The Princess Bride

Based on the book by William Goldman, The Princess Bride details the exploits of several larger-then-life characters within mystical, magical fantasy landscape – including a swordfighter bent on revenge (Mandy Patinkin’s Inigo Montoya), a dashing farmboy turned pirate (Cary Elwes’ Westley), and the beautiful title character (Robin Wright). Filmmaker Rob Reiner has infused The Princess Bride with a lighthearted and easygoing feel that ideally complements Goldman’s old-fashioned screenplay, with the decidedly small-time nature of the movie’s narrative ultimately not as problematic as one might’ve expected – as the movie boasts an affable assortment of characters that perpetuate its consistently watchable atmosphere. And although Reiner elicits fantastically entertaining performances from the entire cast, The Princess Bride‘s most potent weapon is Patinkin’s justifiably-iconic turn as the vengeful Inigo Montoya – which ensures that the film’s momentum takes a palpable hit once the character vacates the proceedings during the less-than-enthralling midsection. The movie picks up quite effectively in its final stretch, however, and it’s ultimately not difficult to see why The Princess Bride has become something of a classic in the years since its 1987 release.

*** out of ****