Review of The Princess Bride on DVD
Special Edition Provides Behind-the-Scenes Info on Rob Reiner Film
Jul 8, 2009
Directed by Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally), The Princess Bride combines the best elements of romance and comedy.
Robin Wright Plays Buttercup, The Princess Bride
Buttercup, a beautiful young woman (Robin Wright), falls in love with her farm boy (Cary Elwes), but cannot marry him because he is a penniless servant. He plans to go off into the world to make his fortune and then return to marry her, but instead gets killed by pirates. A power-hungry prince (Chris Sarandon) plans to force Buttercup into marrying him against her will.
Suddenly others pursue Buttercup: a giant, a Spaniard, a fast-talking Sicilian, and a mysterious man in black all search for her. Through swordfights, clever tricks, and an eventful journey through the fire swamp, the cartoon-like characters try to alter their destinies. Amusing, exciting, and extremely romantic, The Princess Bride is a story within a story that has become a cult classic with several versions available on DVD.
Bonus Features on Special Edition DVD
In addition to casual home video footage shot by Cary Elwes and two short featurettes from 1987, this DVD contains the 30-minute documentary “As You Wish: The Story of The Princess Bride” produced for the 2001 release of the special edition DVD. In this feature, the cast (including Elwes, Wright, Sarandon, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, and Fred Savage) and crew (including director Rob Reiner and screenwriter William Goldman) discuss the various ways in which The Princess Bride is a celebration of storytelling.
Particular subjects covered in this documentary include how the filmmakers found their cast, which scenes were shot on location in England and which were created on a soundstage, how they choreographed the swordfights, and what it was like working with Andre the Giant. In addition to covering many of the artistic elements of The Princess Bride, this informative documentary explores the challenges the filmmakers faced in marketing the film – whether it should be classified as a romance, fantasy, comedy, action movie or something else.
The Princess Bride (1987) Special Edition Released 2001
- Long ago and far away, a young woman is forced into marrying a vile prince even though she loves someone else.
- Starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Robin Wright, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane
- Director: Rob Reiner
- Screenwriter: William Goldman
- Run Time: 98 minutes
- Rating: PG
- DVD Bonus Features Include: “As You Wish” Documentary; Audio Commentary; Making of the Movie Footage by Cary Elwes; The Making Of The Princess Bride Featurette (1987); Photo Gallery.
- Additional Information: Also available as The Princess Bride – Blu-ray (2009); The Princess Bride – 20th Anniversary Edition (2007); The Princess Bride – Dread Pirate Edition (2006); The Princess Bride – Buttercup Edition (2006); and The Princess Bride (2000).
For more information about The Princess Bride, read the Romantic Films/Comedy Blog.
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