"A warm and silly fairy-tale, played with giddy delight by all concerned and directed with a rich vein of humour by Rob Reiner; a satire on fairy-tales and fairy-telling; and a sly attack on Hollywood’s tendency to ignore the simple beauty of storytelling. The Princess Bride is all these things, a film all about the telling of tales. It is not to be trusted, only adored."
“The 'real' story exists in another story, the type where a weathered grandpop dislodges his flu-ridden grandson’s antipathy to all but computer games, with the words, 'Once upon a time…'
“Cary Elwes, as the dashing hero, seems to have dug up Errol Flynn’s swagger, adding a layer of insincerity as thick as a Swiss gateaux. Robin Wright, as fair damsel in distress Buttercup, seems to have drifted in from a sitcom. Or how about arch-swordsman Inigo, played by Mandy Patinkin, whose bouncy dash was stolen wholesale by Antonio Banderas for his Zorro? Everything is exaggerated, but with postmodern twinkles and Reiner’s clean-cut vision, it should only be treasured.
“A unqualified success that blends New York wit with timeless storytelling; a risky piece of filmaking that never feels so.” - Ian Nathan, Empire Magazine
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