a big A+ when i was a kid, perhaps a B today.

The Princess Bride

Well, everybody always says it's so good, so I thought I'd better check it out. I think this is definitely a product of its time, and if I had seen it back then and grown up with it I may adore it like so many others. As it is, it's an ok movie, but nothing special. It's funny in parts, but not once did I laugh out loud. It was good to see Saul Berensen; I noticed a few facial similarities, so I googled it to check and I WAS RIGHT! It was him. So great to see him as a young chap. Cary Elwes was great. Andre the Giant was good. Robin Wright-Penn was kind of beautiful in this yet I really find her unnattractive normally. And Billy Crystal is in this too, which was kind of a surprise for me. Peter Cook makes an appearance, but he overacts trying to be funny.

"Let's kill each other like civilised people" - I thought that line was pretty good. There were others too which I've forgotten. I loved the way it's constructed; grandfather reading a book to his grandson and it stops regularly for them to give feedback like a real story-telling bedtime encounter. Oh, and Peter Falk is in this, which receives the "+" in my grade all on his own merit. Some comedies that we watch in youth just stay with us, no matter how crap or silly, so I understand people liking it and crazily giving it "A" and "A+" grades, but for me it's a ...

C+

I watched this after seeing Stardust and have to admit I prefer Stardust.

I do agree it is a product of its time, but I don't see that as a bad thing for this film.

In fact, this film got me to thinking. Some critics have harped on Tarantino for being stuck in the 70s (which isn't exactly true, but I'll bite), and that's when one critic suggested pulling out from movies of the 80s. That's when I had the idea. WHat if Tarantino did a hard-edge fantasty storybook movie that drew heavy influence from the various 80s fantasy movies, such as Princess Bride, Dark Crystal, Never Ending Story, Black Cauldron, that animated Lord of the Rings flick and pumped them full of more Tarantino-esque flare from the 80s, such as Rambo, Heavy Metal, and Algren-esque movies (sorry I can't think off more from my head).

What's an Algren-esque movie?

Perhaps my Top 20 is what you're referring to, right? Which is fair enough. But I do love a variety of movies. Check my latest review for Lions for Lambs or my love for Love Actually..

As for the question, I don't think people would like it, and I don't think it's possible to mix so many genres - it would be a failure. The 80s fantasy genre cannot really mix with the Tarantino genre, it'd be terrible. The 80s fantasy genre relied on magical wonder, secrets and cunning villains, Tarantino relies on sharp dialogue, violence and 70s b-movie production techniques...can you seriously see those two genres mixing? It would be terrible.

Part of my point was for Tarantino to drop the 70s b-movie production technique and pick up the 80s action film technique ala 80 b-action movies. Tarantino can already write cunning villains, and he does have a good idea for epic scenery, so I think he could pull it off if you consider his wide knowledge of film.

Of course the film would be a farce, but most Tarantino films are. They're just badass at the same time.

It'd be interesting no doubt.

I've been thinking about the cast

Michael Fassbender - The Prince
Christoph Waltz - The "Good" King
Daniel Day Lewis- The Evil Wizard
Lucy Lui - The Samurai Princess
Tim Roth - The Bandit
Johnny Depp - The Quirky Huntsman
Julia Dreyfus - someone's language translator
Arnold Swartzenger - The Barbarian
Some young and up coming actress - The Princess

and all of it narrated by Samuel L. Jackson

You lost my interest right there.

Hmm, perhaps a bad call? It's mainly a refrence to Tarantino's desire to have Depp in Pulp Fiction. The drug deal in that movie, that character was written for Depp, so I feel Tarantino could write a character for Depp.

The Eric Stolz part? Really? I never knew that. I'm glad Depp didn't get it. I would have hated Pulp Fiction if Depp was in it. Everybody seems to love Depp in any role so long as he's "quirky". I hate that so much, and prefer Depp in straight-laced roles like in The Ninth Gate and The Tourist.

The movie has a great sense of fun and humour that few films today have...

Also it has some great swordfights as well.

Also the famous line...

"You Kill my father, Prepare to DIE!!!

A-

I'll give it that. It does have a humour akin to Hot Shots that is [not rarely but] never seen today.