Summary
WARNING: Big Spoiler!! So proceed with caution...
It all begins with a Grandfather telling the story to his less than
enthusiastic Grandson...
The story opens in the country of Florin with
Buttercup treating her "Farm
Boy" not so well, "his name was Westley, but she never called him that."
Very soon she realizes he loves her, she loves him, and he sets off for
America "to make his fortune across the sea." But she finds out that he
has been murdered by the Dread Pirate Roberts "who never leaves
captives alive."
5 years later at Humperdink's castle--Prince Humperdink is annoucing his
bride-to-be and we find out it is the Princess Buttercup. She doesn't
love him, but he "has the right to choose his bride."
Next we see that
Buttercup is riding her horse through the forest and comes across three
strange looking men: one short, intelligent man (Vizzini), a Spaniard
(Inigo), and a giant (Fezzik). They kidnap her and Vizzini reveals that
he wants to start a war with the nearby country Guilder by murdering
Buttercup and leaving her on the "Guilder frontier"--although Inigo and
Fezzik aren't happy with this, they follow orders. They sail away on a
ship, but soon realize they are being followed by a ship that is gaining
on them. The man following their ship also follows them to the Cliffs of Insanity. When
they reach the top, Vizzini has Inigo stay behind to kill the man
following them (the Man-in-Black) because he (Inigo) is a master swordsman. When the
Man-in-Black reaches the top of the cliffs, Inigo reveals he wants
revenge on a man with six fingers who killed his father. Inigo and the
Man-in-Black find they have a mutual respect for eachother, but they
must duel and the Man-in-Black wins, but does not kill Inigo. Vizzini
sees that the Man-in-Black is still following them, so he has Fezzik stay
behind to kill him. They wrestle and again the Man-in-Black wins, but he
doesn't kill Fezzik. Then he confronts Vizzini and they have a battle of
wits...and of course the Man-in-Black wins again. From there, he grabs
Buttercup and they run off.
Meanwhile, Prince Humperdink has been
following them with his friend Count Rugen.
Back to the running MIB and Buttercup: Buttercup believes the Man-in-Black is the Dread Pirate Roberts who killed her Westley, and when he admits he is, she pushes him down a
large hill. As he falls, he reveals he is actually Westley, so she
tumbles down the hill after him. They are reunited at the bottom. They
soon realize Humperdink is chasing them, so they are forced to go into the
Fire Swamp (where no one has ever survived). They enter and
Westley explains his absence and that he actually is the DPR (and how that would work). After some
adventures in the Fire Swamp, they escape and find that Humperdink is waiting
for them. Buttercup agrees to go with him, if he'll free Westley. He
agrees but has left instructions with Count Rugen to throw him in The Pit
of Despair--Westley realizes Rugen is the six fingered man Inigo was
searching for.
In the Pit of Despair, Westley is tortured, and Buttercup has bad dreams;
she finally goes to Humperdink and tells him she cannot live without Westley and that she'll kill herself if she has to marry Humperdink. He agrees to search for Westley
(lying of course); Buttercup eventually realizes this is a lie and maddens Humperdink by calling him some unfriendly names, so he kills Westley.
Fezzik and Inigo are re-united and Fezzik has learned about Rugen (the six fingered man) and tells this to Inigo. Inigo
wants to kill him, but as he has "no gift for strategy" he tells Fezzik that he needs the
Man-in-Black to help him. When they go to find him, they learn he has
been killed, and so they bring his body to Miracle Max (a miracle man).
When Miracle Max realizes that he can get back at Humperdink (who fired
him) by helping Westley, he gives him a miracle potion to bring him back
to life, but he warns them to wait for full potency.
Fezzik and Inigo go to the castle wall and revive Westley (the evening of
Humperdink's marriage to Buttercup), but they give
him the miracle pill too early and he is left with no strength. He does
work out a plan to get into the castle, however, and they get inside to
find Rugen and guards facing them. Ingio utters his famous lines:
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya--you kill my father; prepare to die..."
(speaking to Rugen). Rugen runs away and Inigo chases after him.
Meanwhile Buttercup has been married to Humperdink and is depressed that
Westley has not come for her. She tells Humperdink's father that she will
kill herself once she has reached the honeymoon suite. Luckily, Westley
has found his way there and so they are again reunited (but he still has
no strength).
Meanwhile, Rugen has thrown a knife at Inigo and he is
struck in the stomach. Rugen waits to watch him die, but Inigo uses some
inner strength and kills Rugen.
Back in the Honeymoon suite, Humperdink
comes in to find Buttercup and Westley there. Humperdink challenges: "To
the death" but Westley counters with "To the pain" telling him how he'll
leave Humperdink "wallowing in freakish misery forever"--Humperdink gives
up and they tie him to a chair.
Then Inigo, Westley, and Fezzik are all reunited and with Buttercup, they
ride off on white horses into the sunset, and Buttercup and
Westley are finally together again.
The Grandfather then ends the story...
"As you wish"
Sounds good doesn't it? Of course it doesn't do the movie complete justice, but it's the basic story! So, go rent it! (If you haven't seen it!)
| Back to the Dread Pirate Roberts' Main Page | Go to the smorgenstern.com site | To Cyber Haus |