Back in the 12th century, Robin of Locksley is imprisoned in a torturous jail some where in Jerusalem. In a brave escape, he flees the prison, taking with him Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir, who becomes indebted to him for saving his life. Unknowingly to Robin, that back in England, his father is suffering at the hands of the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.
After several months, Robin and Azeem make it to England where he plans to reunite with his father as soon as possible. But when he comes across their dilapidated castle he hears of his father's death at the hands of the Sheriff and vows to avenge his murder. As the news of his return reaches the Sheriff, he finds himself becoming the focus of several of the Sheriff's henchmen. In an attempt to escape the Sheriff's goons, he encounters the beautiful Marian, before seeking refuge in the supposedly haunted Sherwood Forest.
Robin soon uncovers the truth about the forest as he discovers its inhabitants, which includes Will Scarlett and John Little. After winning a fight using quarterstaffs, he gains the respect of the inhabitants and starts to form into a gang with the ability to challenge the Sheriff. After a brief run in with the Sheriff, which leaves the evil tyrant scarred. He finds himself being blamed for all the misery of the peasants, as the Sheriff terrorizes them in anger. Instead of buckling under the pressure, he uses it to rally the people to up arms against
the Sheriff.
I remember when Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves first came out, I really loved it, but after recently revisiting it, I have realized that firstly it is not as good as I thought it was and secondly my taste in movies has changed a bit. Forgetting any historical inaccuracies, as there are far too many, this film, after 15 years some what disappoints. As it follows the character of Robin of Locksley (Sherwood) on his return to England, we see why he detests the Sheriff so much and how he formed his band of 'merry' men. Probably the biggest problem for me is the plot, which doesn't gel and this causes the film to run some what disjointedly, it is taken for granted that you already know the story of Robin of Sherwood. On top of this, I feel that the main characters are not explained enough and again, it is expected that you already know the story. Talking of the characters, or more on their accents, I didn't know if I was in Ye Olde England or New York, as the accents are so inconsistent and to be honest unbelievable. Okay, so maybe I am being a bit over critical of what is essentially still an enjoyable film, especially as it is now 15 years old. It just feels like it is a paint it by numbers Hollywood blockbuster, which lacks any serious substance.
Okay, in the lead role of Robin is Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves), who for me is a huge casting error. Other than his bad attempt at an English accent, he doesn't come across as a convincing leader of a band of men. Don't get me wrong, he does his best, but it just doesn't work for me. As the evil Sheriff of Nottingham is Alan Rickman (Love Actually), who although livens this film up, his over the top, somewhat comical performance is more suited to a pantomime. To be honest, there are too many questions as to why, concerning both the casting and the characters in this film. Why did some of the actors and actresses agree to star in this and why don't we get a deeper understanding of the characters. Finally, why did Sean Connery, a very good actor, agree to appear in this film with a total of 5 lines and just 1 minute on screen?
The film is directed by Kevin Reynolds who went on to direct the even more dubious Waterworld. Can I blame Reynolds for this film? I probably could, but somehow I feel he was being controlled by the Hollywood big wigs, who made him create a movie which would compete against all the other summer blockbusters. I also remember that he had quite a few run ins with Kevin Costner as to the direction and editing of the movie. Finally, who can forget the sound tracks to the movie, and more importantly, how many weeks did Bryan Adams stay at No. 1 in the charts with "(Everything I do) I do it for you". To be honest, the actual soundtrack in the movie is not that bad, and actually helps to try and keep the movie moving.
= The Cast =======
Kevin Costner .... Robin of Locksley Alan Rickman .... Sheriff of Nottingham Morgan Freeman .... Azeem Christian Slater .... Will Scarlett Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio .... Marian Dubois Michael McShane .... Friar Tuck Brian Blessed .... Lord Locksley Michael Wincott .... Guy of Gisborne Nick Brimble .... Little John Daniel Peacock .... David of Doncaster Jack Wild .... Much the Miller's Son Sean Connery .... King Richard (uncredited)
So, after watching this film with a critical eye, did I still enjoy it? In some degrees yes, it is still a bit of light hearted escapism which although is not a terrible film it still falls someway short of what it could have been. There are far too many weaknesses in the plot, characters and historical references to make this film really good. Surprisingly, I would still recommend people to see it, probably not to actually buy it, but at least rent it. For those who remember it from back in 1991, I'm sure it will bring back memories of the summer, especially when you hear the music. If you do want to buy it, you can get it on Amazon for £7.97 in a 2 disc format which has a few special features. Whether these warrant paying £7.97, I cannot comment.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1995 - Action/Adventure - Director: Tom Clegg - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Sean Bean, Daragh O'Malley, Allie Byrne, Oliver Cotton, Emily Mortimer, Michael Cochrane
Production Year: 2003 - Action/Adventure - Director: Jonathon Mostow - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristinna Loken, David Andrews
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 1996 - Action/Adventure - Director: Tom Clegg - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Daragh O'Malley, Oliver Cotton, Jason Durr, Sean Bean, Allie Byrne
There are so many versions of Robin Hood that they don't interest me at all. x x
chalkiec 11.04.2006 19:12
Still a great film, i could watch it 100's of times before it gets boring, everyone seems to give kevin costner films a bad name, when he is a great actor
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the Robin Hood fable. That aside, it's refreshing to have a preface to the old story in which we meet the robber hero of Sherwood Forest as a soldier in King Ric...
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Kevin Costner's lousy English accent is a small obstacle in this often exciting version of ... more
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![Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves [1991] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78540130.jpg "Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves [1991] [DVD]")
Mar 1st, 2006
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