The Corner Penthouse

The Criterion Collection recently released The Princess Bride (1987) on 4K UHD + Blu-ray. Read on to find out more about it...


The Princess Bride is about a kid (Fred Savage), home sick from school, who grudgingly allows his grandfather (Peter Falk) to read him an old storybook that has been passed down from generation-to-generation. In the tale, we meet the innocent Buttercup (Robin Wright, in her breakout role), who is about to marry the nefarious Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), though her heart belongs to Westley (Cary Elwes). The wedding plans are interrupted, however, by the mysterious Dread Pirate Roberts, vengeful Spaniard Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), and good-natured giant Fezzik (Andre the Giant), in a tale full of swashbuckling, romance, and outrageously hilarious spoofery.


Directed by Rob Reiner, the "meathead" from All in the Family, adapted by William Goldman from his novel of the same name, I found the movie to be quite enjoyable. It reminded me a lot of Monty Python, and it was clear to me that the King's Quest video game remake from a few years ago is a love letter to The Princess Bride. I get so many of the references in the game now, especially the poisoned goblets scene with a character voiced by Wallace Shawn, who played Vizzini in the movie. The Princess Bride is fun and charming, full of witty dialogue, and grand adventure. While I don't think it's as great as everyone makes it out to be, I was quite charmed with it and feel that it's worth watching again from time to time.


The movie is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a runtime of 1:38:38. The movie has been rated PG. Audio languages include English. Subtitle languages include English SDH.


All of the special features listed below can be found on the Blu-ray disc. Only the audio commentary and audiobook, both of which play with the movie, can be found on the 4K UHD disc.

• Audio Commentary - Recorded by the Criterion Collection in 1997, this commentary features director Rob Reiner, writer William Goldman, producer Andrew Scheinman, and actors Billy Crystal and Peter Falk.
• Audiobook - These excerpts from the 1987 Dove Entertainment audiobook of William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride, read by director Rob Reiner, were edited by the Criterion Collection in 1997 to accompany the film in its entirety, allowing the viewer to compare and contrast scenes from the original work with their counterparts in the adaptation.
• True Love (14:59) - Made in 2012, this program reunites director Rob Reiner with actors Cary Elwes and Robin Wright to discuss The Princess Bride twenty-five years after its release and marvel over its cultural impact.
• Pure Enchantment (17:17) - Filmed by the Criterion Collection in 2018, this program featuring Loren-Paul Caplin, writer and adjunct professor of screenwriting at Columbia University, addresses the script for The Princess Bride as a guide to writer William Goldman's craftsmanship.
• The Tapestry (6:26) - This 2018 program by the Criterion Collection offers a detailed look at the medieval-style tapestry commissioned by writer William Goldman to illustrate scenes from his novel The Princess Bride.
• As You Wish (27:18) - Featured in this 2001 documentary about the making of The Princess Bride are director Rob Reiner, writer William Goldman, and actors Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, Fred Savage, Chris Sarandon, and Robin Wright.
• The Princess Bride: The Untold Tales (9:07) - This 2007 program features actors Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Fred Savage, and Robin Wright recounting their most cherished memories of making The Princess Bride.
• Fairy-Tale Reality (11:54) - In this 2018 interview conducted by the Criterion Collection, art director Richard Holland delves into the efforts required to conjure the fantasy world of The Princess Bride.
• Miraculous Makeup (11:22) - Made in 2006, this program featuring actor Billy Crystal and makeup artist Peter Montagna details the creation of the character Miracle Max.
• Behind the Scenes - These short videos, shot during the filming of The Princess Bride, are presented with optional commentaries recorded by the Criterion Collection in 1997 and featuring producer Andrew Scheinman, actor Billy Crystal, and director Rob Reiner.
  * "On the High Seas" (3:52) - with commentary by Scheinman.
  * "Fezzik, Vizzini, and Buttercup" (4:48) - with commentary by Crystal.
  * "Westley and Fezzik" (4:38) - with commentary by Scheinman.
  * "Miracle Max's Hut" (2:32) - with commentary by Crystal.
  * "Buttercup, the King, and the Queen" (2:34) - with commentary by Reiner.
• Cary Elwes Video Diary (3:56) - This compilation of footage shot by Cary Elwes while making The Princess Bride is narrated by the actor and costar Robin Wright.
• The Art of Fencing (7:08) - This 2007 program features Hollywood sword master Robert Goodwin discussing the weapons, codes of conduct, and combat styles in fencing, and paying tribute to Bob Anderson, the sword master on The Princess Bride.
• Fairy Tales & Folklore (9:16) - In this 2007 interview, scholar Jack Zipes (Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion) discusses the lasting power of fairy tales and the way their tropes are reframed in The Princess Bride.
• Publicity Materials - Vintage promotional materials: U.S. Trailer (2:16), Foreign-Market Trailer (2:19), TV Spot 1 (1:02), TV Spot 2 (0:32), TV Spot 3 (0:32), TV Spot 4 (0:32).

