Every Fight Scene In The Princess Bride, Ranked

The Princess Bride might be best remembered for its heartwarming romance and sidesplitting comedy, but the beloved fantasy film also has a ton of exciting fight scenes. Based on the William Goldman novel of the same name, The Princess Bride uses a clever narrative-within-a-narrative storyline as a grandfather reads a classic fairytale to his grandson. Imbued with plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor that pokes fun at fantasy clichés, The Princess Bride also revels in many of the very same tropes that it lampoons. The script is airtight, and its brisk story clips along at a breakneck pace without losing any charm or failing to build compelling characters. While it may have been somewhat underwhelming at the box office, The Princess Bride has become a quintessential '80s fantasy film. Many of its key moments are etched in popular culture, and it helped to launch the careers of young actors like Cary Elwes and Robin Wright. Though many elements from the film are still celebrated today, one aspect is often ignored. The combat sequences are actually some of the best that the fantasy genre had to offer in the '80s, even if they're overshadowed by other pieces of the movie. Even within the film, some of the fight scenes are head and shoulders above the rest. Related The Princess Bride's Alternate Ending Would've Completely Changed How You Watch The Movie The Princess Bride had another ending that would've blended the real world with the fantastical one, which would've changed everything. 5 Westley & Buttercup vs. The Swamp Rat The Scariest Moment Of The Otherwise Tame Fantasy Adventure The fire swamp sequence in The Princess Bride is probably the scariest part of the film, and it comes right after arguably the most romantic moment. After finally reuniting, Buttercup and Westley must pass through the dreaded Fire Swamp, though the swashbuckling hero is hardly fazed. He deftly avoids the fire spouts, but is caught off-guard by a giant rat. A tussle ensues in which Westley is out of his depth for the first time. Unlike his earlier fights with Inigo or Fezzik, the rat quickly gets the upper hand on the so-called pirate. Though he does eventually vanquish his foe, he takes a significant amount of damage from its dangerous teeth as it chows down on his forearm. While the fight is exciting and serves an important purpose in the story, the blocking is somewhat awkward and the giant rat costume waffles between being creepy and being a part of The Princess Bride that hasn't aged well. The way the scene is edited, the rat is revealed somewhat unceremoniously, and it takes away a lot of the tension. Since the film subverts tropes, the damsel-in-distress cliché would have been an easy idea to reverse. Princess Buttercup is also mostly useless in the fight, and she's generally excluded from most of the combat throughout the film. The writers had an opportunity to add some depth to her character by having her help Westley defeat the monster. Since the film subverts tropes, the damsel-in-distress cliché would have been an easy idea to reverse. 4 Storming The Castle The Heroes Use Brains To Defeat The Army One of the final fight scenes in the movie is quite ironic because it eschews violence in favor of a clever bit of subterfuge from the heroes. Westley, Fezzik, and Inigo are tasked with getting into the castle, but the gate is guarded by a horde of soldiers waiting to cut them down at first sight. Westley is still mostly paralyzed from his time on the torture rack and the gang needs his fighting prowess to make it through the army. Instead of facing them head on, the group devises an ingenious plan to dress Fezzik up in a large black cloak, and use some trickery to make him appear to be the Dread Pirate Roberts. The effect is appropriately cheesy and fun, and Andre the Giant's performance really helps to sell the tongue-in-cheek nature of the scene. Because it embraces its goofiness, the sequence allows the audience to laugh along with the characters as they pull a fast one on the guards. Even without a single piece of violence, the scene is quite effective. Having a scene that completely goes against expectations is exactly what makes The Princess Bride such a perfect fantasy film, and it keeps things from getting too bombastic or overdone. With so much emotional payoff in the ensuing moments to close out the film, the storming the castle scene is a brief laugh before things get more serious. However, without any actual fighting to speak of, the scene does lose points when compared to other moments in the film. The humor goes a long way in redeeming the scene, but it is blown out of the water by the strong choreography and emotional impact of fights that came before and after. 