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The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Best Movie Ever
Review: The day I saw the Princess Bride is the day that my life changed forever. Never again shall a movie capture my imagination with such outrageous possibilities straight out of a fairy tale. This movie captures the essence of the book and fires the imagination. Kudos to Rob Reiner and the cast! Definitely the best movie ever made and it will always be my favorite!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Come-from-behind victory
Review: At first when I sat down to watch this movie I thought it was goingh to be very stupid. And in a way, it was. But it was a good kind of stupid. It was an "Animal House" stupid and not a reeeeeeeeeally boring stupid, like, say "Charlotte's Web" Very funny movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Muah (that was a kissing sound)
Review: Superb. Whatever good you hear of this film is true. It is timeless, hilarious, action packed, suspenseful, well characterised. It is not a fantasy film so much as THE fantasy film. One of the best things about it is the way it plays with romantic and fairy tale cliches, like the concept of 'happily ever after'.
Now, I KNOW everyone loves Fezzik. But my vote is in for Inigo. I love Inigo. Don't get me started on him. Him, or Westley's chest muscles. I mean... ahem.
There is incredible chemistry between the characters, which means that all the minor faults (like the springy floor showing in the fight seen between Inigo and the man in black) fade into insignificance before your delight at the plot and characters.
I must admit that Cary Elwes is not great as a romantic, but in the ironic, wronged hero role, he is superlative. Mandy Pantinkin is a lovely Inigo, Robin Wright a warm (although not as silly as in the book) Buttercup, and Andre the Giant, although occasionally incomprehensible, is delightfully slow as Fezzik. Billy Crystal is also hilarious as Max the Miracle Man, who is VERY Jewish, and the villains are terribly convincing. There are some stunning lines too.
"If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything" (Count Rugen)
"My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die" (Inigo Montoya)
"Your ears you keep and I'll tell you why" (Westley)
"Rest well and dream of large women" (Westley)
"I DIED THAT DAY" (Buttercup)
and of course
"As you wish" (Westley)
Overall, really REALLY good. See it. I swear it's wonderful.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: at last, a dvd worthy of this great film
Review: Buttercup and Westley have something very rare -- true love. Then, as befitting a good adventure, Westley goes off to make his fortune and is kidnapped by pirates while Buttercup is coerced into marrying the nasty Prince Humperdinck. Will they find each other again?

Peter Falk is a grandfather reading this story to his grandson (Fred Savage), at home sick in bed, and the narrative is occasionally interrupted by the grandson's incredulity or despair over turns of event. As the tale is told, the youngster learns to appreciate the magic of reading, and director Reiner has captured this lovely and essential aspect of the novel.

He has also assembled a superb and flawless cast. Everyone is fantastic (though the ubiquitous lisps and accents can be distracting) and Goldman's script is delightful. From leads Cary Elwes and Robin Wright, to secondary parts by Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn and Christopher Guest, and appearances by Billy Crystal and Carol Kane, each part is performed superbly. Special effects are not brilliant but neither do they detract from a story in which the emphasis is on telling a magical tale. Mark Knopfler's score is quite beautiful and suits the mood of the film very well.

Author William Goldman waited over ten years to have this film made, but the wait was worthwhile; likewise, many fans of The Princess Bride, disappointed with the previous bare-bones dvd, will find the wait for this terrific special edition worthwhile. This edition includes foreign and domestic theatre trailers as well as three television spots; 88 photos, categorized as True Love, Buttercup, Westley, Behind-the-Scenes, SFX, etc.; an 8-minute 1987 featurette about the film; a 7-minute 1987 "making of" featurette; a 4-minute Cary Elwes video diary, featuring footage shot by the actor on the set; two new commentary tracks, one by director Rob Reiner and one by author/screenwriter William Goldman; and a new 27-minute documentary, As You Wish, featuring the cast, crew and author. All of these extras are worthwhile and will add to your enjoyment of the film. We hear about casting decisions, locations, Elwes' and Patinkin's devotion to learning fencing, that the costumer had previously worked on Lawrence of Arabia and the production designer had done Brazil, and many other interesting details. The film can be heard in English or Spanish, and subtitles are available in English, French or Spanish.

Caveat: Though this is a fairy tale of sorts, the material is sometimes too intense for young children. There is a torture scene, a violent duel ending in death, shrieking eels and Rats of Unusual Size. Share this special film with your kids after middle school has toughened them up a bit.

