Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Director:

Kevin Reynolds

Writers (WGA):

Pen Densham (story)
Pen Densham (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 June 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

For the good of all men, and the love of one woman, he fought to uphold justice by breaking the law

Plot:

When Robin and his Moorish companion come to England and the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham, he decides to fight back as an outlaw.

Plot Keywords:

England | Outlaw | Crusades | Forest | Moors

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 13 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Robin Hood
Morgan Freeman	...	Azeem
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Marian Dubois
Christian Slater	...	Will Scarlett
Alan Rickman	...	Sheriff of Nottingham
Michael McShane	...	Friar Tuck (as Micheal McShane)
Brian Blessed	...	Lord Locksley
Michael Wincott	...	Guy of Gisborne
Nick Brimble	...	Little John
Soo Drouet	...	Fanny
Daniel Newman	...	Wulf
Daniel Peacock	...	Bull
Walter Sparrow	...	Duncan
Harold Innocent	...	Bishop of Hereford
Jack Wild	...	Much the Miller's Son

Runtime:

143 min | 155 min (extended edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

New Zealand:PG | Iceland:10 (theatrical rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Canada:PA (Ontario - 2006) | South Korea:12 | Germany:12 (f) | South Africa:PG | UK:12 (re-rating) (2009) (uncut) | Sweden:11 (heavily cut) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (extended version) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (cut) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The novelization of this movie gives insight into a couple of (semi-) significant edits. First and foremost, Reynolds was reportedly very upset at the removal of a scene in which the Sheriff learns the witch is his mother! Another scene, in which Robin rubs himself with manure, was moved from early in the film to the end. Knowing that this scene was intended to be shown before Robin enters the church explains Marian's request that he "take a bath."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the early part of the fight with the Celts, the film is reversed making it appear that Robin is shooting left handed. Obviously done so that Robin was shooting to the left where the Celts were coming from.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Prisoner: Show them the courage of Allah!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game K N B: (2007-01-31)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

(EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU

Enjoyable, old-fashioned swashbuckler with occasional misjudgements.

Robin Hood:Prince Of Thieves is an all-star rehash of one of cinema's oldest and most popular stories. Kevin Costner takes the title role and proves to be handsome enough and swashbuckling enough to do justice to the role during the action scenes. However, during the film's quieter moments, Costner's American accent grates a little amid the Sherwood Forest surroundings.

The story doesn't particularly need explaining, but for people who have lived on Mars for their whole lives here it is. Robin of Locksley, a young soldier, returns from the Crusades to find the city of Nottingham and its surrounding area terrorised by the evil Sherrif of Nottingham (Alan Rickman). Robin takes refuge in the nearby Sherwood Forest, where he gathers a band of woodland outlaws who are always stealing money and treasure taken by the Sherrif and giving it back to the poor. His dashing antics impress Maid Marian (Mary Elisabeth Mastrantonio), a childhood friend, and he quickly becomes popular with the poor and honest folk who nickname him Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves.

The film is very old-fashioned, but it occasionally gives away its 1991 release status with modern touches (the fancy camera-work in which the camera is seemingly fixed upon an arrow as it is fired at a target; the introduction of a Moorish warrior character [Morgan Freeman] to broaden the film's cultural reference; Rickman's self-deprecating pantomimic turn as the wicked Sherrif). On the whole, it is an entertaining film with a good balance between the action and the romance. The best performance - surprisingly - comes from Michael Wincott who oozes menace as the Sherrif's despicable cousin Guy of Gisbourne. There are some quite significant factual errors, the best (by "best" I mean "funniest") of which is when Robin and his Moorish companion stand at the foot of the white cliffs of Dover and Robin tells him: "by nightfall we will dine with my father!" Quite a feat, since Nottinghamshire is about 200 miles away and this pair are travelling on foot!