I struggled with the letter "P." There are so many great films that start with this letter, it almost seems a shame to elevate one over the others. But ultimately there can be only one, and that one must be The Princess Bride.
Ok, I'm about to give every reason The Princess Bride should NOT be the best of the letter "P." There is good writing, but I've seen better. There's passable acting, with the occasional brilliant bits, but I've seen better. The special effects are terrible, the makeup and monster effects laughable, and the overall feeling of the film is total cornball. There is not much that is artistic about it, and some of the production values are rather bargain bin, to put it mildly.
But in terms of everything coming together just right, it is perfect. Sure it's corny, but the charm meter is off the chart. And it has a great gift for rhyme.
The Princess Bride will forever be a reminder to me of one of the chief functions of film; it is peerless entertainment. On that basis alone, and even though other films might get a higher score from me overall, I say that it is the best film you can watch that starts with the letter "P."
Entertainment: 10/10
Artistic Value: 3/10
Technical Merit: 5/10
Overall: 8/10
(P.S. This score represents some changes from my first review. I have the hardest time thinking about the technical side -I really think most of the poor production value stuff is purposeful. But even so, there is so much technically that could have been done so much better.)
Runners Up for the Letter "P:"
- The Philadelphia Story (1940)
- Psycho (1960)
- Planet of the Apes (1968)
- The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- The Prestige (2006)
- The Poseidon Adventure (1972) -Not really a great film, but since it was my parent's first date, it gets an honorable mention. It at least leads to great things!
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