30 Best Movies Like Princess Bride Every Fan Needs to Know
The Princess Bride is a timeless classic that has captured the hearts of audiences for generations. With its unique blend of adventure, romance, comedy, and action, it’s no wonder why this movie continues to be a fan favorite. The film follows the journey of Buttercup, a beautiful princess, and Westley, her true love, as they embark on a daring quest filled with danger and obstacles to be reunited. The witty one-liners, memorable characters, and touching love story make The Princess Bride a difficult movie to forget.
For those who are looking for similar movies that offer an equivalent level of excitement, humor, and heart, there are many options out there. From action-packed adventures to heartwarming love stories, cinema has something to offer everyone. This article will look at some of the best movies like Princess Bride that are worth checking out. Whether you’re a fan of the original movie or just looking for something new, these films are sure to capture your imagination and leave you with a smile on your face.
Willow (1988)
In the captivity of the powerful sorceress queen Bavmorda (J. Marsh), a little girl Elora was born, who, according to the prophecy, should take the queen’s place, and she had her executed. However, the nanny manages to escape with the little girl and lets her float down the river. The water washes Elora into the dwarven village, and she is found by farmer Willow (W. Davis) and his two children.
As the child’s stay in the village poses a danger to its inhabitants, Willow is entrusted with the difficult task of guarding little Elora and taking her back to her homeland to the Daikin race, making sure that she does not fall into the wrong hands, and to fulfill the written prophecy. Along the way, he is joined by the warrior Madmartigan (V. Kilmer), the Brownies elves, and the sorceress Raziel (P. Hayes)…
A Knight’s Tale (2001)
After the death of his master, the young servant William (Heath Ledger) is left to fend for himself and, apart from his knight’s armor, he has no possessions. Discovering that he is extremely skilled with weapons and particularly eloquent with the ladies, William sets out on a journey in the company of his eccentric companions Roland (Mark Addy ), Kate (Laura Fraser), Wat (Alan Tudyk) and Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany).
Using the pseudonym Ulrich von Liechtenstein, William blazes and blazes through tournaments across France, until he meets the beautiful Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon). But there is also a cruel opponent, Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell)…
Eragon (2006)
The kingdom of Alagaësia is ruled by the evil King Galbatorix (John Malkovich), a former dragon rider who betrayed his comrades in his quest for power and authority. When the boy Eragon (Ed Speleers) finds a dragon egg sent by Princess Arya (Sienna Guillory), he decides to take care of it.
Shortly after the birth of the dragon Saphira (Rachel Weisz – voice), Eragon meets Brom (Jeremy Irons), who becomes his mentor, and Eragon, a dragon rider, who, according to an ancient prophecy, will free his people from the tyrant Galbatorix. The boy meets the rebels and fights with them against the evil wizard Durza (Robert Carlyle) and Galbatorix’s army.
The Witches (2020)
In the 1960s, a young boy named Charlie Hansen, who is an orphan and played by Jahzir Kadeem Bruno, finds himself in Alabama, staying with his grandmother, Agatha, portrayed by Octavia Spencer, at a hotel. It is here where he stumbles upon a conference of witches that would change his life forever.
The young boy, Charlie, is eventually turned into a mouse by the Grand High Witch, played by Anne Hathaway. This encounter with the witches and the transformation into a mouse leads Charlie on a journey filled with danger, excitement, and the discovery of his own inner strength.
The transformation is a test for Charlie as he must navigate through a world that is now much larger than himself and face challenges he could never have imagined. As he learns more about the witches and their plans, Charlie realizes that he may be the only one who can stop them and save those he loves.
Moonstruck (1987)
Loretta Castorini (Cher) is 37 years old, works as an accountant and lives with her parents. She is a widow, her husband died in an accident just two years after the wedding. Johnny Cammareri (D. Aiello) is an old guy, not very attractive or passionate, but he proposes to Loretta because he likes her and cares for him. Loretta is superstitious and makes him propose properly, on one knee and with a ring, because she doesn’t want the bad luck she had the first time to happen again.
