The Princess Bride
4/4
Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Ben Savage, Peter Falk, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn
Rated PG (for Mild Action Violence and Brief Language, I guess)
"The Princess Bride" is an absolutely marvelous movie. It's an enchanting story that contains just about everything. Romance, adventure, revenge, action...you name it. But it's most notable for its humor. There's plenty of humor in this film (much of which is truly inspired), which is befitting for a movie that is as much a spoof as it is a genuine adventure. In a sense, it's like "Kick-Ass," which pokes fun at the genre while embracing it (only this movie is much more family friendly).
Buttercup (Penn) delights in tormenting her stableboy, a handsome man named Wesley (Elwes). Every time she makes a demand of him, he simply replies, "As you wish." Of course, it doesn't take long for Buttercup to realize that she loves Wesley, and the feeling is mutual. When Wesley goes off to make his fortune abroad, his ship is attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts, and he is killed. Five years later, Prince Humperdinck (Sarandon) selects her to be his bride, even though she doesn't love him. Of course, his motives aren't pure. He has her kidnapped in order to start a war. But then the mysterious Man in Black comes along...
The bulk of the story (it's a story within a story...an old man (Falk) reads it to his sick grandson (Savage)) takes place in a land where naming your kid Buttercup or Humperdinck makes total sense. Which is to say, it's impossible to take seriously. It's the perfect place for a satire, and that's really what this is. And yet, for all the silliness, I still came to care about the characters. It takes a truly skilled filmmaker like Rob Reiner (before his slump) to accomplish that.
The performances are strong across the board. Cary Elwes, a character actor who can perform in just about every genre ("Liar Liar," "Twister" and "Saw" are just a few titles on his extensive resume), is in top form as Wesley. The role demands a lot from the actor; at various times, he's required to be a heartthrob, a hero, a villain and a buffoon. Elwes doesn't miss a beat. Robin Wright is lovely as Buttercup; she and Elwes have great chemistry. Chris Sarandon mixes humor, ferocity and stupidity as the dastardly Prince Humperdinck. Wallace Shawn is hilarious as the lead kidnapper who claims that he is the smartest man alive. Mandy Patinkin is terrific as the vengeful Inigo Montoya (who says one of moviedom's most famous lines). Former pro-wrestler Andre the Giant is also very good as the simple-minded giant Fezzik.
There are so many great scenes in this movie that the best thing to do would be to just watch the movie. The film's quirky humor really lands too, and there's a lot of it. There's slapstick, bizarrely logical conversations and Elwes has a scene where he demonstrates great physical comedy. Also worth mentioning is the swordfight between Wesley and Inigo, which is the next best after "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." The actors trained for months, and it pays off tremendously.
It's so difficult to make a movie that is a genre movie while poking fun at itself. Hollywood is littered with failures. But in the hands of a strong screenplay and a talented storyteller, "The Princess Bride" becomes a modern classic.
Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Ben Savage, Peter Falk, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn
Rated PG (for Mild Action Violence and Brief Language, I guess)
"The Princess Bride" is an absolutely marvelous movie. It's an enchanting story that contains just about everything. Romance, adventure, revenge, action...you name it. But it's most notable for its humor. There's plenty of humor in this film (much of which is truly inspired), which is befitting for a movie that is as much a spoof as it is a genuine adventure. In a sense, it's like "Kick-Ass," which pokes fun at the genre while embracing it (only this movie is much more family friendly).
Buttercup (Penn) delights in tormenting her stableboy, a handsome man named Wesley (Elwes). Every time she makes a demand of him, he simply replies, "As you wish." Of course, it doesn't take long for Buttercup to realize that she loves Wesley, and the feeling is mutual. When Wesley goes off to make his fortune abroad, his ship is attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts, and he is killed. Five years later, Prince Humperdinck (Sarandon) selects her to be his bride, even though she doesn't love him. Of course, his motives aren't pure. He has her kidnapped in order to start a war. But then the mysterious Man in Black comes along...
The bulk of the story (it's a story within a story...an old man (Falk) reads it to his sick grandson (Savage)) takes place in a land where naming your kid Buttercup or Humperdinck makes total sense. Which is to say, it's impossible to take seriously. It's the perfect place for a satire, and that's really what this is. And yet, for all the silliness, I still came to care about the characters. It takes a truly skilled filmmaker like Rob Reiner (before his slump) to accomplish that.
The performances are strong across the board. Cary Elwes, a character actor who can perform in just about every genre ("Liar Liar," "Twister" and "Saw" are just a few titles on his extensive resume), is in top form as Wesley. The role demands a lot from the actor; at various times, he's required to be a heartthrob, a hero, a villain and a buffoon. Elwes doesn't miss a beat. Robin Wright is lovely as Buttercup; she and Elwes have great chemistry. Chris Sarandon mixes humor, ferocity and stupidity as the dastardly Prince Humperdinck. Wallace Shawn is hilarious as the lead kidnapper who claims that he is the smartest man alive. Mandy Patinkin is terrific as the vengeful Inigo Montoya (who says one of moviedom's most famous lines). Former pro-wrestler Andre the Giant is also very good as the simple-minded giant Fezzik.
There are so many great scenes in this movie that the best thing to do would be to just watch the movie. The film's quirky humor really lands too, and there's a lot of it. There's slapstick, bizarrely logical conversations and Elwes has a scene where he demonstrates great physical comedy. Also worth mentioning is the swordfight between Wesley and Inigo, which is the next best after "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." The actors trained for months, and it pays off tremendously.
It's so difficult to make a movie that is a genre movie while poking fun at itself. Hollywood is littered with failures. But in the hands of a strong screenplay and a talented storyteller, "The Princess Bride" becomes a modern classic.
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