The Princess Bride: 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition

(Directed by Rob Reiner) Inconceivable! The second reissue of The Princess Bride on DVD in the last year is purely to commemorate the movie’s 20th anniversary and nothing more. It feels a little devious bringing out yet another version (the fourth in total), considering the 2006 twofer "Dread Pirate” and "Buttercup” editions were packed with two commentaries and various featurettes that left little else to introduce. But the studio has gone to the effort of making new featurettes to satisfy even the most hardcore fans of this timeless classic, and there are a few treats to savour. As if you didn’t already know, this adaptation of William Goldman’s 1973 "kissing book” is one of the finest examples of action, adventure, comedy, romance and horror — okay, maybe not horror, but the Rodents of Unusual Size are pretty gruesome, in the most comical way. Nothing is added to the film itself — no commentary, no kitschy viewing options — which leaves only the extras to provide any bonus. True Love and High Adventure, the official DVD game, is kind of lame, and only for keeners who have time to waste. It’s the new featurettes that make this a worthwhile investment for fans. "The Untold Tales” is the best of the bunch, revisiting the film 20 years later with new cast interviews that reflect on the film’s universal impact with all ages. Hearing them fondly remember Andre the Giant is touching, and sorting through all of the choice quotes to find favourites is amusing, but Mandy Patinkin’s speech of appreciation about being included in the cast will bring tears to your eyes, much like it did for him. "Fairytale and Folklore” offers little, getting good sound bites from cast members and consulting literary experts to get a history on fairytales and folklore, as well as their opinions on this story. But overall, it feels like filler. "The Art of Fencing” isn’t that much better, examining the sword work involved in the film and certain fencing guidelines with expert Robert Goodwin, but it shares some funny anecdotes from Pantinkin and Guest. Sadly, though, this edition feels a little too desperate to purge everything left over in order to acknowledge the film’s anniversary.