SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 143 Min.
Directed by Kevin Reynolds, this 1991 Warner Bros. PG-13 widescreen release stars Kevin Costner (as Robin of Locksley); Morgan Freeman (as Azeem); Christian Slater (as Will Scarlett); Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (as Marian); Geraldine McEwan (as the Sheriff’s ghoulish witch, Mortianna); Michael Wincott (as Sir Guy of Gisbourne); Nick Brimble (as Little John); Michael McShane (as Friar Tuck); and Alan Rickman (as the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham).
In the late 12th Century (circa 1191), English noble Robin of Locksley returns home after fighting in the Crusades for several years. Having escaped a brutal Turkish prison, he is stunned to find his estranged father has been vilely murdered and framed as a devil worshipper. Further, the local Sheriff’s dark forces have unjustly confiscated Robin’s ancestral home, among other cruelties perpetrated upon Nottingham’s rural community. Finding an ally in his radiant childhood friend, Marian, a fugitive Robin and his few allies must retreat into the supposedly haunted Sherwood Forest. Meeting Little John and a ragtag band of scavengers, Robin and his loyal friend, Azeem, inspire a stealthy rebellion by looting wealthy travelers. Only then can be much-needed food and supplies be re-distributed to the villagers.
As repeated failures to capture ‘Robin Hood’ egg him on, an incensed Sheriff resorts to desperate measures to ensure his pretense as an heir to the absent King Richard III. It’s a fiery showdown, as the ‘Prince of Thieves’ and his friends make a last stand vs. the Sheriff’s treacherous bid for absolute power.
REVIEW:
For all its wonderful assets, this film’s glaring weakness is Costner’s laziness, one: by failing to even muster a faint British accent, and two: that he hardly resembles an emaciated prisoner-of-war. In other words, Costner plays himself as ‘Robin Hood,’ by compensating with athleticism and genuine charisma. One could imagine Pierce Brosnan or Mel Gibson as better-suited for the role, but Costner’s chemistry with his co-stars surprisingly works. More so, Freeman, Mastrantonio, Slater, and the film’s unquestioned MVP, Rickman, carry this movie whenever necessary. Character actors McShane, Brimble, Wincott, and McEwan imbue the classy plot with some extra zest. Beyond Rickman’s scene-stealing, few films can surpass Prince of Thieves’ lavish budget, in terms of its cinematography and lush English scenery.
Outside of some anachronisms (i.e. Azeem’s hand-held telescope; the ornate costuming) and a few sluggish sequences, Prince of Thieves meets its aspirations as the 90’s answer to a swashbuckling adventure epic. Bolstered by Bryan Adams’ timeless ballad, “Everything I Do (I Do It for You),” this rousing movie endures. Even if one isn’t a Costner fan, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a satisfying escape back in time to Sherwood Forest.
BONUS FEATURES:
In addition to its theatrical trailers, there are basic production notes. Language options are for English or French, with available sub-titles in French, Spanish, and English.
PACKAGING:
Decorated by some film stills, the bare-bones DVD case identifies its contents well … with one exception. In a carry-over from early DVD’s, the disc must be flipped over to finish the movie. As a heads-up, the disc must be flipped during Marian & Robin’s waterfalls sequence.
ROSCOE’S ODD MOON RATING: 7½ Stars
