The Prisoner of Zenda

Audience Reviews

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Jan 26, 2019 The best thrilling movie ever made! With the best movie character ever portrayed: Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Rupert of Hentzau! See more

Draco S Jul 31, 2018 Ronald Colman leads a superb cast in the flashy O. Selznick swashbuckler about a Central European crown coup attempt momentarily thwarted by use of an imposter. But how long can the plucky charade play out? Anxious tension every step of the way, plus Douglas Fairbanks Jr., looking (and acting!) every bit like his father, plus a court romance, and a great dance set piece (in a ballroom of white marble!), spells 'classic' from the first frame until the triumphant ride off into the sunset. Did they really do "rides off into the sunset"? You betcha! See more

Ron S Sep 19, 2017 After a tough day at work fighting the evil legions of bureaucracy, there is nothing so replenishing as an old swashbuckler. Here, the bad guys are wicked and the good guys love well and win - everything is in black and white, your heart is won over, and there is a final feeling of elevation! Except, well, there's a twist in this particular film. In fact, Ronald Colman plays an English traveller who bears a remarkable resemblance to the about-to-be-crowned King of some Eastern European monarchy (also played by Colman) who becomes honour-bound to act secretly in the King's stead when the latter is unfortunately kidnapped by his evil half-brother (Raymond Massey, who, of course, has designs on the throne). So, while we root for English Colman, we worry that his time as "Acting" King might soon be over and so too his love for the King's fiancée, played by Madeleine Carroll. But, of course, it is only right and proper for English Colman to do the upstanding thing, despite his heart's desires, and so, there is a wrinkle in our wish for clear-cut heroics and unsullied victories. That said, the film is still a delicious fairy tale with excellent support from C. Aubrey Smith and David Niven (on the side of good) and dashing Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (on the side of evil). That wrinkle likely boosts the film into something different, less predictable than other swashbucklers - and it succeeds primarily because of the charismatic lead/dual performance by Colman. Huzzah! See more

Albus W Jun 8, 2017 This movie seems like the inspiration for the movie Dave (a favorite of mine.) It's the story of a man who looks a lot like the man who will be king, and through a series of events he is forced to masquerade as the king. The way they pull off the two copies of Ronald Colman in one shot is seamless, and something I didn't realize they figured out back in the 1930s. Ronald Colman is charming in the lead role, so it's easy to root for him. It's just a shame that he is matched up against Douglas Fairbanks in several scenes because that guy is so charismatic I find myself just wanting to see more of him. Not to mention David Niven who is always a delight. It's really a great cast, but I don't want costars outshining the star. The Prisoner of Zenda has a lot of styles going on. It has moments of drama, part of it is humorous, there's even a swashbuckling finale that is a blast. I liked the variety, although I was hoping for a little more sword play. The story is structured in such a way that I literally had no idea how they would resolve things, and I was genuinely surprised with the daring choice they made in the end. I feel like most of my complaints are nitpicks based primarily in the fact that I kept mentally comparing The Prisoner of Zenda to other films that I like more. One of the big things is that the film takes place a generation too late so there is a greater reliance on guns instead of swords, so that takes away some of the fun. However I did get enjoyment out of it thanks to the cast and the story. See more

George S Feb 25, 2017 Well made for its day.

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The Prisoner of Zenda

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