She believes that her first marriage ended badly because she did not get married properly, in a church, in a wedding dress, accompanied by her father. Her father, Cosmo (V. Gardenia), disapproves of the marriage because he doesn’t like Johnny and because he is superstitious himself, so he believes that Loretta can’t be lucky in marriage, and Loretta’s mother Rose (O. Dukakis), is pleased that Loretta is not in love. “A man takes advantage of you when you love him, because he knows he can,” she teaches her daughter. The wedding is arranged, but before that, Johnny has to travel to Palermo, because his mother is tired.
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In the meantime, he asks Loretta to give birth to his younger brother Ronny (N. Cage), with whom he has been at odds for five years and invites him to the wedding. Unlike Johnny, Ronny is passionate and temperamental but also an unhappy young man because he lost his hand in an accident. He blames his brother for the accident and that’s why he doesn’t talk to him, and because he was disabled, the girl he loved left him. Although rude and awkward, or maybe because of that, Ronny awakens feelings in Loretta that Johnny never…
Ella Enchanted (2004)
When she turned one year old, her mother and her mother’s friend Mandy (M. Driver) tried to hide Ella from the fairy Lucinda (V.A. Fox), who came to give the girl a gift, because the fairy Lucinda was known for giving terrible gifts. But they failed to hide her, because Ella cried loudly, and this inspired the fairy Lucinda to give her the gift of obedience. She immediately ordered the child to stop crying and the child obeyed.
From then until she grew up, Ella (A. Hathaway) had to obey everything anyone would order her to do. Ella’s mother fell seriously ill and before her death, she told Ella the secret of her obedience. No one could undo the fairy’s curse except the fairy who uttered it, so Ella decided to find the fairy, Lucinda.
Big Fish (2003)
Llyri Belacqui (Dakota Blue Richards) is an orphan whose only living relative is the powerful and respected Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig). Lyra attends Oxford’s Jordan College. The beautiful Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman) chooses Llyra as her companion on her journey north. Llyra is full of expectations. She fantasizes about meeting polar bears, but before leaving, her best friend Roger (Ben Walker) is kidnapped by the mysterious organization Magisterium.
The headmaster of the college trustingly gives Lyra a golden compass. He will reveal the truth to her, but she must not let the compass fall into the hands of Mrs. Coulter. Life with Mrs. Coulter is not what Llyra imagined and, after a violent incident, she runs away. This is where her mission to find and save Roger begins – a journey on which she will be joined by many companions, the armored polar bear Iorek Byrnison (voice of Ian McKellen), an aeronaut named Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliott), the leader of the Zingar John Faa (Jim Carter) and witch queen Serafina Pekkala (Eva Green).
Ladyhawke (1985)
Damned to eternity, two lovers in medieval France desperately search for a way to be together again. It seems that no earthly force can help them, because at night he becomes a wolf, and during the day she turns into a falcon.
The thief Phillipe Gastone (Matthew Broderick), known as Mouse, escapes from the Aquila dungeon. A relentless pursuit led by the Bishop of Aguila (John Wood) soon begins, but the fugitive is rescued by the knight, Captain Navarre (Rutger Hauer). Noble Navarre has also been hunted for two years, ever since he eloped with Lady Isabeau (Michelle Pfeiffer), whom Bishop has always lusted after.
The consequence is the curse that the Bishop cast on the two of them; Navarre turns into a wolf at night, and Isabeau into a falcon during the day. The lovers are constantly tormented by their transformations and can only see each other for a moment, at dawn. Navarre asks Phillipe for help to get inside and kill the well-guarded Bishop. She succeeds in her pleas and the two set out to destroy Bishop and break the evil curse placed on the lovers.
Mirror Mirror (2012)
After their beloved king abandons them, his ruthless wife takes control of the kingdom and his beautiful 18-year-old stepdaughter, Snow White, whom she hides in the palace.
But when the princess catches the attention of a charming and wealthy prince, the jealous queen chases the girl into a nearby forest. Snow White then teams up with a gang of quarrelsome dwarves to reclaim the kingdom that is rightfully hers… and of course her prince.
