The Princess Bride (1987)

 The Princess Bride (1987)

“Inconceivable”

As someone who loves fantasy films, I always avoided The Princess Bride. Growing up, I felt more in line with the grandson. “Is there any kissing?” Gross, lol. That and the marketing is shameful. The trailer was so bad that the studio actually removed it from theaters. It confused so many people which maybe why the film was not a major box office success upon release. But me and like so many others, the film’s pure magic transcended over me and I became a firm believer how awesome Rob Reiner’s (Stand by Me) film is. I was surprised how often I laughed. Reiner approached the film as a satire, and it was very effective. Still, there are some fantasy film elements I loved such as the beautiful romance, the effective characters, and the amazingly-choreographed swordplay. William Goldman wrote the original novel and adapted his bestselling novel into the screenplay. In the process, he created memorable lines that will forever be remembered such as my review’s opening word said multiple times in exclamation by the diminutive Vizzini and Montoya’s line about his father.

After the success of the excellent Stand by Me, Reiner thought about his next film and decided to tackle this film. Much to his surprise, Goldman’s novel was attempted to be brought to the big screen and failed each time. Big names like Robert Redford and Norman Jewison were amongst those who tried to adapt the novel. Reiner did find success when Norman Lear offered to finance the feature. Once the money was secure, Reiner and Goldman worked closely together to bring a visionary story to the big screen. And they succeeded. Adding to the success is the film’s music. Reiner thought the only person who could bring justice to his film was Dire Strait’s Mark Knopfler. His legendary guitar work shines and created a mesmerizing score. His song, “Storybook Love” would also be nominated for an Oscar.

The casting is pitch perfect. Not many big names (at the time), but all were reliable actors who would always be remembered for their roles. Robin Wright actually became the Princess Bride about a week before filming began and when Reiner brought her over to Goldman’s house, he quoted “that is the angel I am looking for.” Andre the Giant is great casting as the big-hearted Fezzik. The wrestler has always received the side-eye because of his looks but loved being on set because everyone treated him like an actual human being. Cary Elwes is great as the dashing lead and showed some remarkable swordsmanship. Him and Mandy Patakin. Wallace Shawn, Chris Sarandon, and Christopher Guest all make memorable villains. Even Shawn’s pathetic character. Finally, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane are great…and unrecognizable under all that makeup. Crystal is really funny, and rumor has it that Reiner had to leave set sick because Crystal’s improvisation made him fall ill from laughing so hard. The performances from everyone are believable and honestly, perfect.

As for the story itself, there is a rich mixture of comedy and sizzling action scenes. The film begins with an elderly man (Peter Falk) reading a story that has been passed down from generations to his grandson (Fred Savage). The grandson is reluctant to hear the story (it has princess in the title) but listens because he does not want to hurt grandpa’s feelings. The story is about a former farm girl named Buttercup (Robin Wright) who is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). She does not love him as she still mourns the loss of her lover, Wesley (Cary Elwes) who was killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts. While on a personal journey to clear her mind, she is kidnapped by Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) and his two associates: the man of brawn Fezzik (Andre the Giant) and the swordsman Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patakin). In turn, they are being chased by Dread Pirate Roberts who is being chased by the Prince himself. From there, not everything is as it seems. People may seem to have different motivations and questions need to be answered. How will the princess escape her predicament? Will the grandson be moved by the story and think in terms of justice? Many surprises await!

The Princess Bride is the one film from the 1980’s that everyone loves. Despite my initial concerns (young age and horrible marketing), I became a true believer. Reiner’s film is not only a fantasy film, but one with intelligence, deft, and humor. Children will love the thrills, but adults will love the humor. A lot of excellent scenes are here but nothing beats “The Battle of the Wits” sequence. You shall see what I mean. I nearly forgot to mention Adrian Biddle’s excellent cinematography. If you are wondering why the Cliffs of Insanity look so familiar, that is because they are Ireland’s famous Cliffs of Moher. The location scenery is excellent! Just like the rest of the film. A warm-hearted, adventurous fantasy film for all ages!

My Grade: A-