Though the movie is a bit cheesy and over-the-top, the plot and storyline resembles so many childhood stories that you can't help but identify with the characters and action.
The Princess Bride is one-part romance movie, one-part comedy and one-part swashbuckling adventure. When a young farm hand (Westley played by Cary Elwes) falls in love with the farm-owner's daughter (Buttercup played by Robin Wright Penn) and decides to go away in hopes of earning enough money to support the daughter, he disappears for five years and is reportedly killed by that legendary Dread Pirate Roberts.
Eventually, the prince of the land, Prince Humperdinck, decides it is time to take a wife and chooses Buttercup. Not long before the newly declared wedding day of the princess, she is kidnapped by three mercenaries. Each of the members of this band of thieves has a different strength. For instance, Fezzik, the brawn of the group, is played by the late Andre the Giant, while the swordsman, Inigo Montoya, is played by Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds, Dead Like Me) and the leader, and brains, of the group is played by Wallace Shawn. But the kidnapping is foiled by none other than the aforementioned Dread Pirate Roberts, and this is where the story really kicks off.
Before it is all over, the main characters will travel through the Fire Swamps, scale the Cliffs of Insanity, battle ROUS's (Rodents Of Unusual Size), die, come back to life, and tons of other events that would easily fit in any Brothers Grimm tale.
Other notable actors include a very young Fred Savage (Wonder Years, The Wizard, Little Monsters, Austin Powers: Goldmember) as a sick boy whose grandfather (played by Colombo's Peter Falk) is reading him the tale of the Princess Bride. There is even a brief scene with Billy Crystal and Carol Kane (both with a lot of makeup).
Special feature-wise, this DVD has a lot. Not only are there several featurettes that cover everything from the possible origin of Dread Pirate Roberts to a quotes-trivia game, but it also contains interviews with Billy Crystal and his makeup-master as they go through the process of turning him into Miracle Max. There are also two vintage featurettes from the time of the movie's release (which include interviews with Andre The Giant).
Long story short, it would be Inconceivable! for anyone not to want to pick up this movie. Whether it is to show to your kids, or just to remember the first time you watched this film, the Buttercup Edition is the best version to pick up.