DragonHeart (1996)
In the summer of the Lord in 984, the young prince Einon (L. Oakes) witnesses the death of his father in a battle against rebellious peasants. The badly wounded Einon himself is saved by his mentor, the knight Bowen (D. Quaid), who teaches him honor, swordsmanship and knightly behavior from an early age.
Bowen and Einon’s mother, Queen Aislinn (J. Christie), take the mortally wounded prince to the cave where the dragon Draco (voice: Sean Connery) lives to revive him with his breath. Einon survives, but twelve years later, as the new king (D. Thewlis), he turns into a cruel tyrant. Considering the dragon to blame for such a turn, Bowen abandons his protégé and devotes himself to the extermination of dragons.
But he meets Draco again, the last of these mythical creatures, and realizing his mistake, teams up with him to save the kingdom from the ruler’s tyrannical rule.
Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)
Danielle is the daughter of a deceased French nobleman, raised as a servant and belittled by her cruel stepmother Radmilla and her daughters Marguerite and Jaqueline. Her life changes completely when she meets Prince Henry, the future king of France.
The second time they meet, the prince shows interest in young Danielle. The wedding day approaches with no official bride in sight, and the cruel Marguerite has a strong desire to take her place.
Hook (1991)
Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is a forty-year-old lawyer who has completely forgotten his true identity. Pressed by obligations, Banning neglected his family and pushed deep into oblivion the fact that he was actually Peter Pan.
When the Bannings visit Peter’s grandmother Maggie in London, the lawyer’s children are kidnapped by the evil Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) from Neverland, and the grandmother reminds Banning of his childlike soul. Encouraged by the old woman’s words, Peter Pan sets out on a mission to save the children, and the lovely Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) arrives to help him.
The Secret of Moonacre (2008)
After her father’s death, the thirteen-year-old Maria was left with nothing but one book as an inheritance from her entire fortune, and the girl was forced to leave London with her nanny and go live with her eccentric uncle Benjamin Merryweather in the Valley of the Moon.
An inherited book reveals many secrets, so her uncle takes the book from her, but that won’t stop Maria from finding out the truth. Once upon a time, two families, Merryweather and De Noir, clashed, and ever since then, the Valley of the Moon has been cursed. Only the Moon Princess can remove the curse of the valley.
The Goonies (1985)
Mikey (S. Astin) and Brandon (J. Brolin) Walsh are brothers whose family, along with the rest of the neighborhood, will soon have to move, because the land has caught the eye of greedy corrupt people from a corporation that wants to build a golf course on their fields.
When Mikey and his friends find an old dusty map in the attic, it turns out that it is real and can indeed lead them to a missing treasure that belonged to the cruel pirate One-Eyed Will back in the 17th century.
Carried away by the idea that they could use this money to save the neighborhood from demolition, they go in search and find the entrance to the cave, which is located just below the house where dangerous criminals, the Fratelli family, are hiding.
The Dark Crystal (1982)
Jen and Kira are two young Gelfingians (a humanoid race similar to hobbits), the last representatives of the species whose task is to fulfill the prophecies of the Dark Crystal, which disintegrated 1000 years ago and is under the control of the evil Skeksis. If Jen and Kira fail, the rule of the Skeksis will last forever and the two children embark on a mission to save their planet.
Excalibur (1981)
The wizard Merlin (N. Williamson) helps Uther Pendragon (G. Byrne) to use the sword Excalibur to defeat the disunited English nobles and unite England into one kingdom of which he is the king. But Uther longs for Igraine (K. Boorman), the wife of his rival, and this brings him downfall. Before he dies, Uther drives Excalibur into a stone from which no one but the rightful heir to the throne can extract it.
A few years later, Uther’s son Arthur (N. Terry), whom he conceived with Igraine, draws the sword, unaware of its power and significance. With Merlin’s help, Arthur is crowned king of England and establishes the Round Table, which will gather all the honorable English knights with the task of restoring the kingdom and fighting against corruption and evil. The honor of the Round Table is tarnished when one knight, Lancelot (N. Clay), commits adultery with Arthur’s wife, Queen Guinevere (C. Lunghi).