This is the dvd edition fans have been waiting for. Highest recommendation.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply one of the best
Review: I've loved this movie since I was young and it only gets better with age. The characters are incredible, the writing is brisk and witty, and the jokes never get tired. Billy Crystal steals the show, which is impressive given how amazing all the other actors are. This movie is great for families, teens, young adults, and anyone who has ever heard a fairy tale. If you haven't seen it, go watch it. You won't be disappointed!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A fantastic movie!
Review: Rob Reiner's irreverant romantic comedy is one of the all-time great movies. Taken from William Goldman's novel, THE PRINCESS BRIDE is considered by many to be one of the greatest films of all time, and it's hard to argue, with such a fantastic cast, brilliant performances from Christopher Guest, Wallace(Inconcievable!) Shawn and Andre the Giant. Add a string of halarious set-pieces that are as clever as they are outrageous, and you have one of the best comedies of all time. A true classic. DVD extras are good, with a Commentary by director Rob Reiner and author William Goldman, brand-new "As You Wish" documentary featuring all-new interviews with Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin and more. Also included is exclusive footage shot by Cary Elwes during the making of the movie and 2 original featurettes. A must-have for anyone's DVD collection.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Classic
Review: Great movie, i have watched it with my family ever since i can remember and it only gets better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The only movie I'll ever give 5 stars
Review: This is the perfect movie. Every scene is absolutely brilliant. WTG Rob.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You killed my father, prepare to die
Review: "The Princess Bride" is one of the most original takes on the swashbuckler genre ever commited to film. The story of Westley the farm boy (Cary Elwes) and his love Buttercup (Robin Wright) is everything which a fairytale should be - in addition, the subversiveness of such characters as the giant Fezzik (wrestler Andre the Giant), Spanish duelist Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin, stealing every scene he appears in) and the Sicilian criminal Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) poke just enough fun at the genre to make their point.

The framing story features a young boy being read to by his grandfather (Peter Falk). The grandfather promises a story with almost everything, and very quickly his book delivers.

Elwes is a farm boy on Wright's farm in the country of Florin. He departs to seek his fortune and has his ship attacked by The Dread Pirate Roberts (who never leaves prisoners), Wright meanwhile becomes betrothed to the Prince of Florin.
When Wright is captured by a rag-tag band of criminals (Shawn, Patinkin and Andre the Giant) in an attempt to spark a war between Florin and neighbouring Gilder (how "the country across the sea" can have a "frontier" with Florin is never explained, but nevertheless), the fun begins.

A mysterious stranger appears and shimmies up a rope using only his arms before engaging Montoya in the first of the memorable swordfights in the film. The dialogue between the two men during this scene is superb, right down to the "I know something you don't know" section. He then bests Fezzik in a test of strength before outwitting Vizzini and rescuing Buttercup.
At this point, the obvious conclusion as to the identity of the stranger is revealed - Westley has returned. The two lovers then make their way through the Fire Swamp - Buttercup: "We'll never make it through". Westley: "Nonsense, you're only saying that because no one ever has".
Sadly, the Prince of Florin sends Westley to the dungeon once he finds the pair and makes his plans to marry Buttercup.
In typical adventure style, the good guys end up winning - even to the point of Montoya avenging his father.

Every moment of this film threatens to break out into a fully-fledged Mel Brooks parody (something with which Elwes became familiar in "Men In Tights") but it never does. Director Rob Reiner is content to have the sparkling dialogue ("It's nice...I didn't say I'd want to build a summer home here, but it's not as bad as they say") generate the humour for most of the film.

Considerable plaudits must also go to the supporting cast. Peter Cook's Clergyman (credited as "The Impressive Clergyman" at the end of the film) is a wonderful creation from one of the most gifted comics of our time. His line "so tweasure your wuv" is guaranteed to have anyone in stitches. British comic Mel Smith also makes an appearance as "The Albino", the torturer's assistant to Christopher Guest's Count Rugen.
It is, however, Miracle Max and his wife who make the finest double act of the film. Billy Crystal plays Max as only he can, a sort of medieval faith-healer-cum-miracle-worker with extra quirks. Carol Kane as his wife is under-utilised overall, but her appearance screaming "Liar! Liar!" is one of the highlights of the film.

For a professsional wrestler with very limited acting ability and English skills, Andre the Giant acquits himself very well. An early rhymed dialogue between Fezzik and Inigo Montoya is a good example of this, as is his later work supporting Elwes in the corridors of the castle.

There are many strong moments in this film, with the best of them being:
Fezzik's appearance as "The Dread Pirate Roberts"
Miracle Max's patter as he examines Westley
Westley's bluff of the Prince in the closing moment of the film
Vizzini's "logic" as he tries to outwit Westley
Fezzik's comment on being told about the Albino "jog his memory" (and knocking him out), "Sorry Inigo, I didn't mean to jog him that much"
Inigo's marvellous fencing against Count Rugen

This is truly a film for everyone. On a purely fairytale level, it satisfies, however as a send-up of the conventions of that genre, it more than delivers. There is, quite frankly, no reason why a fan of adventures or comedies should not own this film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I'm in Wuv...Twue Wuv...
Review: I was first subjected to this movie in Junior High (I'm showing my age now...), and didn't really appreciate it until college when it was (and still is among my friends and I) one of the most quoted movies of all time. The story is great, with princesses, knights in shining armor, a prince who's ego is obviously making up for lacking something in life...revenge, pirates, laughs, the whole nine yards. Truly one of the greatest stories around.

Oh, and who knew that the gangly guy who was out to revenge his father's death would spawn one of the best lines in movie history? Hallo...my name is Inigo Montoya...you killed my father...prepare to die...

May the Princess Bride live on for generations to come!


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