Action

Adventure

Drama

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Morgan Creek Entertainment

United States of America

العربية

English

Kevin Costner

Morgan Freeman

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Christian Slater

Alan Rickman

Geraldine McEwan

Michael McShane

Brian Blessed

Michael Wincott

Nick Brimble

Soo Drouet

Daniel Newman

Daniel Peacock

Walter Sparrow

Harold Innocent

Jack Wild

Michael Goldie

Liam Halligan

Marc Zuber

Merelina Kendall

Imogen Bain

Jimmy Gardner

Bobby Parr

John H. Francis

John Hallam

Douglas Blackwell

Pat Roach

Andy Hockley

John Dallimore

Derek Deadman

Howard Lew Lewis

John Tordoff

Andrew Lawden

Susannah Corbett

Sarah Alexandra

Christopher Adamson

Richard Strange

Sean Connery

Bryan Adams

John Watson

Richard Barton Lewis

Douglas Milsome

Michael Kamen

Kevin Reynolds

Pen Densham

Peter Boyle

Egil S. Woxholt

Peter Brace

Perry Davey

Elaine Ford

Simon Crane

Timothy Michael Condron

Sadie Eddon

Phil Lonergan

Billy Horrigan

Gerard Naprous

Sy Holland

Dave Holland

Bronco McLoughlin

Stuart Clark

Clive Curtis

Franklin Mark Henson

Helen Caldwell

Ginger Keane

Chrissy Monk

Brian Bowes

Paul Jennings

Grahame Crowther

Paul Heasman

Nick Hobbs

Arthur Howell

Tom Delmar

Vincent Keane

Sean McCabe

Ken Barker

Abbi Collins

David Cronnelly

Terry Forrestal

Frank Henson

Tom Lucy

Glenn Marks

Stuart St. Paul

Tina Maskell

Mark Anthony Newman

Mike Potter

Margaret Carlton

John Bloomfield

Mark Stern

James G. Robinson

John Graysmark

Noel Davis

Jeremy Zimmermann

Michael J. Kagan

David Nicksay

Peter Young

Fred Carter

Gary Barber

Ilene Starger

Mike Frift

Sheldon Katz

John Ward

John Chisholm

Gavin Gordon

Susan d'Arcy

Lee Sheward

Neil Ravan

W.C. 'Chunky' Huse

Mark Bunce

Andrew Jack

David Tringham

Bob Putynkowski

Christine Allsopp

Del Baker

Brian Hathaway

Christopher Brooks

Giles Masters

Mark Thomason

Jonathan Lucas

Michael Hartman

Rob Burton

Wayne Leach

Craig Barron

Marcus Manton

Lisa Tomblin

Samantha C. Kirkeby

Desmond Cannon

Krystyna Demkowicz

Tim Lanning

Elvis Davis

Paul Weston

James Matheny

Alan Martin

Ira Friedlander

Jason Martin

Malcolm J. Christopher

***Iconic Medieval adventure of the early 90s***  

Released in 1991, "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" stars Kevin Costner in the title role. While some have argued that Costner was too humorless and brooding for the part, this is a cinematic myth. There are quite a few places in the film where he can be seen smiling and having a good time, like when he makes it back to England after the Crusades or when he's spending time with Marian in Sherwood Forest. Thankfully, he's more three-dimensional than this and so you also see him desperate, angry, grieving, vengeful, strategizing, contemplative, etc.

To be honest with you, Costner was in his prime at the time and towers in the role; whether or not you like him is a matter of opinion. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian is memorable with her unique facial features and odd hairstyle even though she doesn't trip my trigger. Morgan Freeman as the Moor Azeem is an excellent partner for Robin Hood while Alan Rickman and Michael Wincott are effective villains as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisborne respectively. Christian Slater, Nick Brimble and Michael McShane are also on hand as Robin's sometimes merry men, the latter two being Little John and Friar Tuck.

I've always had mixed feelings about this movie due to its mixed tone and the fact that it loses its mojo in the last 45 minutes. Concerning the first, the flick is often serious and brutal, but it's also sometimes cartoonish and over-the-top. Rickman particularly hams it up, entertaining though he is. Another good example is Geraldine McEwan as the ee-vil witch Mortianna. Her portrayal is spooky and Gothic in a comic book horror kind of way, but it detracts from the many parts that establish the story as believable quasi-history. Still, she's excellent as the hideous witch. Another example is the semi-goofy, overly heroic action scenes, like Robin & Azeem being catapulted over the castle wall. Why sure!

Concerning the second criticism, the movie is overlong by about 25 minutes. When the Celts attack the camp at the 95-minute mark I always start to lose interest and the rest of the movie is a tedious blur. But there’s a lot of medieval action, if that’s your thang.

As far as medieval films of the British Isles go, I prefer the more serious and consistent tone of "Tristan + Isolde" (2006) and "First Knight" (1995). Nevertheless, “Prince of Thieves” is an entertaining Robin Hood adventure and is iconic of early 90's cinema. The entire first act is the best part followed by the many Sherwood Forest sequences. And the climatic cameo by a certain famous actor is a nice touch. I enjoy seeing “Prince of Thieves” every five years or so.

The film runs 143 minutes and was shot mostly in England, but also France. My wife loves the end credits’ song “(Everything I Do) I Do it for You” by Bryan Adams.

GRADE: B/B-

CinemaSerf

I've always been a fan of the baddie in films - and this film really belongs to Alan Rickman's "Sheriff" with a good supporting effort from Geraldine McEwan as his harridan witch cohort. They bring almost all of humour and menace. The bulk of the rest of the film is a pretty run-of-the-mill vehicle for Costner, Freeman and Mastrantonio - and moves along well enough as a pretty formulaic, very freely adapted, costume drama. Brian Blessed hams marvellously in the few scenes he has and the score works well into the fabric of the movie. Sadly, the writing and direction are nothing special. Errol and Basil have little to worry about.

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Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Cast & Crew

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Cast

Kevin Costner

Morgan Freeman

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Christian Slater

Alan Rickman

Geraldine McEwan

Michael McShane

Brian Blessed

Michael Wincott

Nick Brimble

Box office

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