Good lord this film was terrible. I went through a burst of nostalgia, bought a copy off eBay and then actually received/viewed/listed it back on eBay within two days.<br /><br />My childhood, rose-tinted memories had told me that there were - somewhere - scenes that were good. Yet, somehow, those eluded me. As does the comparison (generally unflattering, but still...) with Star Wars. Both had people. And, um, special effects. But that's about it.<br /><br />The Princess Bride did have a really cool name. And a Star Warsy opening sequence with 'something big moving in space', but that's it.<br /><br />In fact, that opening sequence might be the only part of the movie that wasn't a thinly-concealed plothole. People meet. They fall in love instantly. Bad things happen because they have to. Then it turns into a scavenger hunt, as they just slip, snakes-and-ladders style, through an infinite series of plot holes, until they eventually reach the empowering conclusion.<br /><br />The special effects were horrid, but, given the era, that might be the only forgivable thing about the movie. The writing and acting, on the other hand, well - no excuse. People have been doing those things for thousands of years. The sluggish pacing is fatal. Money has been spent, but the story just refuses to get moving. There's absolutely no reason to pay attention and no payoff for doing so. It only shows a certain kind of naff humor, so as not to sully the virtue of the bland hero and heroine; the kind of "humor" that only dorks who like the fantasy genre find funny. And it stays dramatically vague for its entire length, convinced that specificity will derail it as "the greatest fantasy epic ever filmed." The Star Wars, mythology, and the Arthur legend are pilfered liberally.<br /><br />My Grade: D DVD Extras: Commentary by Director Rob Stein, Editor Lord Lovejoy, Actor Anthony Marshall and Actress Lysette Simmons; Cinefantastique magazine article text Commentary; Vintage Journey to The Princess Bride featurette; Marvel Comics Video Adaptation; 4 Photo Galleries; Filmographies; Theatrical trailer; and Trailers for "Jason and the Argonauts" & "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger"<br /><br />Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne