Plot: What’s it about?
Director Rob Reiner has directed some of the most interesting films. He has shown a great range in his directing decisions as well. Films like “This is Spinal Tap”, “Misery”, “A Few Good Men”, “When Harry Met Sally” and “Stand by Me” come to mind as some of his more popular ones. But it was with this 1987 film written by William Goldman, that made some sort of name for the ex-“All in the Family” star. Reiner has shown us that he can scare us, entertain us and most importantly–make us laugh. The Princess Bride was certainly not a box office hit, at the time it was marketed all wrong, it would fare much better had it been released ten years later. But what stands out among this movie are the performances. And not just the performance by one person, but many. Featuring a then unknown actress by the name of Robin Wright (now Robin Wright-Penn who would later go on to play Jenny in Forrest Gump among others) and Carey Elwes, both of whom have gone on to successful movie careers. As mentioned above, the story was written by William Goldman who has penned some pretty successful movies in his day. However the story didn’t get picked up and made into a movie for the next 14 years.
And speaking of story, it’s simple enough. Being more of a fairy tale in many such senses of the word, we find our dashing hero, Westley (Carey Elwes) who is always managing to rescue his fair-headed Buttercup (Robin Wright). Buttercup is engaged to Prince Humperdink of Florin (Chris Sarandon) who has plans to use her as bait to start a war with the neighboring land of Guilder. This is when we meet character actor Wallace Shawn and fencer, Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) who, along with Andre the Giant’s Fezzik are to kidnap the lovely Buttercup. Westley manages to track them down and in a brilliant right and left-handed duel (you’ll have to watch it to get that little inside joke) but still can’t get his hands on his Buttercup. And, the movie being a big fairy tale…it goes on like this. The dialogue is very clever and it’s the actors who make the movie worth watching. So what about the characters in the movie…what makes this such a favorite among the general public?
In my opinion, the casting of Carey Elwes and Robin Wright are perfect. Billy Crystal and Carol Kane both have very small cameos, but their parts are very noteworthy. Mandy Patinkin (who is just as good in “Alien Nation”) nearly steals the show as does the always dependable Christopher Guest (who is still coming into his own with “Best in Show” and “Waiting for Guffman”). Peter Falk and a very young Fred Savage have minor parts, but what the film seems to be really mocking is the “action” films of the 1940’s. I mean really…how close does Westley come to Errol Flynn? I didn’t grow up with this movie, though I did see it when it first came to home video. I can see how it has become the cult classic it is now, due to the subject matter and strong performances, though how well will it really stand the test of time? If you’ve never seen The Princess Bride, this is one movie you have to add to your list. While it may not be the best you’ve ever seen, I find it hard to believe that most could find much wrong with it. That would be inconceivable!
Video: How does it look?
The Princess Bride has finally received an anamorphic transfer from MGM. Too bad it was the second time around for them to finally do this title right. Framed at 1.85:1, the image look noticeably sharper and cleaner than it’s non-anamorphic predecessor. This is good, but the image still leaves a bit to be desired. The palette used is a bit muted, but that’s the way it’s supposed to look. Colors are on as are the flesh tones, but I noticed some artifacting and a bit of dirt on the print as well. Example: Sometimes that sky looks a bit hazy. While I wasn’t expecting a reference-quality transfer (I think sometimes people think anamorphic=perfect), I can’t say I was too let down with how this looks. I’m expecting the Criterion DVD to come out sometime (as a direct port from their old Laserdisc), so maybe they’ll do a better job with it. Then again, in DVD’s short time out, we’ve been treated to titles two and three times…so who knows. The bottom line is that it’s above average, and looks better than the first incarnation, but your jaw won’t hit the floor, either.
Audio: How does it sound?
While The Princess Bride featured a new, remastered track in Dolby Digital 5.1 the first time around, that exact same track has been used here as well. While it won’t light up your system, the track does have it’s high points, albeit not many. The dialogue tends to get a bit washed up at times, and I caught a few hisses too. Maybe it’s my setup, I don’t know…but everything else sounded fine. And while the sharp whisps of swords fills the air at many points during the movie, you won’t feel like you’re right there. Still, the audio is ample and does more than it’s fair share here. If you’re into audio, this will probably not be your movie, but it’s better than the old VHS and Laserdisc tracks, and that’s a fact.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Even when the first version of this film came out, we knew that there was a Special Edition in the works for “sometime next year”. Well, “Sometime next year” has passed and, as promised, here it is. Sporting not one, but two commentary tracks, The Princess Bride will have more than enough supplements to keep any fan occupied for a few hours. Rob Reiner, as good of a director as he is, just can’t record that good of commentary tracks. He is always by himself as he is on Stand by Me, This is Spinal Tap and A Few Good Men and gets so involved in watching the movie, he’s acutually giving us more of a “play by play” than any further insight into the movie. The same with William Goldman’s commentary, he goes off on some casting for Misery of all things, and admits that he hasn’t even seen the film since it came out theatrically. I think it would have been a bit better to weave the two commentaries together (and it’s been done…with great success before), but that’s just my opinion. There are some photos, around 90 of them in all. The theatrical trailer and some international spots as well. Probably the best feature on the disc is the new “As You Wish” documentary which clock in just under 30 minutes. This has archival footage, new interviews and a few surprises here and there. Even a tribute to the late Andre the Giant. While not your standard “extended” featurette, it has things that fans of the movie will like and enjoy. If the new 16:9 transfer doesn’t entice you to buy this DVD, then get it for this segment alone. I mean it! There is also an earlier featurette, but it’s slow and looks (physically) dated. Carey Elwes had shot some footage, though the two included featurettes are really nothing more than a few minutes of shots of the set and the other is nothing more than a press packet in video form. Neat, but they could easily be lost off the disc. Lastly, a neat Easter Egg can be found by pressing “Up” from the main menu. You’ll get to hear some of the voices from the movie. Neat. Overall, this disc is recommended if you don’t own the first version…or even if you do!