3 Westley Vs. Fezzik Speed & Strength Collide In A Charming Fight Scene Immediately after besting Inigo Montoya, Westley continues to doggedly pursue Princess Buttercup. This brings him into direct conflict with the towering Fezzik, who is tasked with destroying the pursuer by any means necessary. Unlike the Inigo and Westley duel, Fezzik is considerably larger, making him a much more challenging adversary. However, Westley uses his quickness and wit to out-think the lumbering goon, and the movie's fight choreography helps to make everything look quite convincing. Instead of pitting the two head-to-head in a fistfight, there is cleverness and humor involved in Westley's eventual toppling of the wrestler-turned-actor. Andre the Giant's real-life wrestling skills also help to make things look more realistic. Andre the Giant is a one-time WWE champion, though he held many other titles around the globe. Though it's much shorter than his fight with Inigo, the scrap between Westley and Fezzik is just the right length. Any longer and the choreography would have been stretched to the limit, and any shorter would have made Fezzik look weak. The fight also scores points for using the environment, with the large boulders framing them like a wrestling ring. It doesn't rank as highly though, because it follows such a fast-paced and exciting moment between Inigo and Westley. If the movie had given a bit of time between the two fights, there might have been more impact in the long run. It's still better than other fights in the movie because it's the perfect combination of humor and excitement. Related Mandy Patinkin's 10 Best Movies And TV Shows The best Mandy Patinkin movies and TV shows make it clear why he's one of the most subtly respected actors working in Hollywood. 2 Inigo Montoya Vs. Westley A Duel Between Gentleman That Nearly Steals The Show The Princess Bride doesn't have a lot of fight scenes, but it was clear which one director Rob Reiner wanted to be the centerpiece of the movie. The first meeting between eventual allies Westley and Inigo Montoya starts off quite gentlemanly, which is ironic because they're trying to cut one another into ribbons. The first meeting between eventual allies Westley and Inigo Montoya starts off quite gentlemanly, which is ironic because they're trying to cut one another into ribbons. Having scaled an inconceivable cliff, Westley is prepared to sword-fight Inigo to the death, and Inigo is prepared to do the same. Despite this adversarial tone, the pair remain cordial, and even drop quite a bit of exposition for the sake of the audience. While the scene is very humorous in its odd juxtaposition, it's also brilliantly choreographed. Inigo and Westley are almost matched in swordcraft, though it's hilariously revealed that both men were initially using their off hands. Fun sword blocking is matched by a few acrobatic stunts, and the entire fight flows with an exciting rhythm that isn't found in the rest of the movie. The scene isn't just funny, and it isn't just exhilarating, it's both in tandem, which is something that can only be found in The Princess Bride. It's a smart way to endear the characters to each other, and the audience, and it gets a lot of exposition out of the way without having to have long boring dialogue scenes. 1 Inigo Montoya Vs. Count Rugen The Spaniard Finally Gets His Revenge Though the quest to rescue Princess Buttercup is the main narrative thrust, The Princess Bride also gives Inigo Montoya a compelling revenge arc. Throughout the film, Inigo discusses his desire to get revenge against the six-fingered man who killed his father, and he finally meets him in the castle. The fight between Inigo and Rugen is slow-paced and methodical, and surprisingly bloody for a film that's otherwise tame. Inigo takes quite a bit of damage in the early going, but his determination and grit allow him to stick it out. Inigo repeats his catchphrase like a mantra, and he slowly exacts his vengeance on the cowardly Rugen. While the fight isn't as flashy as others in The Princess Bride, or as funny, the final fight scene in the movie is also the best because of its emotion. Inigo is such a likable character that the viewer wants desperately to see him succeed, and Rugen is so despicable that it's fun to see him get his just deserts. The Princess Bride 10/10 Release Date October 9, 1987 Runtime 98 minutes Director Rob Reiner Writers William Goldman

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