My favorite fantasy

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2006)

Let me say that "The Princess Bride" is probably the best fairy tale presented on screen since John Boorman's "Excalibur" (1981). Of course there's been plenty of other's I've left out, but this all just squarely my opinion. William Goldman seemed to really have a ball writing the book the film is based off, as well as the screenplay. Rob Reiner directs, much in the same league as "Stand By Me" the previous year, with some pretty hard laughs. But what gets me loving this picture so much is the portrayal of true love. Let me explain: I've never had a girlfriend, which allows me to relate to the main character and his experiences in a number of ways: Westley (Cary Elwes) is the "farm boy" for the lovely Buttercup (Robin Wright), who takes nearly every opportunity to insult him and realizes one day, out of the blue, she loves him. But Westley journeys across the ocean to collect a fortune and is attacked by pirates and presumed killed in the fray. Buttercup sinks to the lowest level of grief, and finds companionship with arrogant Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), who forces her into an unwilling marriage. But a mysterious figure known only as the Dread Pirate Roberts (could it be Westley in disguise?) appears on the scene and along with two others including the vengeance-driven Spanish fencer Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) and the towering Fezzik (the late Andre the Giant), they seek to rescue Buttercup. "The Princess Bride" is pure fun from start to finish, and the cast (what a cast - many of whom are American - faking their best European accents) seems to be having a ball. But love is what is at the center, and that's what I find the most impressive. Every classic fairy tale has such qualities and "The Princess Bride" satirizes each trait and then some more. A classic, lovely story, "The Princess Bride."
10/10