Innovative but not hilarious

Rating: 7/10 (12 January 2012)

I had been meaning to watch "The Princess Bride" in full for ages and finally got around to it. I enjoyed it but was slightly disappointed.
The movie opens with a sick young boy being visited by his grandfather, who offers to read him a story. The boy isn't very enthusiastic at first but he gradually realises that this fairy story is slightly different to those he has heard before.
The script (by Hollywood royalty William Goldman)is full of comic one-liners that are mostly aimed at adults, while the basic framework stays within the fairy tale genre with a beautiful princess, a handsome hero and a nasty villain determined to get his way.
While it is very watchable, I thought the film wasn't consistently funny enough for adults, though kids will probably be happy enough with the fight and chase scenes The performances are excellent, particularly Peter Falk as the grandfather, Robin Wright as Princess Buttercup and Carey Elwes as the hero. The supporting cast are also very good.