The Princess Bride (2006, DVD)

"Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..."

The character of The Grandfather, portrayed by the infamous Peter Falk, was indeed correct when he informs his ill grandson that the story of THE PRINCESS BRIDE has elements to it that would appeal to just about anyone. Directed by Rob Reiner, the plot contains all of the fundamental aspects necessary for just plain good storytelling.

Starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright-Penn (as Robin Wright), Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, Christopher Sarandon, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane and other recognizable names, THE PRINCESS BRIDE follows the story of the young Buttercup and Westley, the poor farm boy who has fallen hopelessly in love with her. After Buttercup realizes that she is also in love with him, Westley leaves on a sea voyage in order to make his fortune so that they may marry. Unfortunately (but to the Grandson's great delight, as he is disappointed with the slow start), Westley's ship is attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts, who never leaves his prisoners alive. Five years later, Buttercup becomes unwillingly engaged to Prince Humperdinck.

What follows is almost Shakespearean in its cases of mistaken identity, plots and schemes, miracles, revenge seeking, players switching sides and confessions of true love. THE PRINCESS BRIDE is essentially a harmless little fairy tale, but with a funny, charming, almost child-like quality that appeals to both young and old. Billy Crystal's performance as Miracle Max is inspired in its hilarity, and the movie pokes fun at itself while still remaining a valid action-adventure-romance. While the film is not perfect in its technical aspects, such as seeing the pads beneath the dirt during the fight scene between "the man in black" and Inigo Montoya, these little imperfections only add to the allure, making the film special because while you know it's not flawless, it's so wonderful you don't care.

THE DREAD PIRATE EDITION features artwork tailored to the fans with a spirit of adventure. The special features are outstanding - my personal favorite being the "Quotable Battle of Wits Trivia Game." The artwork both in the packaging, on the discs themselves and the within the title screens is beautiful, making the set itself a wonderful tribute to the movie. There are also two different title screens to choose from - one perfect for those who believe in true love, featuring soft, romantic melodies from the film, and one for the more adventurous sort, with the rousing music of The Dread Pirate himself.

"Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while."

Katie Galloway
Movie Magic USA

When "The Princess Bride" first came out on DVD, I resisted buying it. After all, I have a VHS copy, and there didn't seem much reason for me to buy the movie all over again. But this Special Edition changed my mind.

First of all, there are TWO DVDs, one with the movie, and one with a large amount of extras. On the first disc, you have the option of several audio commentaries, which I found refreshing, though I found Rob Reiner, the director, more than a bit dull at times. But the quality of the film is still excellent.

The second disc has a good deal to do. There are several documentaries (about the history of Pirates, among others), which I felt went on for WAY too long, but it was very amusing to see historians trying to prove or disprove that the Dread Pirate Roberts was based after a real character or not. But I adored the behind-the scenes documentary that Cary Elwes (Westley) videotaped, and the interviews with the actors, while somewhat repetitive, was great to see. And watching Billy Crystal transform into Miracle Max was very interesting to see. And there's also a trivia quiz, among other things.

So to end this review, I'll say this to any fan of "The Princess Bride"- this Special Edition is WORTH getting. Just don't be confused by the "Dread Pirate Roberts" Version and the "Princess Buttercup" Version- they have the SAME EXTRAS!