“As you wish…,” “INCONCEIVABLE,” and “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” are just a few classic quotes from Robert Reiner’s 1987 adaption of The Princess Bride.
Despite having been released over 30 years ago, this movie remains to be a fan favorite. This makes quite a bit of sense considering the way the film can easily be enjoyed by people of all ages, children and adults alike.
Before we get into truly breaking down what makes this movie so great, I feel it’s beneficial to quickly explain some important plot points. The movie begins in the present day with a young boy taking a sick day from school. His grandfather comes to visit him and reads him The Princess Pride (despite his evident disinterest). The actual story follows Princess Buttercup, a former common-girl who was once in love with a farm boy Westley who was captured by a murderous pirate. 5 years after his supposed death, Buttercup finds herself in the favor of Prince Humperdinck, whom she does not love. Humperdinck, looking to start a war with the neighboring kingdom, stages a kidnapping of Princess Buttercup on the eve of their wedding.
These plans are foiled by a mysterious man in black who out-swords, out-strengths, and out-wits Buttercup’s captors. Misconstruing his intentions, Buttercup fights against the man in black only to realize he is her beloved Westley. The audience watches them struggle to remain reunited for the continuation of the movie as the Prince does everything in his power to follow through with his original plans for war.
Along the way, two of Buttercup’s original captors, expert swordsman Inigo Montoya and giant yet kind-hearted Fezzik prove themselves to be quite admirable and loyal characters who aid Westley in his struggle to be reunited with Buttercup for the second time.
While the plot makes this movie sound like a pretty stereotypical fantasy, it is so much more than that. One review I read before writing this described it pretty well: “The Princess Bride is a swashbuckling fantasy adventure. And a blazing love story. And a farcical comedy. And kind of a satire?”
In other words, this movie manages to be numerous amazing things all at once. It’s for this reason that it can be enjoyed by so many different people and age groups. The excitement and adventure are enough to keep the kids captivated, while the humor, satire, and deeper themes are more than enough to capture the attention of any adult.
For example, loyalty and friendship are huge in this movie. From the moment we meet Westley and Buttercup to the end of the movie, they never give up on finding each other again. Beyond this, the audience will watch Inigo and Fezzik form a truly beautiful friendship as Fezzik proves himself to be there for Inigo, even during his lowest moments. Moreover, the movie does not play off of general stereotypes as we see Buttercup’s strength and bravery throughout the movie despite whatever situation she may be in.
Overall, this movie is one of my favorites and one that I’d recommend everyone watches at least once (although I’m sure you’ll feel inclined to watch it many more times than that). After all, it’s a truly wholesome, feel-good movie that approaches fantasy in a manner that has yet to be replicated.
Eliana, for the first time, I must disagree. The princess bride is a terrible movie and I will stand by that. The plot is boring, the acting is terrible, and I feel like I wither away inside when watching it. Some may argue that is what makes the movie good, but I must disagree. Despite my disgust for this movie, I commend you for writing a solid blog about it.
I love the princess bride. An amazing movie which is especially great to watch while your sick. The book is actually my mom’s favorite while she was growing up. I remember growing up I always got really scared during the torture scene.
The princess bride is an amazing movie! Like you said, I think a major draw for the movie is that it can be enjoyed by all ages because it is so clean and wholesome. There were so many great directing choices made in this film (a few of which you pointed out), and now I really want to watch it again. Great blog!
I’m a big fan of the Princess Bride! I’ve watched it from a young age and continue to enjoy it and find new things to laugh about each time. Whether it’s a joke that used to go over my head or a little easter egg I find in the background. In my opinion, this is one of the most rewatchable movies, and I loved hearing your perspective and analysis of it!