Princess Bride

If you want a movie that has everything: action, adventure, humor, romance and a little bit of pain, then The Princess Bride is for you. There are very few films that can reach every emotion on the spectrum with both power and perfection and when one comes along you have to praise it and let everyone know about it. The Princess Bride is such a film. I've seen it many times and was excited to purchase the DVD so I could watch it any time I wanted. After watching it again, it proves to be as great today as it was ten years ago when I first saw it.

We first meet young Wesley (Cary Elwes) as he works in the stable for Buttercup (Robin Wright Penn). He takes her orders blindly and his only response to her is, "As you wish." Slowly, their love blossoms and they do fall for each other. Unfortunately, young Wesley must leave the farm to find his fortune, but promises to return to his young love. Sadly, he is killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts and Buttercup is forced to marry the evil Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon)

On the eve of the wedding, the prince plans to have his bride kidnapped by Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) who is assisted by Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) and Fezzik (Andre The Giant). Soon after the kidnapping, the three criminals begin to be chased by a mysterious "man in black." He soon catches up with the hoodlums and defeats them one by one only to reveal himself to Buttercup as Wesley.

His heroics are soon for not as Buttercup must still marry Humperdinck. He enlists the downtrodden Ingio and Fezzik to help in his quest to defeat the Prince and recapture his love for Buttercup. The Prince is aided by Count Rugen (Christopher Guest) as well as his army. Obviously, Wesley and his crew defeat the Prince and ride off together in the sunset.

The first thing you will notice about The Princess Bride is that the cast is perfect. Need a giant? Nobody but the late great Andre The Giant could fill that role. Does the script call for a swashbuckling "Robin Hood" type hero? Cast Cary Elwes. Looking for a beautiful damsel in distress? Who else but Robin Wright Penn? Billy Crystal and Carol Kane are perfectly cast as a Miracle Max and Valerie as a bickering old couple who assist Wesley in his quest. Crystal is hilarious during his brief appearance as the miracle worker. I've never personally been a fan of Mandy Patinkin, but in this film he is pure magic as the vengeful, yet caring Inigo Montoya.

The other supporting roles are also top notch. The ever noticeable Wallace Shawn plays the role of Vizzini with such glee and gusto that he makes you smile whenever he is on the screen. Christopher Guest's turn as the count with a secret is also a true gem. The evil Prince Humperdinck is also a great role and Chris Sarandon succeeds brilliantly.

Director Rob Reiner could be the real star of The Princess Bride He is able to draw a fine line between parody and adventure which makes the film so entertaining. One second, Inigo and Wesley are in the midst of a bitter duel. The next second they are complimenting each other on their respective skills and how painful it's going to be to have to kill each other. The Fire Swamp poses an insurmountable threat to Wesley and Buttercup yet they are able to make it through the treacherous adventure while still spewing a few one-liners. Amazingly, the Prince is also able to plan his wife's kidnapping and the impending war at the same time as his town's birthday celebration---he's swamped! Throughout the film, Reiner balances the romantic with the clever and the result is a fabulous film.

The most recent version of The Princess Bride on DVD finally brings a little more entertainment to the table compared to the previous version. I don't like the idea of multiple DVDs being released, but in the case of The Princess Bride I'll make an exception. The extras are ample and very entertaining. There is both a commentary with director Rob Reiner and author William Goldman. Reiner's commentary is the better of the two because he offers several unique tidbits about the making of the movie. There is also the "As You Wish" documentary that features interviews with virtually the entire cast. It's a happy documentary so it is very positive, but still enjoyable.

Overall, you can't go wrong picking up The Princess Bride. The remastered widescreen picture is fabulous and the extras are all excellent and entertaining. The film can fill any appetite you might have. If you are in the mood for humor, romance or action, The Princess Bride will deliver on all counts.