Rating: Summary: Costner - eh... Rickman-Bravo Review: Costner needs a personality. The performance is flat.Now Alan Rickman, on the other hand, WOW! Buy the DVD just to watch a real actor work (forget Costner). Rickman has long been a terrific character actor. In Robin Hood, he really shines. He is both funny and terrifying. I find myself almost rooting for The Sheriff!
Rating: Summary: Best Robin Hood Movie I've Seen Review: This has to be the best Robin Hood movie ever made. Everything about it is awesome! It has everything to make the movie interesting and moving along. I've heard people make fun of Kevin Costner's accent but hey, nobody's perfect. Besides that doesn't even have an affect on the movie. The charaters are great and well performed. Everyone did a very convincing job on their roles. I really liked Marion, because she not only portrayed a damsel in distress but she also was a very strong willed woman who didn't scare too easily. I loved Azeem, I don't think the movie would have been the same without him. Morgan Freeman is just great in whatever movie he acts in and of course this is no exception. I forgot to mention, Christian Slater has a part in this movie that itself is a good reason to watch the movie. One of my favorite parts in the movie is when Will Scarlett (Christian Slater) is sent to [do away with] Robin and then he tells Robin why he hates him so much. I at least thought that was a very impacting part in the movie not only for the viewer but also for Robin. Compared to the movies that are coming out now with the same rating I would say the sexual content in this movie is minor. If anything, the violence is a little extreme, lots of blood and arrows going through people's heads so parents should watch this movie before they allow thier kids to watch it. I remember the first time I watched this movie I was in seventh grade and we watched it during history class. Nobody fast forwarded through any of the movie so I guess it depends on how strict parents are on letting their kids watch violent movies. I've loved this movie ever since the first time I watched it and now own the dvd which is just as good. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is like me and like watching movies that are full of action and adventure. Oh and of course good looking talented actors!
Rating: Summary: Pretty good, but could have been a lot better Review: *SYNOPSIS* - After being captured by Turks during the Crusades, Robin of Locksley (Kevin Costner) escapes and returns to England. Traveling with Robin is Azeem (Morgan Freeman), a Moor who vows to repay a life debt to Robin. But as soon as he returns home, Robin discovers that a lot can change during four long years. The Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) has murdered Robin's father and now has a tyrannical rule over the people during King Richard's absence. The Sheriff also has the evil witch Mortianna (Geraldine McEwan) on his side as he launches a campaign to put himself on the throne. Robin unites a band of exiled villagers to lead them against the Sheriff and his evil cousin, Guy of Gisborne (Michael Wincott). But with only a band of thieves and their families, can Robin be able to rid the land of evil and protect his true love, Marion Dubois (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio)? *ACTING* - Kevin Costner as Robin Hood is my favorite character in the whole movie (despite complaints about his accent ;). His character was charming, funny, and was overall a great hero to root for. In the beginning he is obviously still a young man, a bit wild and not that serious. This part of Kevin Costner's acting has a lot to wish for (especially the scene where he arrives back in England). But later on as Robin begins to mature more with his responsibilities of being a leader, we see the glimpses of Costner's terrific dramatic acting abilities. Morgan Freeman gives a lot of dignity to his character of Azeem as throughout the movie he gives pieces of advise and wisdom to Robin. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marion Dubois is well acted and she puts a good balance of strength and womanly characteristics in her acting. And then we have the Sheriff of Nottingham played by Alan Rickman. Though as an actor he is excellent, I absolutely did not like the characterization of the Sheriff! I can understand that they wanted to make the Sheriff as terrible and evil as possible, but I think in this movie they went a bit too far. Making him constantly shift between comical to serious resulted in only giving the movie an uneven feel. And there's one scene between the Sheriff and Marion that was highly unnecessary. Also look for Sean Connery as the good King Richard at the end of the movie. Nobody can play royalty the way Sean Connery can; he just has this way of making his characters come alive! I wish he had a bigger part in the movie. *PLOT* - The story of Robin Hood is generally well-known and as all movies go with famous legendary heroes, some changes are made to make the movie as interesting as possible. Overall I had only a few complaints with the plot: 1) I am extremely puzzled about where Prince John is throughout the movie! 2) As I said before, I was disgusted with the character of the Sheriff. 