From celebrated director Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally) and OscarÂ(r)-winning* screenwriter William Goldman (Chaplin) comes “an enchanting fantasy” (Time) filled with adventure, romance and plenty of “good-hearted fun” (Roger Ebert)! Featuring a spectacular cast thatincludes Robin Wright (Forrest Gump), Cary Elwes (Liar, Liar), Mandy Patinkin (Dick Tracy) and Billy Crystal (City Slickers), this wonderful fairy tale about a Princess named Buttercup and her beloved is “a real dream of a movie” (People)! *1969: OriginalScreenplay, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1976: Adapted Screenplay, All the President’s MenScreenwriter William Goldman’s novel The Princess Bride earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book’s joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his skeptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story.
And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity…
The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman’s very funny script, Reiner’s confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. –Sam Sutherland Screenwriter William Goldman’s novel The Princess Bride earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book’s joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his skeptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story. And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity… The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman’s very funny script, Reiner’s confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. –Sam Sutherland
Beyond The Princess Bride on DVD
 Watch Once on DVD |
 Check out an old favorite, Willow on DVD |
 See the new classic Under the Same Moon on DVD |
Stills from The Princess Bride (Click for larger image)
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Buy “The Princess Bride “ For Only $7.22
January 27, 2006
#1
I’ve had to sit/sleep/complain my way through this thing two times more than I should have. (I’ve seen this movie, oddly enough, twice) I can’t comprehend why so many people find this sort of low-brow humor amusing. (I guess the same geniouses who went to see Dumb and Dumber) I really hated that short little snot whose only claim to fame was being on Murphey Brown. (whoop) The quality of direction sort of reminds me of something I could have done with a home video camera, a bath tub, and a couple of toy boats. (I mean, come on! How many of you REALLY believed that was a full-sized ship they showed during the water scenes? Raise your hands please :::::silence::::: I thought not.)
January 27, 2006
#2
For years now I have wondered why people think this movie is so wonderful. It is not funny and the whole movie is just stupid. It is time the truth came out. This movie is pathetic as are the performances by the actors.
January 27, 2006
#3
Gosh–I know this is a classic for people of a certain generation, but still–it is, on the whole–awful, and it is NOT for children.
The love story at the end does not redeem the nauseating scenes of drawn-out torture of the hero.
The giant’s speech is utterly incoherent.
Billy Crystal and Carol Kane perform the most unfunny Jewish old folks stereotypes in decades.
Sorry–but I just don’t get why this is so cherished by some. It is cringeworthy on many levels, you’ll just be waiting an eternity for some scenes to be OVER, already.
And the lack of extras on the DVD doesn’t justify the DVD price.
Caution–if you believe this is a kids’ movie…it really isn’t.
January 27, 2006
#4
The Princess Bride is twenty years old, and after twenty years it’s difficult to see why anyone likes this movie. It is not realistic and most of the things that happen in the story are lies.
The Princess Bride is about two guys who are in a book and they’re fighting over a princess named Buttercup. But the problem is that one of them is a pirate and the other one is a giant! I know it’s supposed to be fictional…but come on! Even my suspension of disbelief is not that good, and I work with children!
At one point they all go in a swamp and that is pretty terrific because they have to deal with large rats, who are clearly added in digitally, but still are very thrilling. However, the rest of this movie is silly and doesn’t take any issues too seriously, but instead is too fantastical for anybody’s business.
This movie would be a lot better if it had Sean Penn in it, working with his wife, and maybe if he were solving crimes instead of swordfighting or some such nonsense. Basically, I don’t believe that Sean Penn would be swordfighting, do you?
Mandy Patinkin and Christopher Guest and Billy Crystal are wonderfully delightful in this film, that is otherwise a shamble from start to finish, and my guess is that whoever wrote the movie will probably never get offered another job before or after this movie.
If this bedtime story were read to me, I would want to wake up and find out that it was all a dream and instead that somebody was going to read me the script of “P.S. I Love You”
January 27, 2006
#5
One of the worst films I have ever seen.