The Kokomo Post Rewinds: Adventure Movies Edition
By DAN WEST
The Kokomo Post staff
Nostalgia can be a heck of a thing, but do the movies we loved as kids really hold up? Is “Space Jam” really my favorite movie, or have I just not watched it since I was 10? In The Kokomo Post Rewinds, I’ll check out movies and shows from decades past and see if they hold up to today’s scrutiny. This week’s theme: adventure movies!
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With so many GIFs to choose from, it always had to be this one.
The Princess Bride
I hadn’t watched this movie for several years, and then I read Cary Elwes’ book “As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of ‘The Princess Bride.’” It was so heartwarming and fun that it made me want to dive right back into the kingdom of Florin. I remember this movie as a hilarious, heartfelt, swashbuckling tale of true love, and I don’t think I’ve ever needed so much for a movie to still be good as I did with this one.
The Verdict: Holy smokes, every part of this movie is still so good! They once described Wesley and Inigo’s sword fight as “the greatest sword fight in history,” and they’re not lying. The banter throughout, the flourishes and the acrobatics . . . just wow. The onscreen chemistry between Elwes and Robin Wright Penn is amazing, you really believe these are two people in love. Andre the Giant is endearing and sweet, Wallace Shawn is snarky and brilliant. Listen, I could sing the praises of this incredibly quotable movie all day, but I’m working on limited space. You’re just going to have to watch it. It’s on Disney Plus, and if you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out.
5 “My Girlfriend Lives in Canada” out of 5: Stories of a sequel have been kicked around forever, but never found any traction. So instead, head over here to check out this interview with Cary Elwes talking about his book, “As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride.”
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Just watch this GIF on repeat instead of spending 90 minutes on the movie.
Neverending Story
Full disclosure: I didn’t want to watch this one but Erin told me to, and I’m an intern so I had to listen. The scene in the Swamps of Sadness with Artax is the most depressing thing I’ve ever seen even to this day. I remember the rest of the movie being fun and full of heart and about facing your fears, but that one moment has been seared into my mind since I was a kid. So here we go.
The Verdict: This is the first time I’ve ever had an experience where I am so clearly not the demographic for a project that it makes it unenjoyable. This is a fine movie, with powerful acting from Atreyu actor Noah Hathaway, but everything is so clearly geared towards kids that I just couldn’t find my footing. The horse scene is still incredibly traumatic, but overall I didn’t really feel the same emotional connection to this movie as I did when I was a kid. Maybe use this one as a babysitter when you have to make dinner, but it doesn’t hold up the same way some of the other childhood movies do.
2 Stretch Armstrongs out of 5
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Calling off Christmas seems extreme, but the cast definitely gets coal this year.
Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves
I don’t remember much about this movie beyond the fact that it has a Bryan Adams-heavy soundtrack. I remember liking the movie, and with the cast, I can understand why. Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman . . . these are some heavy hitters. I’m a little worried that it might be ridiculous, since the parody “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” came out just two years later, and parodies only spring up from rich source material. But I liked it when I was 6, and when’s the last time a 6-year-old was wrong about anything?
The Verdict: This movie deserved to be so much better than it was. The cast is incredible, the music is awesome, and somehow the movie is still incredibly boring. I understand not everyone in this movie is going to be as great as they eventually became, but you’d think at least one of them would. Full disclosure, I didn’t finish watching this movie because I was so bored.
1 Trapper Keeper out of 5