Years ago, I picked up the MGM Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, which contains the first-released Blu-ray and the 20th Anniversary DVD. It's the one with that cool flip-around cover and title text. Although Criterion put together an excellent package, they did not port over everything from the old MGM Blu-ray. They also did not include the Spanish and French audio and Spanish subtitles from that old disc. Below is a list of the special features that are exclusive to the MGM Blu-ray disc. It seems that all of these were produced in 2006 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (when they briefly owned/controlled the MGM assets), so I would guess that Sony did not allow Criterion to use them. The Criterion disc contains a joint commentary with Reiner, Goldman, and other participants. It does not feature these two individual solo tracks by Reiner and Goldman.

• Audio Commentary with director Rob Reiner
• Audio Commentary with writer William Goldman
• The Dread Pirate Roberts: Greatest Pirate of the Seven Seas (11:43) - A mockumentary (of sorts) that looks at attempts to discover the real-life basis for the Dread Pirate Roberts character.
• Love Is Like A Storybook (16:43) - A look at the history of fairy tales and how all of the genre's motifs come together in The Princess Bride.
• Meet Professor Rawscey! (2:37) - A time-laspe clip of Cary Elwes getting made up as Professor E.L. Rawscey for the Dread Pirate Roberts featurette. This easter egg is found on the disc by going into the Set Up menu, highlighting "Audio" and pressing UP (or highlighting "Subtitles" and pressing DOWN) to highlight the fleur de lis at the bottom, and then pressing ENTER.

The DVD in that combo pack only contains one exclusive extra: a game entitled "True Love and High Adventure: The Official Princess Bride Game". Players must complete a series of rhymes by choosing the right answer from a series of three, punch eels, and steer a ship to collect gems and save the princess. DVD Set-top box games NEVER get ported over to Blu-ray, so it's understandable that this has never appeared elsewhere. You're not missing anything.


Criterion is one of the few companies left who puts a little care into their packaging, and The Princess Bride is no exception. The Blu-ray is stored in the back of a lavishly illustrated, purple, clothbound book. The front cover features an illustration of Roberts and Buttercup, while the back has "As You Wish" framed with a crown and a pirate mask (once you carefully pull off the stat sheet). Inside is a 36-page illustrated booklet featuring the essay "Let Me Sum Up" by Sloane Crosley, "How It All Happened" by writer William Goldman (his introduction to his The Princess Bride script from the 1995 collection Four Screenplays), and technical credits and detailed cast and crew information.


Proving that you can't escape Ghostbusters - though why would you want to? - even in a fairy tale movie like The Princess Bride, the boys in grey make an appearance. In the opening scene, one can see two Ghostbusters movie poster stickers in the grandson's bedroom. One is stuck to the dresser, while the other is on the closet door behind grandpa.



IMPORTANT NOTE: The first print run contains defective 4K UHD discs, but only certain players are affected. In my Panasonic DP-UB820 4K UHD player, I experienced various glitches in chapters 5 and 6, but also as early as chapter 2, with different glitches appearing at different times each time I play the disc. There are widespread reports of the same problem from others, with most coming from fellow Panasonic owners, but also from owners of players from other manufacturers, too. I tried the disc in my cheaper LG Blu-ray 4K UHD player, and it played fine from start to end. Criterion is aware of the issue and is looking into it. Should they offer replacements, I will update this review to let all of you know. The Blu-ray disc plays fine; it's just the 4K disc that has issues.

UPDATE 12/12/2023: Criterion has made replacement 4K discs. If you need one, contact orders@criterion.com and this is what will be required of you: "Newly pressed replacement Princess Bride 4K UHD discs are now available and we are starting by contacting folks who were in touch with us previously. Please write your name and current date on the faulty Princess Bride 4K UHD disc using a sharpie or paint marker and send us a photo. Also provide your shipping address within the email. Do not mark up the Blu-ray disc(s) or the packaging, as only the 4K UHD disc will be replaced. You do not need to return the defective disc to us but please hold on to it until your replacement is received."

The Princess Bride is available on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray (2018 transfer), and 2-disc DVD. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this new Criterion Collection release, though completists would be wise to hold onto, or buy, the MGM Blu-ray, too. Do be aware that the Criterion release doesn't contain Spanish and French audio, so if that's something you need, you'll find it on the MGM disc. That's really the only negative thing I could say about the Criterion release.


All images were taken from the IMDB gallery of the film, or were provided by Criterion. The 4K UHD+Blu-ray has been provided by Criterion for review on this site.