Book vs. Movie Review: The Princess Bride

Hello!
Welcome to my second day of my Halloween Blog Party!

I am super excited to review this because there are a few movies that I have always remembered seeing, and this is one of them! Plus, this year is the 30th anniversary of the movie!!!
"Do you always begin conversation like this?"

My older sister came up with this idea after I said I wanted to be Captain Hook, and I agreed that it was a good one! And now to do a review....

"It won't be easy."

"Try ruling the world sometime."

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless it says so. 

The Princess Bride - by S. Morgenstern (William Goldman):

"As you wish..."
Buttercup is just a farm girl, but she is the most beautiful woman in the world. She loves Westley, but after a few accidents, she catches the eye of Prince Humperdink who wants to marry her. She begins will marry him in a few weeks, but she is kidnapped!
"You understand nothing, but it really doesn't matter, since what you mean is, you're glad to see me, just as I'm glad to see you because no more loneliness."
Genre: Adventure, Romance, Swashbuckler!
Characters: 9, they are pretty great, Mr. Goldman did a great job!
My favorites:
Westley, 'The farm boy had eyes like the sea before a storm...'
Fezzik
Inigo
Buttercup
Miracle Max, "Let's be honest with each other; sure, you're a genius, but even a genius gets rusty."
Words: 7, a few bad words and swearing.
'It was death chess and he was international grand master.'
Notes: In the "abridgement" Mr. Goldman mentions The Wizard of Oz.
Notes on introduction: The book is pretty clean, but the introduction is not so much (swearing, suggestive stuff). And if you read the first chapter of the "sequel" it has suggestive stuff.
Storyline: 6, there is revenge, fighting, kissing, talk of killing, drinking, torture, and death.
"Excuses are the refuge of cowards."
Good For: Adventure lovers!
Overall Score: 8! It is a great book! "That is perhaps the most childishly obvious remark I have ever come across, but what can you expect from a strangler."


VS.


The Princess Bride (1987):

Based on the book by William Goldman:
"As you wish..."
A Grandfather decides to read The Princess Bride to his Grandson. "When I was your age, television was called books." A book of "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..."
Buttercup has lived her whole life on a farm, until Prince Humperdinck decides to marry her. One day as she is out on her daily ride, she gets kidnapped!
"Life is pain, highness, anyone who says otherwise is selling something."
Oh, and did I mention the awesome fencing scene?

Genre: Adventure, Romance, Swashbuckler!
Length: 98 minutes (approx.).
"Move that thing...and that other thing!"
Costumes: 9, they are all so beautiful! There are a few scenes where someone isn't wearing a shirt.
My favorite:

Script: 9, it is brilliant! There are maybe one of two bad words.
"Inconceivable!"
"You keep using that word, I do not think that word means what you think it means."

Crew:
Directed by: Rob Reiner.
Produced by:
Andrew Scheinman,
Rob Reiner.
Based on: The Princess Bride, - by William Goldman.
Screenplay by: William Goldman.
Starring:
Robin Wright as Buttercup.

Chris Sarandon as Prince Humperdinck. "I think everything is a trap, that's why I'm still alive."

Cary Elwes as Westley.
Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya. "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die."

Peter Falk as Grandpa/The Narrator.

Fred Savage as The Grandson. "I wasn't worried, maybe I was concerned. It's not the same thing."

Christopher Guest as Count Tyrone Rugen.

André the Giant as Fezzik. "Am I going mad or did the word 'think' escape your lips?"

Wallace Shawn as Vizzini. "Did I make it clear that your job is at stake?"

"I'm waiting!"

Billy Crystal as Miracle Max.

Carol Kane as Valerie, Max's wife.
Peter Cook as The Impressive Clergyman.
Mel Smith as The Albino.

Malcolm Storry as Yellin.
Willoughby Gray as The King.
All these actors and actresses are so perfect for their parts!!!

"You seem a decent fellow, I hate to kill you."

"You seem a decent fellow, I hate to die."

Music: 10!! My favorite is "Storybook Love", here it is:

Music by: Mark Knopfler.
Quotes: 10! My favorite ever is super long, so I'll just put part of it:
"No more rhyming now, I mean it!"
"Anybody want a peanut?"
Notes: Eels instead of sharks.
Storyline: 7, there is death, kissing, fighting, talk of killing, revenge, creepy R.O.U.S's and torture. I can't be picky about how it relates to the book because William Goldman wrote the screenplay! It is a great movie!
"Is this a kissing book?"

(Look at this sword!)

Good For: Everyone, People who love swashbucklers!

"The cliffs of insanity!"
Overall Score: 9!!!
"Have fun storming the castle!"
"Do think it will work?"
"It'll take a miracle."


The movie wins!!! (Wow, that's a first!)


"Who are you?"
"No one of consequence." ~Thoughts on the Dread Pirate Roberts.

'But--
--in the farthest corner of the Great Square--
--in the highest building in the land--
--deep in the deepest shadow--
--the man in black stood waiting.
His boots were black and leather. His pants were black and his shirt. His mask was black, blacker than raven. But blackest of all were his flashing eyes.
Flashing and cruel and deadly...' ~The Princess Bride - by William Goldman.

"Once word leaks out that a pirate has gone soft, people begin to disobey you, and it's nothing but work, work, work all the time."

"Good work, sleep well, I'll most likely kill you in the morning."

