Princess Buttercup is chosen by the nasty Prince Humperdinck to be his bride but her heart belongs to the farm boy Westley. The princess' kidnapping prompts the return of Westley, now a pirate, and launches a series of swashbuckling adventures, after which true love can prevail. William Goldman's heavily ironic fairy tale is given a spirited treatment by the director of Stand By Me and an enthusiastic troupe.