Best quote: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." - Inigo Montoya
Like all fantasy fairy-tale films, this has a princess to be rescued, mythical creatures, a hero, and even more importantly, a magician.
Director Rob Reiner masterfully take the book The Princess Bride and turned it into the beloved classic of the same name.
Set in the mythical kingdom of Florin (south of France, above and to the right of Italy, smack dab in the middle of Europe), our heroin, Buttercup (Robin Wright-Penn), is in love with the stable-hand Wesley (Carey Elwes). Too poor to marry Buttercup, he leaves, only to be rumoured dead, killed by the dreaded Dread Pirate Roberts.
Buttercup accepts the proposal to be married to Prince Humperdink. But She is kidnapped by a motley crew of roustabouts, lead by the brains, Vizzinni (Wallace Shawn), Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), out to avenge his father's death at the hands of the six-fingered man, and a giant, Fezzik (Andre (the giant) Rousimmoff, literally the only person in the world who could play the part).
Buttercup is rescued by a mysterious man in black, the Dread Pirate Roberts, who is really Wesley, her long lost love, back from the dead.
She gets kidnapped. He gets killed again. But it all ends up okay.
As fantasy films go, this one has all the things that make a good fantasy, but it is the unique cast of characters that make this such a fun romp in Florin.
Perhaps the biggest card of them all (no pun intended) was Andre Rousimmoff. Being his size, he fit the part perfectly. By all accounts, Andre loved working on the film. When asked why he loved the work so much, he stated, solemnly, "Nobody stares at me." How can you not feel something after hearing that? Andrea was larger than life, literally, and he made every screen count.
Billy Crystal is hysterical as the magician, Miracle Max. His slightly Yiddish banter with his "wife" adds splendid comic relief (not unlike his gravedigger in Hamlet (1996)). You can't even tell that it's Billy Crystal, which makes it even better.
The sets are well crafted and locations are put to great use; the Castle used was a real 11th century castle from England, and the countryside is actually British. Some of the sets (in particular the Fire Swamp) even looks like Degobah from The Empire Strikes Back.
The whole movie takes us away for 90 minutes more than most films can do in 2 hours. The fun, the romance, the chivalry, its all here. And we love it. She gets kidnapped. He gets killed. But it all ends up okay.
Is the movie worth your time to watch?
9/10 28-01-07