Arthur’s half-sister, the witch Morgana (H. Mirren) seduces Arthur using black magic and gives birth to a son, Mordred (R. Addie), with the intention of usurping the throne from Arthur. The kingdom is collapsing due to Arthur’s moral collapse and illness, people are dying from infections and the only salvation for the country is to find a cure for Arthur. All the knights start searching for salvation – the Holy Grail.
Inkheart (2008)
Mortimer “Mo” Folchart (Brendan Fraser) and his twelve-year-old daughter, Meggie (Eliza Bennett), are avid book fans. They are connected by an unusual and fantastic ability, namely, whenever they read a description of a character or object out loud, they pull it out of the book into our world. This very skill is the cause of the disappearance of Resa (Sienna Guilory), Meggie’s mother, who was trapped in a rare book called Inkheart.
The reappearance of that book will drag this little family into the biggest adventure of their lives.
First Knight (1995)
Without family and friendly ties behind him, without enemies and without fear, Lancelot (Richard Gere) seems to be the ideal warrior and King Arthur (Sean Connery) warmly welcomes him to the golden city of Camelot. Arthur is soon to marry Lady Guinevere (Julia Ormond), who agreed to the marriage not only because the king promised to protect her country, but because she really loves and appreciates him.
On the way to Camelot, Guinevere is jumped by the evil Malagant, but luckily Lancelot is nearby and saves her. The meeting between Lancelot and Guinevere awakens feelings in both of them that the future queen must tame at all costs. Arthur has no idea what kind of drama is taking place in the hearts of his most trusted persons.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
The story of the legendary defender of the poor has remained intact at its core: Robin Hood (Cary Elwes), an outlaw from Sherwood Forest, the only one who cares about the rights of oppressed residents is in conflict with his sworn enemy, the Sheriff of Rottingham (Roger Rees).
Robin’s true love is, as always, the beautiful Marian (Amy Yasbeck), but before a happy life with a fairy maiden, Robin must win over the evil Sheriff, and his superior, equally corrupt, Prince John (Richard Lewis)…
The Breakfast Club (1985)
It’s Saturday morning and five very different teenagers are serving time at a small school in the suburbs of Chicago. They are there for firing flares in the school locker, marking, bullying and setting off the school alarm.
By force of chance, this unusual group will find a common language and realize that, despite the initial differences, they share the same problems and feelings.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
The story and characters that audiences know and love come to life in a spectacular live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, the Disney animated classic that becomes a stunning cinematic event celebrating one of the most beloved stories ever told.
Beauty and the Beast is a fantastic journey of Belle, a smart, beautiful and independent girl who is captured by the Beast in his castle. Despite her fears, Belle befriends the enchanted staff and sees the noble heart and true prince behind the Beast’s fearsome appearance.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
In a city under occupation, a traveling troupe of actors presents a play about the legendary Baron Munchhausen, who supposedly, together with his troupe, traveled the world and went from adventure to adventure.
Then a man appears who introduces himself to everyone as the real Baron Munchausen, and after proving that he is telling the truth, he goes on his last journey in which he will try to save the city and its inhabitants.
The NeverEnding Story (1984)
The boy Bastian (B. Oliver) is an imaginative and sensitive child who, because of this, is often a victim of misunderstanding by adults and teasing of other children. Fleeing from a group of school bullies, Bastian hides in a bookstore, where he steals a mysterious book that he talked to the librarian about a moment before. He locks himself in the school attic and starts reading a story about a boy who lives in a fantasy world.
He is a warrior to Atreyu (N. Hathaway) who must save the sick Empress and all of Fantasia from a threat called the Void that is devouring everything before it. Atreyu embarks on an arduous journey to save his world, but time is running out. At one point, Bastian realizes that he is a part of that story and that the boy they mention as salvation is him.
Legend (1985)
The demon Lord of Darkness orders his subject, the goblin Blix, to kill the remaining unicorn horses, bearers of light and purity, so that eternal darkness reigns and he becomes the absolute ruler of the world. At the same time, forest boy Jack takes his girlfriend, the lovely princess Lily, deep into the forest to show her something she’s never seen before: a pair of beautiful white unicorn horses.
