The Princess Bride (film): Difference between revisions

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'''Grandpa''': Are you kidding? [[Flynning|Fencing]], [[Good Old Fisticuffs|fighting]], [[Cold-Blooded Torture|torture]], [[Revenge]], [[Gentle Giant|giants]], [[Our Monsters Are Different|monsters]], [[The Chase|chases]], [[Great Escape|escapes]], [[The Power of Love|true love]], [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe|miracles]]...<br />

'''Grandson''': ''-sigh-'' It doesn't sound too bad. I'll try to stay awake. }}

* [[The Blade Always Lands Pointy End In]]: During his duel with Inigo Montoya, the Man in Black throws his sword. It spins end over end and impales itself in the ground point first.

* [[The Brute]]: subverted. Fezzik is really quite a nice guy.

'''Miracle Max:''' ''([[Double Take]])'' You ''[[Deadpan Snarker|are]]'' the Brute Squad. }}

* [[Buy Them Off]]

* [[Collapsed Mid-Speech]]: Vizzini collapses after a short speech, in the middle of his [[Evil Laugh]].

* [[Comically Missing the Point]]:

'''The King''': Won't that be nice? ''*calling up to the queen*'' She kissed me! Heeheehee! }}

* [[Confession Deferred]]: Inigo trying to convince Miracle Max to work cheap:

'''Miracle Max:''' [[Cassandra Truth|Your first story was better.]] }}

* [[Conservation of Ninjutsu]]: Explained by Fezzik whilst going toe-to-toe with the Man In Black.

* [[Cool Mask]]: The Man in Black. It's just terribly comfortable!

* [[Creepy Monotone]]: Count Rugen, in terrifying contrast to the [[World of Ham]] around him.

* [[Elmuh Fudd Syndwome]]: The Impressive Clergyman.

* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: Even ''Count Rugen'' is aghast when Humperdinck gets his hands on the machine to torture Westley.

** Though you'll notice that he watches in [[For Science!|what looks to be interest]] rather than shutting the Machine off.

* [[Everything's Better with Princesses]]: Buttercup actually gets ''promoted'' to princess, because she was born a commoner but Humperdinck wants to marry her.

* [[The Evil Prince]]

* [[Excuse Me, Coming Through]]:

'''Inigo:''' Thank you. }}

* [[Fairytale Wedding Dress]]

* [[Fake-Out Opening]]: The film begins with the boy playing a video game. (He might be using a Nintendo controller, but the game is ''Hardball'' -- looks like C64 version -- which never came out for the NES.)

* [[Faux Affably Evil]]: Prince Humperdinck and Count Rugen.

'''Humperdinck:''' Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work, but I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick|my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it]]. I'm swamped.<br />

'''Rugen:''' Get some rest. If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything. }}

* [[Fingertip Drug Analysis]]: Parodied.

'''[[Scarily Competent Tracker|Humperdinck]]''' ''(sniffing the vial, later):'' Iocaine! I'd bet my life on it. }}

* [[Five-Bad Band]]: (At least before the kidnapping)

* [[Genre Savvy]]: The entire story.

** A particularly good example from the film:

'''Rugen:''' Well spoken, sir. }}

* [[Gentle Giant]]: Fezzik.

* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: Even though it's a real name, you tell me what "Humperdinck" sounds like.

** One of the Brute Squad greets Inigo, who replies in the King's Spanish:

'''Inigo:''' I will not budge. Keep your ''[[Precision F-Strike|joder]]''. }}

* [[Give Me a Sign]]: While holding the sword his late father made, Inigo asks his father's spirit to guide his sword and lead him to Westley. Then he closes his eyes while holding the sword out in front of him, and ultimately {{spoiler|sticks it into a tree}}. Feeling let down and probably foolish, Inigo slumps down onto the tree. {{spoiler|And then it opens up...}}

** And Count Rugen gets Evil Scars! For bonus points they're exactly the same wounds he's inflicted on Inigo, from cheeks to gut. {{spoiler|(And then he dies ten seconds later)}}.

* [[Goes to Eleven]]: Count Rugen, played by Christopher Guest. Actually a literal [[Goes to Eleven]] -- [[Incredibly Lame Pun|he has eleven fingers.]]

''(later)'' ''[[Even Evil Has Standards|Not to ]]'''50!''''' }}

** Made especially awesome as Christopher Guest was the actor who portrayed Nigel Tufnel, who originated taking things to eleven with his [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVKWCpNFhY amplifier]. Rob Reiner was the director of both movies, but Rugen had eleven fingers in the book, long before ''[[This Is Spinal Tap]]'' came around.

* [[Happily Ever After]]

* [[He's Just Hiding]]: Invoked.

* [[He Will Come for Me]]: No less than three Will Come For Me moments.

