The Princess Bride (1987)

Film and Plot Synopsis

In The Princess Bride, three men kidnap the lovely Buttercup who’s engaged to the local prince, Humperdinck, of Florin. The men intend to kill her so they can start a war with a neighboring country of Guilder. Soon after the men kidnap the princess, they find the Dread Pirate Roberts is closely in pursuit of their prize. Unbeknownst to everyone, the Dread Pirate Roberts is secretly Buttercup’s true love, Westley, whom she thought Roberts murdered years ago. Prince Humperdinck is soon in hot pursuit of Buttercup, even though he can care less about her. This sets the stage for sword fights, fire swamps, and death, mostly death. But will a sick little boy allow for the kissy bits of the story to happen? Watch the movie to find out.

‘The Princess Bride’ Movie Summary

The Princess Bride begins with Fred Savage playing a video baseball game as he sits home, sick from school. His grandfather, Peter Falk, stops by to read him a story about true love. Unimpressed, Fred agrees to let his grandfather reading him the story anyhow.

This is a tale of a beautiful young woman named Buttercup who lives in the countryside of Florin with her farm boy named Westley. Westley is madly in love with Buttercup, but is only able to convey that affection with the words, “as you wish,” whenever she asks him to do something.

One day, to her surprise, Buttercup realizes she’s equally in love with Westley. Before they can get married though, Westley wants to earn a fortune in far off America. On his journey across the pond, the Dread Pirate Roberts attacks his ship. Everyone on board, including Westley, is presumed dead as the Dread Pirate Roberts never leaves survivors.

Five years pass, and Prince Humperdinck, the heir to the throne of Florin, chooses Buttercup to be his wife. Before the marriage takes place, Vizzini, and his two lackeys: the gigantic Fezzik, and highly-skilled fencer, Inigo Montoya kidnap Buttercup. Vizzini intends on killing Buttercup, and then tossing her lifeless body on the shores of Guilder to start a war between the two countries. However, Fezzik is a gentle giant while Inigo only wants to avenge his father’s murder. A six-fingered man slaughtered him some years earlier. So neither of them is interested in starting any wars.

Soon after they successfully kidnap Buttercup, a man in black appears on the horizon, and he’s hot on their tail. He catches up to them at the Cilffs of Insanity, and bests Inigo with steel. He then bests Fezzik at strength, and out-thinks Vizzini to get the girl as his prize. Even though the man in black keeps Buttercup blindfolded, she correctly identifies him as the Dread Pirate Roberts.

By now, Prince Humperdinck and his men are also in hot pursuit of Buttercup. However, the prince has more sinister reasons to reach Roberts and his new prisoner. The prince wants her back because he’s actually the one who hired Vizzini to kidnap his bride. He’s the one who wants to go to war with Guilder.

As Humperdinck and his entourage approach, Roberts finds himself momentarily distracted. Buttercup pushes him down the hill they are standing on, and Roberts tumbles down it. As he falls, he utters the phrase, “As you wish.” Realizing her man in black is also her dear, sweet Westley, she tumbles down after him.

The lovebirds try to escape their pursuers through the Fire Swamp, but Humperdinck and a six-fingered man named Count Rugen capture them as they exit the swamp. Buttercup agrees to leave with the prince if he agrees to take Westley back to his ship. Humperdinck agrees, but all the men there know that’s not true. Rugen takes Westley to the Pit of Despair instead. An enraged Prince Humperdinck eventually tortures Westley to death.

Soon, Inigo and Fezzik are reunited, and Fezzik tells Inigo about the existence of the six-fingered man. Inigo sets out to find the man in black to plan his castle onslaught only to have his hopes dashed when he finds Westley dead in the Pit of Despair. He and Fezzik take Westley to Miracle Max where they learn Westley is not dead—he’s only mostly dead. Miracle Max agrees to create a pill to bring Westley back to life to get revenge against the prince.

Once revived, Westley comes up with a plan to break into the castle, rescue Buttercup, and kill the Count. Unfortunately, they arrive too late. Buttercup marries Prince Humperdinck among the onslaught’s mayhem. Inigo finds Count Rugen, and manages to kills him as Westley looks for Buttercup.

He finds her as she is about to kill herself. When he stops her, he tells her that she hasn’t married the prince because she never said, “I do.” He then bluffs Prince Humperdinck into submission (even though the prince knows Westley is bluffing).

By now, Fezzik finds four white horses for them to escape on. As they flee, Westley asks Inigo to become the new Dread Pirate Roberts, so he can retire to a happy life with Buttercup. Buttercup and Westley share a final passionate kiss. Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.

As Peter Falk finishes the story, he gets up to leave, and Fred Savage asks him to read the story again the next day. Peter smiles and says, “As you wish.”

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