Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves [1991]

If you can accept explosives in 13th-century England, that the approach to Sherwood Forest is a modern conifer plantation and that the 170 miles from Dover to Nottingham is a matter of a few hours ride via Northumberland, then you may find much to enjoy here. Otherwise an already overlong film has been extended to an excessive 148 minutes in this special edition, making far too much of a not very good thing.

On the DVD: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is presented as a two-disc set, with a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer that is generally good looking but with an occasionally soft picture and some evidence of dirt and minor print damage. The Dolby Digital 5.1 remix of the original stereo soundtrack is atmospheric and powerful and shows off Michael Kamen's score to its best. Though presented with 12 minutes of footage not seen in the cinema version, the film still suffers most of the cuts (amounting to 28 seconds) imposed by the BBFC over the years.

The main extras are a pair of commentaries: Costner and Reynolds discuss the film in frank and enthusiastic detail, while on a second track Freeman, Slater, writer/producer Pen Densham and cowriter/producer John Watson offer a great deal of insight plus a fair bit of stating the obvious, backslapping and critic bashing. Robin Hood: The Myth, the Man, the Movie (31 mins) is a cut version of a 45-minute TV special originally broadcast in America the night before the premiere, and offers an interesting if brief look at the Robin Hood story plus some routine making-of material. Finally, there is a video of Bryan Adams performing "Everything I Do, I Do It for You" live at Slane Castle and 18 minutes worth of bland electronic presskit-style archive interviews with Costner, Freeman, Mastrantonio, Slater and Alan Rickman, plus the original American trailer, a stills gallery and cast and crew list. --Gary S Dalkin

The only points of the film that diminsh its quality are Kevin Costner trying to fake an English accent and failing miserably, a fact pointed out by Mel Brookes in his spoof Robin Hood Men in Tights. The second is the appearance of Sean Connery in a cameo as King Richard, not unwelcome in its self for he carries the role with great dignity and power, but why a Scotsman with broad Edinburgh accent is playing a monarch whose origins, upbringing and language were French is anyone's guess. However these are truly minor points and they do not detract at all from the sheer majesty of this film.

From Morgan Freeman's wonderful redition of Robin's Moorish companion, displaying a talent for accents that eludes Kevin Costner, to Alan Rickman's outstanding performance as the Sherrif of Nottingham, displaying an ability to portray a character who is simply evil that is fantastic, Alan Rickman, as in every film he does, steals the show.

This film provides wonderful entertainment and it will produce a range of emotions in the viewer that will leave you exhausted and drained mentally. There are times when the tensions becomes almost too much to bear, and the tricky plot-twists will leave you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. A film that deserves pride of place in anyone's film collection, and deserves to be recoginsed as a true classic of cinema the likes of which we so rarely see any more.

The movie is capped off with a superb soundtrack from John Williams, and the opening music gets the andrenlin going before the movie even begins. The film luckily features a mostly English cast, including the wonderful Brian Blessed, and features many lesser English actors. It would have gained 5 stars, but for casting Kevin Costner who, despite being a fine actor, is not suited to the role of an English character. The title role could easily have gone to an English actor, but unfortunately it was not done, otherwise this film could have been as close to perfect as can be done.


Great Film but disappointing DVD   September 1, 2002
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

I have this film on tape but I can see it's beginning to wear out so I was happy to replace it with the DVD. Have to say VERY disappointed. There are no extras which isn't a problem but there are still the slight cuts that were also on the video version from the film that I saw in the cinema. They are 'slight' - mere seconds - but they are still there. Also, what I felt the absence of most is the Bryan Adams music video that goes with this and was present on the tape version. I was completely shocked this hadn't been included on the DVD. Still, if you love this film it's probably worth having on a format that won't deteriorate but I'll be keeping my video for as long as possible too!


Age old story cleverly brought to life.   May 21, 2001
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

If you can put up with Kevin Costner trying to do an English accent then this is a very good film. Alan Rickman steals the show as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. There's romance and a fair bit of action, but also the age old story of Robin Hood that is cleverly brought to life in a good motion picture.