** A variation while Buttercup is held prisoner by the Man in Black.

'''Man in Black:''' You think your dearest love will save you?<br />

'''Buttercup:''' I never said he was my dearest love. And yes, he will save me. That I know. }}

** While Buttercup is waiting for Westley to come take her away.

'''Buttercup:''' He will come for me. }}

** A third variation, at the wedding.

'''Buttercup''': Then why is there fear behind your eyes? }}

** Of course in the end, Westley doesn't show up on time, causing Buttercup to almost have a [[Heroic BSOD]]: "He didn't come..." {{spoiler|Then he shows up after all, late for the wedding but [[Just in Time]] to face Humperdinck in the bedroom.}}

* [[Heel Face Turn]]: Inigo and Fezzik, technically.

* [[Henpecked Husband]]: Miracle Max, to an extent.

* [[Heroic Second Wind]]: Inigo isn't going down that easily.

* [[Home, Sweet Home]]: Westley wants to settle down with Buttercup.

* [[Legacy Character]]: The Dread Pirate Roberts. Westley reveals that he is at least the third person to use the mantle in order to uphold the legend. Fezzik even briefly takes up the identity to scare a few guards in one scene. {{spoiler|At the end of the movie, Inigo wonders what to do now that he got his revenge, and Westley passes the name to him.}}

* [[Leitmotif]]: Skillfully done with Fezzik's plodding slide trombone theme. You can't help but smile when you hear it, especially in this scene:

''Cue leitmotif as huge hands pick Inigo up''<br />

'''Fezzik:''' [[Rhymes on a Dime|You surely are a meanie.]] }}

** In response to the grandson's protest at a certain (apparent) plot development, the grandfather simply says, "So who says life is fair? Where is that written?"

** A similar sentiment is the line in both book and movie (though in very different contexts):

* [[Living Legend]]: Less than the book. The Dread Pirate is the only legend present in the movie, though Inigo may inherit it and... [[Up to Eleven|improve upon it]].

* [[Look Behind You!]]

* [[Physical Scars, Psychological Scars]]: Inigo Montoya has a scar on each cheek given to him by the man who killed his father which serves to strengthen his drive for revenge.

* [[Punch Clock Villain]]: Inigo and Fezzik.

* [[Punch-Punch-Punch Uh-Oh]]

* [[Quicksand Sucks]]: In the cave with the ROUS.

* [[Scarecrow Solution]]: "The Dread Pirate Roberts" rig that Fezzik wore.

* [[Scarily Competent Tracker]]: Prince Humperdinck!

* [[Scheherezade Gambit]]: Westley's relationship with {{spoiler|the previous Dread Pirate Roberts}}.

* [[The Scream]]: Wesley's torture. Poor bastard.

* [[Shout-Out]]: Westley's "man in black" outfit is a dead ringer for the costume Douglas Fairbanks Sr. wore in the original ''Mark of Zorro''.

** This sequence.

'''Man in Black''': No, it's just that they are terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future. }}

* [[The Slow Walk]]: Inigo during his final duel with Count Rugen. Justified because he was seriously injured at the time.

* [[Sparing the Aces]]: The Man in Black would no sooner kill a genius than shatter a stained glass window.

* [[Stealth Pun]]: At the end of the movie, when Inigo wonders what to do with his life:

'''Westley:''' Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts.}}

:Inigo appears to accept the offer, or at least be considering it. What the viewer has likely forgotten by this point, though, is that the Dread Pirate Roberts' ship is named ''The Revenge'' -- [[Don't Explain the Joke|which would put Inigo right back in the ''Revenge'' business]].

** Averted during filming, as indicated on the DVD commentary: Cary Elwes encouraged Chris Guest to hit him hard when Rugen knocks Westley out; as a result production shut down for the day while Elwes was rushed to the hospital.

* [[Tempting Fate]]

'''Westley:''' Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist...''[Westley is attacked by a R.O.U.S.]'' }}

** In this example, Westley is clearly just trying to assuage her fears, as he's looking over her shoulder at about three of them shortly before he says the line.

* [[Try and Follow]]: The Fire Swamp ''and'' the Cliffs of Insanity.

* [[Two-Faced Aside]]: When Buttercup asks Humperdinck to promise he'll return Westley to his ship:

'''Count Rugen:''' I swear it will be done. }}

* [[Unconscious Objector]]: {{spoiler|Inigo's arm seems to block Count Rugen's coups de grace independently. At that moment, "conscious" wouldn't fairly describe Inigo, who seems ready to [[Go Into the Light]].}}

** Humperdinck is presented as a [[Jerkass]] for claiming Buttercup as a trophy wife - though he seems sincerely concerned that Guilder kidnapped her and plans to kill her - and later imprisoning Westley to get him out of the way. Then he reveals that he was behind Buttercup's abduction all along, and was trying to frame Guilder for it, and will instead murder her on the wedding night and frame Guilder for ''that'' instead.

* [[Who Are You?]]

'''Inigo:''' ''(shrugs)'' Okay. }}

* [[You Fight Like a Cow]]: The famous Inigo/Westley duel, but with compliments instead of insults. (In most DVD editions, that chapter is titled "The Chatty Duelists".)

* [[You Were Trying Too Hard]]: Inigo looking for the entrance to the Pit of Despair.

----

'''Grandfather''': [[As You Wish]]. }}