The Princess Bride (1987)

This was probably the 100th time that I have seen The Princess Bride, and the next time that it is on TV will probably make it 101. This story about a farm boy's quest to save his true love from marrying the evil Prince Humpredinck is so good that the word 'cliche' never enters my mind. As a little boy, I adored this movie and wanted nothing more than to grow up to be be the Dread Pirate Roberts. My wife tells me that little girls love this movie because it revolves around a princess and her search for true love, something that never ruined the movie for me as a child. As an adult, I still love The Princess Bride, and for more than just nostalgia sake. As a youth, a lot of the humor was over my head, but now, I found myself cracking up throughout. Cary Elwes and Robin Wright, who are the leads, play their roles ridiculously perfect. The subtle facial expressions and inflections of their voices adds a new dimension to the film that I certainly did not appreciate as a youth. Vizzini, Fezik and the guy who keeps saying 'inconceivable' are the funniest group of nitwit bandits that I still compare every crime comedy too. Still, the best moments are when the movie cuts away to the grandfather reading to the boy. Fred Savage, and in particular Peter Faulk, are gold. Their comic relief breaks up the ridiculousness of The Princess Bride so well that the viewer does not even notice it. I could not think of a better director for this movie than Rob Reiner, and he does not fail to deliver. I actually read this book by William Goldman when I was about 15, and I really enjoyed it. If you are the type of person who enjoys reading fantasy, or especially, if you have a child that does, I highly recommend the book. This is the best movie of a genre of films that exploded in the mid-80s, including classics like The Labyrinth and The Never Ending Story, and that is not shallow praise. As I mentioned, my wife loves this movie; it is great for little boys, little girls and for adults. I should probably just buy the DVD so I can watch it whenever I want, but nothing breaks up a lazy Sunday like 'as you wish'. I give The Princess Bride 3 and a half stars.