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Princess Bride - A Classic or just Intimidating?

acapes

Sage
I know this is old, but I thought it'd be a funny link to kick off a bit of a chat about The Princess Bride:

‘Inigo Montoya’ shirt upsets travelers, leads to awkward flight | The Sideshow - Yahoo News

Love the film and as a kid I knew every bit of dialogue, which I doubt I do now. Also the film that made me realise how damn cool both Mandy and Cary are, though I must say, Buttercup bugged me a bit as a character.

Thoughts?

princess_bride.jpg
 

TWErvin2

Auror
For me, the movie is better than the book, which is not a common thing.

Good acting and pacing. Good foreshadowing and neat characters brought to life by the actors portraying them. And some sharp lines. It's a movie that I don't mind watching again every now and then. Plus, some people say I sort of look like Vizzini. ;)
 

acapes

Sage
For me, the movie is better than the book, which is not a common thing.

Good acting and pacing. Good foreshadowing and neat characters brought to life by the actors portraying them. And some sharp lines. It's a movie that I don't mind watching again every now and then. Plus, some people say I sort of look like Vizzini. ;)

Me too - I did enjoy the novel but the film also, for me, has the advantage of being a fav from childhood - and one I then enjoyed as an adult.

Agreed! Great pacing and the dialogue I love - the interplay between Inigo and Fezzik I love too.

And I checked your blog and I do see a slight resemblance to Wallace Shawn :)
 
I loved the movie! I must confess buttercup did bother me as well. she seems kind of stupid in a way. Wesley on the other hand, He was smart and awesome. And hot if I may say so. he was awesome. however I must say that my favorite character is inigo. He was just so cool. and his backstory was sad. just awesome. the movie was a great source of entertainment. It had, as TWErvin2 said, Good action and pacing as well and good foreshadowing and neat characters brought to life by the awesome actors portraying them. :) My favorite part of the movie is the part when Wesley and Vizzini have the clever face-off. When Vizzini dies laughing. Priceless. I laughed for a good 5 minutes after that.
 

Addison

Auror
I have read the book and seen the movie and, for the first time in a long time, the movie won. It was a close call though. There were some details the movie left out that would have given some more depth to the characters and intensity to the plot.

My top three favorite scenes:
1. Sword fight between Wesley and Inigo
2. Brawl between Wesley and Hesek....I don't think I spelled the big guy's name right.
3. Wesley and Buttercup reunite in the castle, plus his banter with Humperdink
 

SeverinR

Vala
It is classic, same as rocky horror picture.
It carved its nich out of the existing genre.
A humerous fantasy.
How many of this sub-genre can you name?
Even Monty Python can't claim the same sub genre.
Monty Python excelled at humerous fiction, but they didn't try to make a serious side to their
fantasy. I love Monty Python's fantasy's but they are a top a mountain of a different sub-genre.
 

Trick

Auror
A humerous fantasy.
How many of this sub-genre can you name?

I can honestly only think of one other: Stardust; and I haven't read the book.

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for my whole life and I actually just watched it at an outdoor movie night put on by some family friends. It was great, as usual
 

Ophiucha

Auror
All of you who hate Buttercup need to love yourselves more. :/ /kidding, but not really.

I also preferred the movie to the novel, although I actually read it before I saw it. I tend to prefer comedies on stage or screen, though, to the page. Shakespearean comedies, Going Postal, etc.. I just rarely laugh out loud over a book, so it doesn't work as well for me. But the movie is great - excellent cast, 80s fantasy feel, can't go wrong with that.
 

acapes

Sage
It is classic, same as rocky horror picture.
It carved its nich out of the existing genre.
A humerous fantasy.
How many of this sub-genre can you name?
Even Monty Python can't claim the same sub genre.
Monty Python excelled at humerous fiction, but they didn't try to make a serious side to their
fantasy. I love Monty Python's fantasy's but they are a top a mountain of a different sub-genre.

Excellent point - it's got to be one of the trailblazers of the sub, genre, huh?

Funniest moment - the impressive clergyman?
 

acapes

Sage
I can honestly only think of one other: Stardust; and I haven't read the book.

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for my whole life and I actually just watched it at an outdoor movie night put on by some family friends. It was great, as usual

Great example - I haven't read the book yet either but I remember enjoying the film. Especially the guard at the border - can't remember his name!
 

acapes

Sage
All of you who hate Buttercup need to love yourselves more. :/ /kidding, but not really.

I also preferred the movie to the novel, although I actually read it before I saw it. I tend to prefer comedies on stage or screen, though, to the page. Shakespearean comedies, Going Postal, etc.. I just rarely laugh out loud over a book, so it doesn't work as well for me. But the movie is great - excellent cast, 80s fantasy feel, can't go wrong with that.

That's interesting - I find myself a bit the same, there's only a few books that have made me laugh out loud over the years (Hogfather is one). I'm curious, how did you find the book?
 

Tom

Istar
Had a little fan-swoon when I saw this thread. I first saw The Princess Bride at seven, and have watched it at least three or four times a year since.

My favorite scene by far is the swordfight atop the Cliffs of Insanity. That scene is what got me into fencing at 11. I just thought it was the coolest thing ever. (Still do.)

I can quote every line in the movie.

What do you think of the book?
 

acapes

Sage
Had a little fan-swoon when I saw this thread. I first saw The Princess Bride at seven, and have watched it at least three or four times a year since.

My favorite scene by far is the swordfight atop the Cliffs of Insanity. That scene is what got me into fencing at 11. I just thought it was the coolest thing ever. (Still do.)

I can quote every line in the movie.

What do you think of the book?

Hey Tom!

Such an awesome film, huh? Cool, do you still fence? Amazing scene, love the ' I hate to die ' line, classic.

I liked it, yeah. Hard to judge it against the film, since I saw the film first, but the book definitely had some moments.
 

Tom

Istar
Yes, it is an undoubtedly awesome film. I still fence, and a lot of people in my club have seen Princess Bride as well. Since I started fencing, I've come to realize that every move in the clifftop fight is real. All of that--you can do all of that with a foil and a partner who isn't afraid to get knocked out at the end of the bout. (And perhaps some gymnastic equipment. Unfortunately, most fencing venues don't contain uneven parallel bars to swing off of or stairs and things to climb up and jump off.)

You know that one scene where Westley gets his foot under his rapier, flicks it into the air, and catches it? We all taught ourselves how to do that one night during practice while the coach wasn't paying attention. :)

I enjoyed the book for the most part. It's nice that William Goldman wrote the screenplay, so the movie and the book have the same sort of character. The book was familiar enough that I felt comfortable, but different enough from the movie that I stayed interested.
 
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