A young boy who is sick in bed is visited by his grandpa, who is interested in reading a book to him. That is, of course, The Princess Bride.

The story begins where a young woman named Buttercup is hanging out on her farm in the fictional kingdom, Florin. She spends time with her love interest, Westley. Unfortunately, Westley has to leave Florin. Thus, Buttercup feels heartbroken, and she has an emotional goodbye with Westley. If that’s not bad enough for her, Westley has apparently died while away.

Five years later, Buttercup was chosen as the bride for Prince Humperdinck of Florin. But she doesn’t love him. 

Not long after is she kidnapped by three men. One is a giant named Fezzik. Another is a Spaniard called Inigo Montoya. And the third is a Sicilian man, Vizzini. Buttercup tries to escape from them while on the water. But she gets attacked by eels. So, she has to return to them.

The men take her up on a cliff. A mysterious guy in a black suit and mask follows them. He tries to get them out of the way, such as making Vizzini drink something that he claims has “no poison.” After that, he takes Buttercup. She doesn’t understand what is happening. But then the guy says, “As you wish,” to her, which he used to do five years prior when Buttercup wanted anything. He reveals himself as Westley, who has turned out to be alive.

However, not long after, Buttercup and Westley get captured by Prince Humperdinck’s soldiers. Buttercup sacrifices herself by agreeing to marry Prince Humperdinck in order to release Westley. Unfortunately, Westley ends up being taken to a torture chamber sometime later.

Meanwhile, Buttercup is preparing for the wedding against her will. Prince Humperdinck has a secret plan to kill her after they get married.

Will Buttercup be able to free herself from him? Or will she have to marry him and face a life of doom?

I was surprised at how much I laughed throughout this movie. I’ve seen this before when I was in middle school. But I found it boring then.

One funny moment was when Inigo fought someone and said his signature line, “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” And he said it several times, but using different tones, which is why it was funny.

I also find it interesting how lighthearted this movie is, especially for a fantasy. Maybe it’s because CGI was in its infancy back then. There is a scene with a giant rat monster. It did look a little bit different from CG creatures after the turn of the century.

While on this topic, I found it unsatisfactory when Buttercup just stood there as Westley was attacked by the rat. I saw it as kind of sexist since it portrayed a female as weaker than a male. If this movie were released or remade today (as of 2024), Buttercup would have been very involved in saving Westley. 

That being said, Buttercup did remain strong and independent. She did not whine or cry when she had to marry Prince Humperdinck. Nor did she get overly emotional when she was kidnapped.

I actually admired how the abductors turned out to be good guys. There are other twists and turns as well. But they’re more toward the end.

Overall, I enjoyed The Princess Bride. It has no intense violence or scary moments. So, I think it might be okay for kids as young as 8 or 9, although there is sword fighting. Yet that doesn’t get gruesome or bloody.

It might not be the best choice for children under 8, though. The not-so intense may still be too much for them.

Otherwise, I think this movie is great for adults, kids, and even families. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.