The Princess Bride - Deluxe Edition (2 Disc Set)

Scaling the Cliffs of Insanity, Battling Rodents of Unusual Size, Facing torture in the Pit of Despair - True love wasn't meant to be easy!

A young boy, bedridden with the flu, is less than thrilled when his grandfather arrives to read aloud the book, "The Princess Bride", which recounts the adventures of Buttercup, the most beautiful woman in the world, and Westley, the man she loves, in the fairytale kingdom of Florin.

The old grandfather promises everything. "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Revenge. Giants. Bad men. Best men. Monsters of all shapes and sizes. Chases. Escapes. True love. Miracles." And as all this comes to life before the boy's enchanted eyes, his relationship with his grandfather deepens as well.

Review

"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

Special Features:

• Slipcase Packaging
• "As You Wish" documentary featuring all-new interviews with Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin and more
• Exclusive footage shot by Cary Elwes during the making of the movie
• 2 original featurettes