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Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves poster

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

year 1991decade 90sdirector Kevin Reynoldsgenre Adventure

143 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Kevin Costner Robin of Locksley
Christian Slater Will Scarlett
Alan Rickman Sheriff of Nottingham
Geraldine McEwan Mortianna
Michael McShane Friar Tuck
Brian Blessed Lord Locksley
Michael Wincott Guy of Gisborne
Nick Brimble Little John
Soo Drouet Fanny
Jack Wild Much
Michael Goldie Kenneth
Liam Halligan Peter Dubois
Marc Zuber Interrogator
Sean Connery King Richard (uncredited)
Imogen Bain Sarah, Marian’s lady-in-waiting

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Van Lathanproducer Craig Horlbeck theme Wait, This Movie Made How Much Money?
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The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Sheriff’s cousin killing; Azeem should lead; Game of Thrones comparison; Omar as Robin Hood

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:00Read transcript
  • An early hot take argues The Wire's Omar better realizes the Robin Hood idea, with preference for more robbery and redistribution rather than backstory.
  • The sheriff killing his own cousin is criticized as destroying trust and removing his own muscle, framed as more an observation than a hot take.
  • Azeem is proposed as the person who should lead because of his technology and medical competence.
  • A hot take compares Game of Thrones with this film's forest journeys, kidnappings and sardonic villain; Omar is again called the best Robin Hood.
  • An urban Robin Hood adaptation in Chicago or Baton Rouge is proposed.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Hanging rescue; Little John staff fight

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:43Read transcript
  • The opening escape is nominated for its energy, extravagant hair and immediately inconsistent accents.
  • Robin saving a child is an early scene candidate.
  • The staff fight that wins over Little John is a favorite scene.
  • Robin's arrow near Will's hand and motivational speech are nominated partly for the shifting accents.
  • The sheriff's cancel-Christmas outburst is nominated for Rickman's extravagant comic delivery.
  • The final rescue, wedding disruption and sword fight are strongly favored as an exciting final stretch, contrasted with a slower first two-thirds.
  • The battle-planning model is praised for making the eventual action geography understandable.
  • The attack on the forest village is nominated, including the reversal when fire arrives after an apparent victory.
  • Marian watching Robin bathe is another scene candidate, emphasizing her attraction.
  • Connery's surprise ending cameo is praised as ideal kingly star casting that justifies the characters' loyalty to Richard.
  • The hanging rescue is the final scene choice with repeated agreement, while the Little John staff fight is also named a personal favorite; obstacles complicating the rescue shot are praised.

What’s Aged the Best?

Kamen score; medieval setting; archery; wigs; Men in Tights; physical filmmaking; Morgan Creek; matched fights; Little John’s respect; preparation montage; horseback Costner; redistribution; hometown introductions; dialogue; catapult

In the discussion (19)
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:41Read transcript
  • Stars in exaggerated wigs and beards are an aged-best observation, prompting an extended Hard to Kill comparison.
  • Michael Kamen's memorable theme is an aged-best choice.
  • The dirty, damaged-looking medieval surroundings are praised, contrasting with Marian's clean, beautiful appearance.
  • Bow-and-arrow action is praised.
  • Stars in obviously artificial wigs and beards are praised.
  • Men in Tights is praised as a response to this film and explicitly proposed as a double feature.
  • The sheriff's spoon threat and scheduling two women are praised as reportedly improvised lines.
  • Physical outdoor filmmaking despite imperfect effects is praised, including Costner actually wet on the beach rather than a wholly digital setting.
  • Morgan Creek’s run is praised through Young Guns, Major League, Young Guns II, The Exorcist III, Pacific Heights, Robin Hood, Freejack, The Last of the Mohicans, True Romance, Ace Ventura and Major League II; the titles form an unranked list.
  • The final matched confrontations—Azeem and witch, Friar Tuck and bishop, Robin and sheriff—are praised for symmetry.
  • Little John accepting Robin as leader after losing the fight is praised as a welcome respect-based friendship dynamic.
  • Preparing weapons, traps and the elaborate forest hideout are praised as satisfying training-and-building montage material.
  • Costner riding horses is an aged-best choice, linked to his recurring screen persona.
  • Robbing the rich is an aged-best choice.
  • Introducing people by first name and hometown is praised, inspiring playful podcast equivalents.
  • The statement that nobility is defined by actions rather than birth is praised.
  • The brothers reveal is considered both good and bad because of Costner’s delivery.
  • Azeem’s comparison of English hospitality with the weather is praised.
  • The catapult launch over the wall is praised as enjoyable old-school effects, with a wish for more swashbuckling action.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Kevin Costner; Will Scarlet (late alternative)

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:35Read transcript
  • Costner is the weak link, particularly the accent, made more obvious by Connery's arrival; his other difficult accents are compared.
  • Will withholding the brother revelation while undermining the group is criticized as contrived and obstructive; he is proposed as another weak link.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Attempted rape; Costner’s hair/accent/double; Little John’s wife (disputed); competing adaptation; wasted Slater; communication delays

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:59Read transcript
  • The sheriff's attempted rape of Marian is judged badly aged, especially its comic staging and length in a PG-13 adventure; the intended bloodline motivation does not excuse the tonal problem.
  • Costner's hair and appearance are criticized; reports of disagreement over whether to use an accent are offered to explain its inconsistency.
  • The nude swimming double is discussed as visibly different, with cold-water protection reported as the reason and additional joking speculation.
  • A wish for a more attractive Little John's wife is challenged by the medieval forest setting and her many children; LeBrock and Helen Mirren are hypothetical alternatives.
  • The competing Robin Hood film is an aged-worst observation, with its reported gross contrasted with this hit.
  • Slater is considered wasted as a resentful Will Scarlet; his charming ad-lib at the end suggests a livelier role, while his career stage offers a possible reason for accepting it.
  • The lack of communication before Robin returns to discover his father's death is joked about as life before postal service.

Apex Mountain

Bows and arrows; Costner’s 1991 period (qualified)

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:49Read transcript
  • Archery and movie bows-and-arrows are proposed for Apex, with The Hunger Games raised as an alternative.
  • Rickman is proposed for Apex, with Die Hard raised as the competing peak and no clear resolution.
  • Costner’s 1991 period is affirmed as a peak by one view, while another locates the defining Apex in the earlier Dances with Wolves Oscar triumph.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Urban all-Black Robin Hood; Nottingham; Marian erotic spin-off joke

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:37Read transcript
  • An all-Black urban Robin Hood facing corrupt police is proposed; The Wire and the Equalizer films are discussed as partial analogues rather than exact adaptations.
  • The unmade Nottingham screenplay, reportedly centered on a heroic sheriff, is preferred as an alternative adaptation before Scott turned it into a conventional Robin Hood film.
  • A Marian-centered erotic spin-off is proposed jokingly, extending the bathing-scene discussion.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Flaming arrow and quiver; cult mask; jewelry; Azeem’s scimitar; Robin’s father’s sword

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:47Read transcript
  • The screen-used flaming arrow and quiver are memorabilia choices.
  • The pagan cult mask is a memorabilia choice.
  • A necklace or other jewelry is another memorabilia possibility.
  • Azeem’s scimitar is a memorabilia choice.
  • The returned sword is a memorabilia choice, corrected from King Richard’s to Robin’s father’s.