Lily is so amazed by the beauty of the noble creatures that she wants to touch them, even though Jack warns her that mortals must not touch these sacred animals. Lily sings a song in her beautiful voice to attract one of the unicorns, and when he comes to her, she caresses him. But Blix, who is hidden in an ambush with his helper, takes advantage of this and hits the unicorn with a poisonous arrow.
The unicorns run away, and Blix and the assistant follow and eventually catch up. Blix cuts off the magic horn of the dying animal and at that moment darkness and winter reign. Jack and Lily are lost to each other, and Jack is jumped by the elf Gump and his helpers, who convince him that he must fight the Dark Lord with them. And Lily the demon wants to make his co-ruler.
Cats (2019)
The Jellicles, a tribe of cats, have a yearly tradition where they must make a crucial decision. They must choose one of their own to ascend to the mysterious Heaviside Layer and be granted the gift of a brand new Jellicle life. This ceremony is a highly anticipated event within the tribe and holds great significance for the cats.
Each Jellicle cat aspires to be chosen for the journey to the Heaviside Layer and the chance to start anew. The decision is not taken lightly and much contemplation and discussion takes place before the final choice is made.
Peter Pan (2003)
One cold night in London during the reign of Edward VII, Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood) charms her younger brothers with tales of sword fights, adventures and tales of the legendary Captain Cook. When Peter Pan (Jeremy Sumpter) appears in the room that night together with the little jealous fairy Zvončica (Ludivine Sagnier), a great adventure begins.
The children, like little birds, follow him through the window, flying over the roofs of London houses all the way to the magical Neverland, where they begin their merry life. Facing rogue pirates, evil mermaids, a monstrous crocodile and, most terrifying of all, the steel hook that springs from Captain Hook’s (Jason Isaacs) right hand, Wendy and her brothers realize where they came from.
Stardust (2007)
Near an English village, there is a passage from our world to the magical kingdom of Stormhold, which the locals try to avoid. When he sees a shooting star falling into the enchanted world, young Tristan Thorn (Charlie Cox) promises the village beauty that he will bring it to her. He bravely goes to Stormhold, where he soon learns that the star is not a meteorite but the girl Yvaine (Claire Danes).
But Tristan is not the only one looking for Yvaine – three witches, led by Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), want her to make them young again, and the king’s sons seek a signal of the right to the crown. Yvaine will soon realize that only Tristan’s intentions are sincere, but his love is turned in another direction.
Time Bandits (1981)
The young boy’s clothes contain a time hole. A whole gallery of dwarves fleeing from the Superior Being passes through it. They take Kevin with them on various adventures through time, from the time of Napoleon, through the Middle Ages to the early nineties, and again in the time of legends, great utvds and ultimate darkness, where they face the primordial evil itself.
Labyrinth (1986)
Teenage Sarah (J. Connelly) arrives home late and is mildly reprimanded by her rushing parents for counting on baby brother Toby to look after her. When the parents leave, Toby starts crying non-stop. Angry and not knowing how to calm him down, Sarah wishes that the goblins would take her brother, which they do.
Not believing her eyes that the child had disappeared from the crib, Sarah immediately regretted it, but the house was already inhabited by goblins and the goblin king Jareth (D. Bowie), who took Toby to his castle. Jareth will keep his brother and turn him into a goblin if Sarah fails to get through the maze that leads to Jareth’s castle within 13 hours. Determined to get her brother back, Sarah goes into the labyrinth where she will meet the strangest creatures and many goblins.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
“Dreamy Valley” is Burton’s last film for which he adapted The Legend of Dreamy Valley, a classic short story by Washington Irving and Walt Disney’s classic animated version of Ichabod Crane. And while in both cases Crane is a frightened teacher, in Burton and Deep, he is a policeman from New York (the time of the action is 1799) who tries to find evidence of a crime through scientific means, especially when he finds himself on assignment in a quiet town in Dreamy Valley, where he must investigate a series of brutal murders.
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The victims are of course decapitated, and the locals think the killer is the ghost of Hessian Horseman, a former German mercenary who worked during the American Revolutionary War. Crane does not believe their stories until he himself, face to face, collides with a demonic opponent, some kind of gothic terminator, a malevolent monster that destroys and demolishes everything in its path…