(Because of spoilers I can't say much but he really is a great character!)

About my older sister's costume:

"I am not left-handed."
My sister is actually left handed.

Anyway, the costume was really simple, the mask was a little bit harder.

"Why are you wearing a mask?"
"They are rather comfortable, I think everyone will be wearing them in the future."

How does she compare to the movie?

What do you think?

Also, since Daylight Savings time is coming up...

Thank you for reading!

MovieCritic

Book vs. Movie Review: Howl's Moving Castle

Hello!
I just re-read Howl's Moving Castle - by Diana Wynne Jones, which reminded me how much better it is than the movie! Here I am to review both!

Howl's Moving Castle - by Diana Wynne Jones:

 

The eldest of three girls, Sophie, knows that since she is the eldest nothing will ever happen to her, or if she tries to seek her fortune something terrible will happen. The best thing to do is sit in the hat shop and make hats.
"You are going to have to marry money."
One day, the Witch of the Waste storms in and turns Sophie into an old woman! And the worst part is she can't tell anybody that she is under a spell unless they already know! Sophie runs away and comes upon the Wizard Howl's Moving Castle. Where she pretends to be a cleaning lady to try to find a way to break the spell she is under.
Genre: Fantasy
Characters: 9, there are so many fun characters and they are all so complex!
My Favorites:
Sophie, it is so interesting to see how a person's view can change. She is so determined. "Out Spiders! Out of my way!"
Michael, he is so sweet and kind and does his best.
Calcifer, he has quite a trickster side.
Lettie and Martha, I love their stories through all of this!
Words: 8, a few bad words, but not too bad. "Now go downstairs and think of something else to do. Please. I hate quarreling with people."
Quotes: 9, "Help me someone! I'm dying from neglect up here!"
Storyline: 9, it is such a good story! It has a little bit of playing with another person's feelings, and some drunkenness. I definitely recommend this!
Good For: Once again, anyone can read any book, but I think these people would really like them!
Sisters, Anyone who feels different than others, anyone going through a hard time.
Overall Score: 9!

VS.

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

  

Based on the book by Diana Wynne Jones.
After being turned into an old lady, Sophie goes to the Wizard Howl's Moving Castle posing as a cleaning lady. She makes a deal with the fire demon, Calcifer, that if she breaks his contract he will break her spell.

"I'm the worst kind of witch, the kind that cleans!"

Genre: Fantasy

Costumes: 9, well, we are talking about animation here, but I like this.
Script: 9, only one or two bad words. "She likes my spark!"

Crew: Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by: Toshio Suzuki. Screenplay by: Hayao Miyazaki
Based on: Howl's Moving Castle - by Diana Wynne Jones
Starring: (As this film is in both Japanese and English, I will list both country's actors.)
Chieko Baisho (Japanese) and Emily Mortimer (English) as young Sophie, √ Emily Mortimer has a bit too much of an accent.

Chieko Baisho (Japanese) and Jean Simmons (English) as old Sophie, √

Takuya Kimura (Japanese) and Christian Bale (English) as Howl, √

Tatsuya Gashūin (Japanese) and Billy Crystal (English) as Calcifer, √

Ryūnosuke Kamiki (Japanese) and Josh Hutcherson (English) as Markl, Eh

Akihiro Miwa (Japanese) and Lauren Bacall (English) as the Witch of the Waste, √

Music: 8, very nice!
Music by: Joe Hisaishi
Quotes: 9, "I don't cook. I'm a scary and powerful fire demon!"

"Nom, nom! Nom! Nom, nom!"

Notes: In one point Sophie is looking out the door and Markl asks, "Wanna lose your nose?" meaning that he is going to close the door. In another Hayao Miyazaki film, Spirited Away, one person asks another the same question!!
Storyline: 5, I'm giving it a lower score because of how different it is from the book (not that I really mind), but the content isn't bad. There are just some scary and intense scenes which may be too much for little kids. About 11 and up would be fine, but it depends on the person.

What happened! This is not the same thing as the book.
1. Who in the world is Markl!? In the book it is Michael, and he is fifteen, not nine.
2. What is with Howl turning into the creepy monster!?
3. Were they feeling sorry for the Witch of the Waste? That is not at all how her story goes!
4. They didn't do anything with Lettie and Martha!
5. The ending is all screwy!
But, it is a Hayao Miyazaki movie so it is spectacular!
Good For: 
All ages, but there are some really creepy scenes that little kids might not be able to handle.
Overall Score: 7

The book wins!

I have reviewed this for:

Meredith's Beauty and the Beast Week!
Howl's Moving Castle is really a retelling of Beauty and the Beast!

SPOILER ALERT! If you have not read or seen Howl's Moving Castle, read no further! 

1. Sophie is Belle, and Beast. She has to go off and live with this wizard, but because she is the ugly one not the beautiful one. She is under a spell and she is hoping that it will be cured.
2. Howl is Beast. He is more like Beast in the movie because of the terrible monster that he turns into. But he is still very vain.
3. Michael, or Markl, is sort of a Lumier, he is very kind and lets Sophie in though he does get tired of her.
4. The book is more like Beauty and the Beast it the way that so many things turn into other things.
5. (drum roll please)..... Calcifer is the Rose!

I hope you all liked this review!
Have you been able to see the 2017 Beauty and the Beast yet? I haven't, but I can't wait!
Thank you so much Meredith for hosting this great week!!!

MovieCritic