Rating: 
Summary: Historically inaccurate but still a fun viewing experience..
Review: Over the years, it seems that the Robin Hood saga has been a favorite of sorts for film makers to re-invent, manipulate, and showcase again and again. No doubt due to global appeal and the premise of a hero taking from the rich, giving to the poor, and fighting the good fight.Of all the Robin Hood films ever produced, it's readily apparent that Prince of Thieves relies less on genuine historical accuracy and leans more toward Hollywood flair which still makes for an entertaining film. Despite using no English accent (which appears to grate on some reviewers for some reason), Kevin Costner presents himself well in the role of Robin Hood. Coupled with fine performances from Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman, Christian Slater, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, (to name just a few), the story moves at an exciting pace and hits the mark as a stand up adventure movie that doesn't disappoint. As for the new 2 disc special edition release of this movie, it just got a whole lot better. Not having to flip the disc over any more to see the entire feature like in the first release, you now have a new digital transfer and a remastered DTS 5.1 soundtrack and both are outstanding. On disc 2 you have great bonus material enhancing the value and enjoyment even further. Included is a decent documentary on the making of Prince of Thieves, Bryan Adams performing his music video of '(Everything I do) I do it for you', an interactive mediaeval weapons gallery, cast and crew bios, production notes, interviews with cast and crew, and trailers and t.v. spots. You don't really have to be a die-hard Robin Hood fan to enjoy this movie. The film has a few flaws and stretches the historical aspect somewhat but it plays out well with plenty of action, adventure, humor, and fun. This special edition release would be a good addition to any DVD collection and I recommend it to everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Slings And Arrows
Review: The expoits of Robin Hood have been told many times over the years on the silver screen. From the incarnation starring Errol Flynn, Disney's annimated version, to the spoof directed by Mel Brooks, the different versions vary in quality. I must admit though, that despite actor Kevin Costner's horrid english accent, 1991's Prince Of Thieves is among my favorites in many versions out there. Thanks to a great supporting cast, exciting action, and a fair amount of humor, the film has it all Robin's nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham, is played by Alan Rickman. Once again he proves why he makes an exellent villian. The always great Moragan Freeman is Robin's sidekick, while Christian Slater is Will Scarlett and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is Maid Marion. Directed with energy and dramatic flair by Kevin Reynolds, the film is greatly enhanced, thanks to an additional 12 minutes of footage, not seen in the original theatrical cut. Thankfully, most of the new scenes invove a sub plot, utilizing Rickman-He just about steals the picture-so much so that you almost are rooting for him, and not our accent challenged hero. The extras are pretty good too. Disc one has 2 decent audio commentary tracks The first with Reynolds and Costner is ok, but the second with Freermen, Slater, Writer/producers Pen Densham and John Watson is a bit more fun. Disc two has a documentary hosted by Pierce Brosnan, that was made at the time of the film's release. Production notes, singer Bryan Adams music video for the love song "Everything I Do...", Weapons of the period gallery, thearical trailers, tv spots and composer Michael Kamen's score, round out a solid 2 disc set Recommended for anyone's DVD collection
Rating: 
Summary: hated the added scenes!!!
Review: Growing up this was one of my favorite movies-- I was 13 when the film was released and I saw it seven times in the movie theatre. I was really excited when I learned that there was an expanded edition with added footage and looked forward to the deleted scenes. They are not that good; they break up the narrative almost to detrimental effects and often times lead to confusion. For example; a man, mid-way through the movie has his tongue cut out, the next few times we see him he cannot talk, in one of the last scenes he speaks (the scene where he speaks at the end is in the original and the other scenes were added). This made the experience kind of sour for me. Also with an expanded edition I was hoping for letter-box, but alas, I was disappointed again (yet, I admit this is my own fault for not checking first). The added features are all right, but not spectacular-- two separate feature length commentaries which aren't very interesting and a network behind-the-scenes program hosted by Pierce Brosnon; nice but I was expecting more. If you are like me and were a big fan of the original, I wouldn't buy this movie; it tries so hard to reinvent itself with the added scenes, to its own peril, it's not nearly as enjoyable. I gave it 3 stars because the bulk of the movie is still as I remembered it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie: Best version of Robin Hood yet to be seen
Review: This is one of my absolute favorite movies of all time. The action, the adventure, and the romance were both thrilling and touching respectively. It includes an excellent cast...with Alan Rickman who did an outstanding job as the Sheriff of Nottingham you love to hate, Kevin Costner as the hunky Robin Hood (ok so his accent was bad...he was still really good in this role)Morgan Freeman as Azim: Robin's Moorish friend from the crusades, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as the lovely Maid Marian. If you love movies packed with action, heroics and a touch of romance I strongly urge you to purchase this title! Bryan Adam's lovely song "Everything I Do I Do It For You" also adds another wonderful element to this awesome movie.
Rating:
Summary: Alan Rickman: the anti-Costner
Review: If you want to see a great rousing Robin Hood film, get the Errol Flynn version. If you want to see a wickedly funny Sheriff of Nottingham, get this version and fast forward to any scene with Alan Rickman. You don't have to be a great actor to be a great Robin Hood - see Errol Flynn above - but you have to bring some panache and some style and some fun to the role, none of which Kevin Costner seems capable of doing. His accent (or lack thereof) is the least of his problems. Rickman out-panaches and out-talks this bland bugger to such a degree that you'd almost feel sorry for Costner if he weren't so mind-numbingly smug. Was there ever a more clueless Robin Hood wandering around Sherwood Forest? The only reason Costner, and not Rickman, is left standing at the end of the movie is that hundreds of years of Robin Hood mythology (and the producers) demand it. But in acting muscle and sheer charisma, Rickman just flattens the other guy.
