Prince Humperdinck "was shaped like a barrel [and] walked like a crab," the complete opposite to the typical idea of the handsome prince, and Buttercup was "barely in the top twenty, and that primarily on potential, certainly not on any particular care she took of herself." In comparison, in the movie both Westley and Buttercup are cast to look perfect, the exact image of the fairytale lovers. Costumes also play an important part in the movie, reflecting the class and personality of the wearer, such as the simple brown gown of Buttercup as a peasant in comparison to her flowing and richly adorned gown as a Princess. The main mention to costume in the books was the man in black, who ironically proved to be the opposite of what his dark clothes and mask suggested. .
Similarly, props and setting play a much greater part in the film than in the book, close attention being paid to ensure the rural village is idyllic and the castle magnificent. Where in a book the imagination provides the information that is left out, each responder creating their own image of each setting, in a movie it is essential to design each individual element to create the right impression. The use of panoramic camera angles in the opening and closing scenes helps to establish the image of a beautiful, sweeping landscape typical of a fairytale. Where many of the props, such as the Rodents Of Unusual Size, appear to be unrealistic, they follow the ideas of the typical fairytale setting to increase the predictability and satire of the story.
Other film techniques also help to increase the effect of certain areas. Lighting and colours help create the mood, with warm rural browns indicating the farm village in comparison with the cold darkness of the Zoo. Where the warm oranges of sunset bathe the silhouettes of Buttercup and Westley as they declare their love, darkness shrouds her face as she says "I will never love again," emphasizing her sadness.