H
You can see a trailer for the film below.
Bonus: Here’s the trailer for Once Upon A Deadpool.
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