Costner should stick to baseball; he's out of his league here. Although there are some other talented folk here (Morgan Freeman and Mastrantonio), Alan Rickman and Geraldine McEwan (who plays the old hag) seem to be the only actors who recognized this 'epic' potboiler for what it was and decided to give it some gusto.
This is Rickman having some fun at the expense of a mega-ego Hollywood bore, and what the hell is wrong with that?
Rating:
Summary: Great, but the extras aren't.
Review: This is a really terrific movie, if you can ignore Kevin Costner's bad accent (why isn't it an English accent? Cos he was so bad!) and mullet hairstyle - yuck! Every aspect of the movie has to be given top marks, and on this special edition of the movie, you get 12 minutes of extra footage that wasn't shown originally in cinemas. However, the rest of the extras are not very good. I don't see the point in bringing out films that did great business when they originally came out, but don't give much extra on the DVD! The only decent extra on this is Bryan Adam's live performance at Slane Castle in Dublin of "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)". You've got a "behind the scenes" feature - presented strangely enough by Pierce Brosnan (why?) playing Jeff Goldblum. (The resemblance is uncanny). And then there are "vintage" cast interviews, which I can't stand on DVD extras - they are so dull & tedious! And a photo gallery, you can't forget that. The 12 minutes not shown in cinemas is quite cool. But you have to watch closely, because sometimes, it's little more than extra shots of people in the crowd or whatever. What is quite good, is the longer sections of cut film is to do with the Sheriff of Nottingham, and these scenes give an insight into his relationship with the witch. Very interesting, and so stupid that it was cut from the original version of the film. There's a great cameo from Sean Connery towards the end (why did I think Patrick Stewart was going to walk out?), which he reportedly got paid $250,000 for, for TWO DAYS work (alright for some) which he donated to charity. For all the ladies out there - the scene where Kevin Costner is naked under the waterfall, is actually a body double!!! Which is kinda weird, have you seen the tan lines?! This is a DVD to get purely for the 12 minutes extra, not for the rest of the extras. But otherwise, the film is great, and the score by Michael Kamen is so sad at times.
Rating:
Summary: Action-packed Film; Much Better Than Timeline
Review: Unlike the movie Timeline, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves actually has a good, solid plot. Kevin Costner as Robin Hood didn't blend in too well when it came to his so-called English accent. Other than that, the movie was excellent. I'm not usually able to pay attention to a movie for more than two hours straight, but this movie kept my eyes glued to the screen throughout the whole movie. I haven't checked out any of the special features on the two-disc extended edition yet, but I'm hoping that they're going to be at least half as good as the movie was. So, if you're looking for an action-packed thriller with some gory moments, I strongly recommend that you get Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves as soon as possible.
Rating:
Summary: Robin Hood upstaged by the Sheriff
Review: This many-layered interpretation of Robin Hood is almost Shakespearean in presentation: the fern-encrusted merry men are a treasure, as is Little John's wife. Although Kevin Cosner is miscast as Robin Hood and Little John's performance is rather flat (the two from whom one might have expected the most magnetism), the other performances make this movie so worthwhile and, in a sense, innovative. Azeem (Morgan Freeman) is a constructive element of expansion of the tale to a broader world-wide perspective (albeit anachronistically trite at times). Strong and spunky Maid Marian (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) is a more real and believable character than in her traditional damsel-in-distress function. The real gem here, though, is Alan Rickman's and the screenwriter's interpretation of the Sheriff of Nottingham as a tragic-comic villain. It is worth purchasing the movie just for that. And you can't miss Sean Connery as the returning King Richard. This movie is too dark and violent for children (unlike other Robin Hood versions).
Rating: 
Summary: Robin Hood?!?
Review: It is a tragedy that kids today know more about "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" than Robin Hood. I am of the opinion that kids need to get back to these classic heroes. But not by watching this lousy movie. Go get the Howard Pyle or Roger Lancelyn Green retelling of the story. Or better still, read the original songs and poetry about the Merry Men of Sherwood. Or read some "Green Arrow" comics. Anything is better than this tired movie. I fell asleep several times rewatching this movie recently - and believe me, I really TRIED to like it - having been in a "Robin Hood" fever and all. Mix in Kevin Costner's half-hearted, tired performance and American accent with Morgan Freeman's unnecessary Muslim advisor to the Merry Men(?!?) and Alan Rickman's cynical portrayal of the Sheriff and you get a movie that you wish was never made in the first place. And did I mention that Bryan Adams' themesong? On second thought, I'd better not...
Rating:
Summary: An adventure film that is great fun.
Review: This is a can't-miss adventure movie! Pop up a tub of corn, sit back and just have a good time for an hour and change. No real deep thought involved here. The story is timeless and one that everyone knows, so no need to go into that, other than to say that this version is NOT intended to be a literal filming of the Robin Hood myth. Instead, it's an all-new story based heavily upon that original myth (and earlier movies, in the form of several homage scenes like Robin standing on a tree, etc). The new elements are fun and add an element of unpredictability. Morgan Freeman makes a fine Moor and Alan Rickman steals the show as the Sheriff of Nottingham, who in this movie is actually more like Prince John in the legends and earlier movies, except they combine the Prince and Sheriff characters in this version. That amalgamation is a tad confusing to those who know the Robin Hood legends, but what they hey? As I said, it's all in good fun.
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