Movie Music and More # 47: "The Princess Bride" (1987)

I (Hamlette) am here to discuss one of my most recent soundtrack acquisitions.  It's quite ridiculous that it took me this long to buy this soundtrack, because I've loved The Princess Bride (1987) for more than twenty years.  Sometimes, I make very little sense.  Anyway, Mark Knopfler's score for The Princess Bride is as subtly off-kilter as everything else in the movie.  Fairy tale motifs get twisted slightly to make them fresh, funny, and surprising.

"I Will Never Love Again" begins very sad, pensive, minor.  Lots of strings, a bit of a twangy '80s sound going on here and there.  It's a love theme gone horribly wrong, which suits the early part of the film perfectly.

"The Friends' Song" is an obviously humorous song, got a good swagger and a bounce to it.  Some cheeky guitars open it, then a flute joins in with a delicate little strain of sweetness that is eventually overwhelmed by more strings.  But that flute isn't going down with out a fight, and reasserts itself, learning to play nicely along with the strings.  After two minutes, the whole mood shifts to almost a dance, bits of a menace coming in underneath.  It's like a little peasant dance that's being interrupted.

"The Swordfight" is delightful.  Parry, thrust, parry, thrust -- even the music is dueling.  There are some blithe castanets at the beginning to bring in a Spanish flair as befits Inigo, and lots of worried strings keeping us anxious as to what the outcome of this duel will be.  Some trumpets try to butt in triumphantly, but they get pushed back out, and the song twists minor, the strings get dizzyingly busy, and it almost feels like something you'd hear during a swashbuckly silent film where the story has to be helped by the music because there's no dialog.

You can listen to the whole soundtrack on Mark Knopfler's YouTube channel here.  And if you've never visited it, the Official Site is a delight for any Princess Bride fan :-)

The Princess Bride Review.

Ahoy there me hearties! Today is International Talk like a Pirate Day, and to celebrate I am reviewing the Princess Bride for Hamlette's Piratical Blogathon over on Hamlette's Soliloquy, so go check it out. For more of my pirate posts, please check out the links at the end of the review.

The Princess Bride, the cult classic fantasy comedy about the adventures of a Wesley trying to save the Princess Buttercup, and along the way he meets some interesting characters.

 When watching the film for the first time, I was very skeptical about the movie due to its name, which sounds like a "chick flick." However after reading some more reviews I finally decided to watch it, and it certainly lived up the cult following.

Directed by: Rob Reiner
Genre: Adventure Comedy, Fantasy, Parody/Satire, Family,
Release Date: September 25, 1987
Running Time: 98 minutes
MMPA rating: PG



The Good: Fun sword fights, Clever humor and parody, Hilarious at times, Memorable quotes, Humorous dialogue, Witty comedy throughout, Cleverly self aware, Iconic scenes,

The Bad:

Plot: 8.6/10- Despite taking 10 to 15 minutes to find its groove, once the characters of characters Inigo Montoya and Fezzik are on screen the movie really picks the pace. Using the narrative device of a story within a story, the Princess Bride is a satire of the fantasy in general, and it most definitely succeeds. While some plot elements are clichéd, the clichés are intentional to produce some very clever humor.

Characterization: 8.0/10- The Princess Bride is full of fun and quirky characters, and since the film is a satire of sorts, there is not necessarily much development, but at the same time, development is not really necessary.

 Princess Buttercup is a clichéd “damsel in distress” for most of the movie, yet that is not a bad thing, being that the entire movie is a satire. Westley is a fun character in the typical “Prince Charming” role. However, it is Inigo Montoya and Fezzik who steal the show with some of the best comedic parts of the film.


Action: 7.8/10- Even though many of the action sequences are played for laughs, one sword fight is both cleverly humorous and well choreographed. It is actually one of the most memorable duels in cinema history, despite the extremely lighthearted tone.

Acting: 8.2/10- The performances from the cast are mostly very strong and humorous with most of the cast being able to sell the utter ridiculousness of everything. Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya is easily the best the cast, while Wallace Shawn is a lot of fun in his lesser role. Billy Crystal make a hilarious cameo during the movie as well.

Special effects: 7.0/10- Most of the effects are dated with many of them being intentionally cheap for comedic affect.

Soundtrack: 7.6/10- The soundtrack is not great to listen to on its own; it is mostly used to punctuate sound effects for comical effect.

Humor: 8.7/10- While not constantly hilarious, the Princess Bride is a very clever satire and comedy. The movie is able to ride the fine line between corny and cleverly satirical well, with only a few scenes crossing the line.
Unlike Mel Brooks’ movies, where the parody goes too far into stupidity, the parody in the Princess Bride is not overly ridiculous most of the time. It is also entirely aware of how absurd and silly it is which works to its advantage. However, at times, the movie is a little too corny for its own good delving into not funny.

Entertainment Value: 8.5/10- The Princess Bride is a fun movie. There are plenty of laughs and the quotes are completely unforgettable.

Overall: 8.6/10- From the clever comedy to quirky characters, The Princess Bride is a fun storybook like movie that is just generally entertaining to watch, and it is fun for the whole family (for the most part anyway).

Closing comments: As with most “cult classics,” The Princess Bride will surely not appeal to everyone, and while this is not my absolute favorite movie, it is one of my favorites, and one of the best fantasy flicks of the pre-Lord of the Rings era.

Recommended for: Adventure Comedy fans, Fantasy fans, Parody/Satire fans, Family movie fans,

Below are more Pirate posts:
Top 10 Fictional Pirates
Space Pirate Captain Harlock Review
Click here to check out more of my movie reviews.

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