The Princess Bride - Film Review

        The Princess Bride is a childhood classic fairytale movie from the 1980s.  It is hard for a movie to target an all age audience as well as both genders in a fantasy setting but director Rob Reiner manages to please everyone with this heart-felt story.  Great writing, editing, and a great score add long lasting impressions into the viewers mind.
The backdrop for the film falls on a old gentleman (Peter Falk) reading to his sick Grandson (Fred Savage).  The actual story takes place in the fantastical world of the Grandfather's book.  The story is a love story much to the chagrin of the grandson but soon becomes an enthralling tale of adventure with pirates, giants, monsters of unusual size, and fencing all wrapped up in a satirical comedy that will keep older audiences entertained.
William Goldman, the writer of the original novel and the screenplay, has taken classical archetypes and built heavily upon them.  The added quirkiness of the characters has given them a much larger depth and at the same time is able to find humor and seriousness.  It is hard to forget Inigo's, the Spanish sword-fighter, plan for revenge or Wesley (Cary Elwes) transformation from farmboy into the Dread Pirate Roberts.  The villains are also filled with eccentricities that break them apart from other typical villains.
Reiner was lucky to have Mark Knopfler compose an outstanding score for the film.  The track of "Storybook Love" theme plays throughout the film and has a timeless sound that feels authentic to the fantasy setting and with the addition of the singer during credits swiftly modernizes it as a contemporary love song.  The music plays well in the Cliffs of Insanity adding more tension to what would rather be a fairly slow chase.  The timing of it is also helped with some great editing.
Editor Robert Leighton manages a smooth flow between the story world and the world of the grandfather/grandson.  It would be easy to dismiss the bedtime story in place of the fairytale but the continuous cutbacks to their world shows a character journey for the young grandson that progresses smoothly with the bedtime story.
Reiner delivers on all fronts and turns what could be a children's movie into something that everyone can remember and enjoy.  Spouting classic lines and recalling the many spectacular battles, The Princess Bride remains a classic story done exceptionally well.