Sept 12: The Princess Bride

"A classic fairy tale, with swordplay, giants, an evil prince, a beautiful princess, and yes, some kissing (as read by a kindly grandfather)."

Directed by: Rob Reiner, Rated: PG, 98 minutes

As some of you may know, The Princess Bride is my favorite movie of all time. I never get tired of it, watch it whenever it's on TV, and quote it on a near daily basis. Thanks to the glorious people at Tugg (I'm plugging it because it's awesome, no sponsorship here), I was able to catch this perfect little movie on the big screen, something I was never able to do as the the film came out two years before I was born. All day I was antsy and excited, eagerly anticipating seeing Westley, Inigo, Fezzik, Buttercup, Humperdink, Count Rugen, and everyone else in an actual theater, with hundreds of The Princess Bride lovers like myself. All of my favorite (FAVORITE) movies I've been hesitant to review, as I never know if what I can say will do such films justice, but seeing this bad boy on the big screen has encouraged me to attempt such an endeavor. So here it goes, my review of The Princess Bride. 

Also, as inconceivable as it may be, I did participate in a blogathon where I re-cast this film with pre-1965 actors as well as (God forbid) a remake if it had to happen. Check it out here. 

For those of you that don't know the story (shame on you!), The Princess Bride follows Westley (Cary Elwes) a farm-boy turned 'pirate' who returns to his home and seeks his one true love, Buttercup. After Westley doesn't return from his quest to "seek his fortune", Buttercup resigns herself to his death and reluctantly agrees to marry the evil Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon). After she is kidnapped by Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), Inigo Montoya (Manny Patinkin), and Fezzik (Andre the Giant) who plan on murdering her and blaming the death on a neighboring country in order to start a war for Humperdink, Westley, dressed in black, mask and all, chases after them and plans on rescuing his love. Through a series of events, Westley earns the respect and trust of both Inigo and Fezzik, and the three storm Humperdink's castle after he's recaptured Buttercup. What unfolds is a tale of "fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, and miracles", all told by a grandfather (Peter Falk) to his grandson (Fred Savage). 

He's the grandpa we all want to read stories to us. 

The Princess Bride is a rare kind of film, as its entire approach is that of live (and campy) effects, witty dialogue, plenty of action, and more humor than you'd believe. There's really nothing like it and it's one of the main reasons I love the film so much. Adapted from a book by William Goldman (who also wrote the screenplay), the movie creates a world so full of vibrant characters that exists somewhere between the world we know and a fantastical realm we read about in fairy tales. For instance, it references real places like Australia and Greenland, but then has rodents of unusual size (R.O.U.S) scavenging about in the Fire Swamp. It's a genius method of storytelling as it's essentially our world injected with romanticizing themes full of adventure and peril. It's also worth mentioning that the score, composed by Mark Knofpler, is just as entertaining, being just as memorable as the rest of the film, especially the fact that each 'action' in the film is hit with a sound of music that highlights the humor. 

The movie also features the greatest sword fight of all time. Ever. Period. 

Of course, a movie like this would be nothing without its perfect cast. Cary Elwes is the perfect hero, combining a bit of Robin Hood with a dash of piracy and a bit of Musketeer. Westley's motive of true love is something pure and simple, and everything he does is worth rooting for. Robin Wright does a great job as Buttercup and tip-toes the line of damsel in distress and feisty heroine brilliantly. All she wants is for her love to return and nothing (or anybody) can stop her from getting that. The star of the show, however, is Manny Patinkin. His Inigo Montoya is iconic in every sense of the word and his subplot of revenge is a large driving force of the film. He's superb as the Spainard seeking vengeance against the Six-Fingered Man (Christopher Guest), and every line he mentions is immediately quotable, especially, of course, the "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!" line. His partner in crime, Fezzik, is played by Andre the Giant, a man so unique in size and nature that you can't help but remember him. The duo's pairing leads to a large part of the film's humor and seeing them work off of each other is magnificent. The Princess Bride also has incredible supporting actors, from Wallace Shawn's off the hinges, "Inconceivable" shouting Sicilian, Vizzini, to Chris Sarandon's ultimate jerk, Humperdink, who gives you absolutely nothing to cheer for. Oh, and there's a hilarious Billy Crystal thrown in the mix. 

He's onscreen for maybe five minutes, and each second is side-splitting funny. 

