It’s a really great point you make about all of the good guys having hearts of gold, but also capable of being just as dangerous and “bad” as the bad guys.

I love how you put Westley into some very interesting perspective by comparing him to Luke, Solo and the rest. Nice analysis.

Keep this up and I might make you a guest blogger here doing reviews of your own!

“You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha…”

And I also love this movie — easily one of my all-time favorites — but I did think that of all the actors, Billy Crystal did (imho) try a little too hard to steal the show. Maybe it was the makeup or the fact that I’ve seen his “curmudgeony old Jewish guy” character in so many other stand-up routines and movies… but he was the only character that, when they first hit the screen, I thought of the actor first and their character second. Carol Kane was magnificent as his wife.

I think the coolest thing about the movie is that it does such a good job of showing you how decent and kind and pure-of-heart the “good guys” are that you forget that they’re all really just as “evil” as the bad guys. It’s not just Inigo and Fezzik as thugs, but Westley himself was the most murderous and feared pirate on the high seas before returning for his true love.

And the writing is awesome, because so many of the jokes are so quickly told, so witty, and yet delivered so understatedly, that you discover new things about how funny the movie is even after watching it several times.

For me, the movie was so much more awesome than other movies because Westley was my favorite movie role model. Remember, this was the age of Luke Skywalker, Indiana Jones, Ferris Bueller, etc… Out of all of these main “good guy” characters, the one I wished I was most like was Westley, because he was really the ultimate combination of all the traits I’d hope to have — he was smart, witty, handsome, romantic. He was tough enough to withstand torture and yet gentle enough to find true love and stay committed. He was better at swordplay than a master swordsman and was smarter than the genius. He had travelled and seen the world and yet never stopped yearning for what he left behind. He was a fierce pirate and yet the most loyal of friends. He was polite and sophisticated and yet brutally violent (“to the pain!”).

When you think about it, he’s a completely impossible person to be. So many of his most endearing traits are directly at odds with each other.

Luke Skywalker is a whiny little brat who becomes special because he’s born with a magical ability that most people don’t have. The only difference between him and Harry Potter is that Harry Potter isn’t a douchebag in the beginning of the story.

Han Solo is a swarthy sarcastic free-wheeling fun-loving pirate, but he’s kind of a dick to women.

Ferris Bueller is just a conceited prankster who’s own ego dominates the entire movie. You’re rooting for him, of course, but deep down you’re thinking “If I knew this guy I’d want to see him get his ass kicked.”

But Westley doesn’t evoke any of those “love him but hate him” feelings. And in the end, it’s why we love him and the movie. Truly.