Product Description

From celebrated director Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally) and Oscar®-winning screenwriter William Goldman (Chaplin) comes "an enchanting fantasy" (Time) filled with adventure, romance and plenty of "good-hearted fun" (Roger Ebert). Featuring a spectacular cast thatincludes Robin Wright (Forrest Gump), Cary Elwes (Liar, Liar), Mandy Patinkin (Dick Tracy) and Billy Crystal (City Slickers), this wonderful fairy tale about a Princess named Buttercup and her beloved is "a real dream of a movie" (People).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15495 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-13
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 98 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Screenwriter William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his skeptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story.

And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity...

The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. --Sam Sutherland

Amazon.com
Screenwriter William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his skeptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story. And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity... The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. --Sam Sutherland

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Stills from The Princess Bride (Click for larger image)

On the DVD
There's no difference between the Dread Pirate Edition and Buttercup Edition other than the packaging. In fact, there's not much difference between these new incarnations and the 2001 special edition. This version includes a couple curious featurettes: "Love is Like a Storybook Story" and a mockumentary on the Dread Pirate Roberts (Cary Elwes's role in the film), both of which show "experts" (e.g. scholarly people sitting behind their oak desks in a library) spouting their research on fairy tales and pirates, respectively. The only humorous aspect is the inclusion of the nebbish E.L. Rawscey, "Britain's leading expert" on pirates who skeptically refutes the other professors' notions that the Dread Pirate Roberts really existed. Take a closer look, and you may recognize Mr. Rawscey (hint: "E.L. Rawscey" is an anagram).

The behind-the-scenes documentary, Elwes's home video footage, and commentary by Rob Reiner and writer William Goldman are all recycled from the previous edition, and a "What's My Line?" interactive game proves to be more confusing than fun. This is a good collector's item only if you don't already have the special edition in your library. --Ellen A. Kim

Customer Reviews

Fantabulist Movie
This movie has everything - love, death, duels, a giant, a magic man,an evil prince, and a miracle. What more could you ask for in a movie? The stars are excellent, the story is fantabulous! Don't miss this one. It may be an older movie, but it lives forever in your imagination.

For children of all ages
This is a movie for children. However, the adult audience will find the satirical humour not to mention parodies of the cliche entertaining. It has something for everyone, dashing heroes, giants, swashbuckling spaniards, six-fingered men, canniving princes, mysterious masked men, innocent farmboys, swooning princesses, tongue-tied priests, cynical miracle workers, cunning sicillians, not to mention, rodents of unusual size.

Throughout all the comic relief, strong typecast performances, a general optimism pervades the whole movie, and few will come away, in fact it would be "inconceivable" to see the movie without remembering a few quotable lines.

Great script, great cast, great pacing.

No collection complete without it
This movie, in my opinion, is essential to any collection. I will have to see the movie a dozen times, I think, to tease out all the hidden social comments. The DVD is excellent quality.