Preface: I’ve been a humongous Princess Bride fan since before my balls dropped, and an even bigger fan afterwards. However, I’m also a humongous (not just fat, either) fan of Pirates, having seen it in theatres more times than any other movie (three, so far, and most likely gonna see it at least two or three times more).
Further preface: I fully recognize that this is subjective. I’m not asking “Which is the better film?” I’m asking “Which do you like better?”
Now, an overview:
-The Princess Bride, in my opinion, has been the definitive swashbuckling fantasy film, being THE pinnacle of what movies of that genre should aspire to, from the past two decades. It has a lot of class, history, power, wit, and fun. The characters are extremely likeable, and the story is crafted masterfully… and, to top it all off, the swordfighting is just fucking cool.
-Pirates of the Caribbean is probably one of the most refreshingly surprising movies ever created (based on a friggin’ RIDE, fer Christ’s sake), but it easily matches TPB for fun and color. In my opinion, it has a very good story, powerful and not leaving any significant plot holes, and it has some extremely colorful characters.
Me, personally, I would have to say that I like POTC more, for the following reasons (and this is where the subjectivity comes in). In TPB, we have a very clear delineation between “good” and “bad”: Westley, Fezzik, Inigo, and Buttercup are “good”, whereas Vizzini, Humperdink, and Count Rugen are “bad”, and never the twain shall meet. For me, this is a poor filmmaking tactic, dividing things up so much into black and white. There are few redeeming qualities in Humperdink and Rugen (though Vizzini… I just wanna pinch his cheeks).
On the other hand, the only characters which are clear and B&W are Elizabeth and Will. All others are shades of gray, which is a character creation choice that I personally prefer. Jack Sparrow is a “good” guy, seeking what he perceives as his only means of achieving freedom, but he’s got his rascally side to him. Same with Commodore Norrington… he’s a man of duty, technically an “antagonist” (a minor one, but still…) for parts of the film, but ultimately, he turns out to be a man of honor, one who is willing to make exceptions, a man that isn’t selfish and truly is trustworthy, even if a tad rude and terse at times.
And, most importantly, there’s Captain Barbossa: A villain, dislikeable, evil as all get out, a wicked, twisted man. HOWEVER, he’s a sympathetic character, in my opinion… a man who has performed evil deeds, and has suffered greatly as a result, being constantly tortured for a decade, unable to enjoy anything in his life, unable to feel anything. His goal was solely to regain his humanity… witness his line: “You know what I’m going to do after the curse is lifted? Eat a whooole bushel of apples!”
Conversely, in TPB, Count Rugen’s character came across as very flat, a man who is aloof to the events that are going on around him. His goals remain ambiguous, his purposes for doing what he does seems to be mere curiosity. In short, he’s really just sociopathic, in my opinion. Similarly, Humperdink is just a big, whiney pussy that wants to start a war “for some reason”… it’s never explained just WHY he wants to go to war with Guilder, other than an implication that more land is good. These characters exist solely to create an antagonism… there’s no sympathy or understanding for them.
Of course, TPB’s superiority lies in its wit and colorful characters. Whereas the best dialogue and actions came from Sparrow and Barbossa in POTC, in TPB just about EVERY character had their shining moments. The quartet of Westley, Inigo, Fezzik, and Buttercup had greater character interaction compared to Sparrow, Will, and Elizabeth. However, I found the swordfighting in POTC to be more satisfying, and the secondary characters in POTC were easily a match - and then some - for the likes of Miracle Max and Valerie. Furthermore, the sea battle and action was a humongous plus for POTC… compare it to the battles from, say, Cutthroat Island (sigh), and it’s easily got some of the better naval moments of the past twenty years.
So there’re my reasons: Whereas TPB is superior in terms of writing and wit, POTC makes up with more complicated characters, less black-and-white. The two, in my opinion, equal each other in terms of fun or entertainment, with POTC having a greater emphasis on action while TPB’s emphasis is clever dialogue and character interactions. I prefer the “bigger” and “bolder” style of Pirates… which is not to say I think TPB is a weak movie. That’s like comparing a good lay with a good blowjob, frankly.
So, what thinkest thou all, Teeming Millions? Who likes which, for what reasons?