There's so much charm and humor to The Princess Bride that it's incredibly hard not to love. Whenever I've told anyone that it's my favorite movie, I usually get an odd look of "Okay...?" or a huge smile in agreement. It's almost universally loved and referenced and all of the fans of the film (that I know) are die-hard lovers of the movie. I can't begin to express in words how much I love this movie. It's unique and original and full of energy, imagination, and life, and captures a feeling very, very few films have been able to accomplish. In the past, I always thought I was bias when talking about this film, as it's my favorite, but after re-watching it on the screen with a theater packed full of fans like me, I am now more certain than ever that The Princess Bride is one of the greatest movies ever made. 

Overall: 10/10

Trailer:

Sept 10: Monsters, Inc.

"Monsters generate their city's power by scaring children, but they are terribly afraid themselves of being contaminated by children, so when one enters Monstropolis, top scarer Sulley finds his world disrupted."

Directed by: Pete Docter, Rated: G, 92 minutes

There are just a handful of movies that come out these days that actually inspire your creative side. Imaginative flicks are rare, but when a good one comes along, it's even more special. Monsters, Inc. is one of those movies. Pixar's 2001 movie is one of their best, and it creates a world so exciting, so original, and so damn genius you can't help but love every minute of it. You continue to want to explore Monstropolois with Mike and Sully and meet every monster on the street corner and at Monsters, Inc. Even little Boo, a kid who sneaks into the realm of monsters, immediately grabs your attention and heart. 

D'aww. 

The film tells the story of how the monsters at Monsters, Inc. capture the screams of the children they scare and use them as a source of energy to run a bustling city. James "Sulley" Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman) and his assistant and best friend, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) lead in the number of all-time screams. In the world of Monstropolis, children are the source of energy from their fear, but they are also considered dangerous by the monsters, and even a sock from a kid's room needs to be contained and disinfected. After Sulley accidentally lets in Boo, a young girl who finds the monster to be an adorable giant kitty, Sulley and Mike must figure out what to do, as this breach of security means deadly consequences for the monsters and the city. It's not long after Boo arrives that Sulley begins bonding with the kid and realizes that children are not as deadly as everyone is made to believe. Mike and Sulley must then figure out a way to get Boo safely back to her room, while evading the authorities and the up-to-no-good Randal Boggs (Steve Buscemi) a rival monster. 

Not since Buzz and Woody have we seen a friendship like this. 

Monsters, Inc. creates a fun cast of characters you love almost immediately. Billy Crystal and John Goodman do such good jobs you can easily tell how much fun they're having. Each actor completely embodies the character they voice and seeing them inhabit an even more colorful and interesting world makes Monsters, Inc. all the more better. The humor is strong as well, and each laugh isn't tailored specifically to kids (as most of Pixar's humor is). With the recent announcement of Monsters University, a prequel to Monsters, Inc., it's exciting thinking that we'll get a chance to revisit the world created with this film, as every aspect of it is memorable. Boo, the cute-as-a-button little girl has so much to love about her and she's still one of the most accurate and adorable portrayals of a kid in an animated flick. The fact Pixar cast an actual little girl (Mary Gibbs) adds to their genius and makes Boo one of the most beloved characters in Pixar history, at least in my opinion. 

D'aww. 

As I mentioned, Monsters, Inc. is an incredibly creative film. It's such a simple, yet genius idea that makes you wish you thought of it yourself. It also has a great message, showing that a child's laugh is more powerful than his/her scream, and that even the things that go bump in the night have their own worries as well. While it's not the greatest Pixar film, visually, it makes up for it in its imagination and character design. Mike and Sulley are completely different monsters, and certainly represent the nerd and the popular guy you see in high school. Yet, their friendship works and along with their growing love for Boo, is the heart of the film. I would highly recommend this film. Chances are you have already seen it (as had I), but I suggest revisiting it and being reminded at how good it really is. Hearing something in your closet at night doesn't have to scare you. With Monsters, Inc., you'll see why. 

The Good:

One of Pixar's most imaginative films, crafting hilarious and heart-warming characters in a vibrant world

The Better:

Billy Crystal and John Goodman voicing Mike and Sulley, and knowing that no one else could voice these characters

The Best: 

Knowing that original films can still be made and having faith (even if it's now a little shaky) that Pixar will continually deliver 

Overall: 9.2/10

Trailer:

And if you haven't seen it yet, here's the trailer for Monsters University