3) The character of Will Scarlet is very different and I missed the original character (my favorite in the book). The humor in the movie is distributed frequently and as often as possible. In one sense this reason is why I like the movie. But some of the humor doesn't seem to fit in with surrounding events or seriousness of the scenes, making the movie at times uneven. *ACTION & SUSPENSE* - I must say that the action is one of the best points about this movie! I can almost guarantee that after watching this movie, everyone will have a favorite 'action scene'. There's the scene where Robin Hood and his men are attacked in the forest, Robin Hood's fight with Little John at the river, and ultimately, the last 20 or so minutes is extremely exciting and suspenseful! And most of all, Kevin Costner is very, very cool whenever he wields his bow and shoots off his arrows! The sword fighting of course is pretty spectacular. *PG-13 RATING* - "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" is rated PG-13 for some sexual content, action/violence, and some language. The profanity is pretty tame compared to recent films but it's still there. The action and violence in the movie is not that graphic or gory but still not recommended watching with younger kids. But what really put me off was the sexual content. Some of the innuendo might have been tolerable but as I have already mentioned, the Sheriff is very weird and strange. I recommend parents watch the movie before watching with younger children. *PUT-IT-ALL-TOGETHER* - Overall, "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" is an enjoyable film which has its flaws. This movie goes under my list of "Movies which had potential". "Robin Hood" would have been a much better film for me if lots of the sexual content would have been taken out. If you're a Kevin Costner film you shouldn't pass by this movie. If not a Costner fan... well, it's up to you if you want to watch this movie. But if you're looking for a good action and adventure film, check this out! ...
Rating: Summary: Love the movie, hate having to turn DVD over Review: I love this movie, but WHY do you have to turn the DVD over part way through? That stinks. What were they thinking when they made it? Stick to the VHS....
Rating: Summary: Not my Favorite Movie! Review: Well I guess you can chalk me up as another movie watcher who didn't like Kevin Costner's Robin Hood movie, I found it dull and I didn't like his accent and I am sorry if that offends fans of Kevin Costner and this movie but that is my honest opinion and I stick by it! I liked the other Robin Hood movies better, heck I even liked the Barrie Ingham movie better even if that is not one of the best Robin Hood movies but that is just my personal opinion.
Rating: Summary: 2 words for Mr. Costner - Dialect Coach Review: This film is only saved by the performances of Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman. Micheal McShane is good as Friar Tuck, but underused. One thing that folks around here have neglected to mention is that Costner starts out the film with a light British accent, which he loses about 5 minutes into the film. Costner probably refused to have a dialect coach. Robin Hood is an English character, and it might have done Costner some good to actually challenge himself for a change. In my opinion, Errol Flynn is still the definitive film Robin Hood. Also, the British series 'Robin of Sherwood' is a marvellous version of the Robin Hood story, with much better acting than in this film.
Rating: Summary: Everyone is too analytical Review: I saw this movie when it first came out and I was crazy on it. What kid wouldn't be at age 8? When you're little you don't watch a movie for its authenticity and great acting. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves had action, adventure, an awesome hero, romance and a good storyline. I'm 18 now and I just bought the movie - I still love it. Please don't complain about Kevin Costner's accent - he wasn't even trying to be British. Lucy Lawless never had a Greek accent in Xena so does it matter? The acting wasn't really that bad and the only character which was really out-of-place was Alan Rickman who was almost hammy in some parts. The story-line for this movie was much more exciting than in previous Robin Hood movies. Coming back from the Crusades, lovely Robin of Locksley has to deal with many setbacks but is followed by his faithful friends Azeem (Morgan Freeman) and Duncan. And Lady Marion (Mastrantonio) remained his love even though she was forced into marrying Nottingham (Rickman) and almost raped. Robin has to avenge the ruination of his father's reputation (before his death) and save the people of England and Marion all-at-once. A surprise brother, a witch and the king's return also add to the excitment. The only unbelievable parts were (1) Marion's surprise that Nottingham was against the King. Good grief - wasn't it obvious? (2) Why did she fight Nottingham like she did Robin in the beginning? She could have whipped the stupid sherriff's ... . Her character wasn't at all constant and not a very good role model for females. The ending was lovely. Of all the Robin Hood versions I have seen, this one was the best, most well-rounded. *Think Errol Flynn* <-- That version was truly terrible. I completely luv the Brian Adams song at the end and throughout the movie. It's lovely and thoroughly matches the movie's message. However, I think you're all being too analytical about this movie. It's entertainment. It's not supposed to be 100 per cent accurate. Everything 'looks' authentic, so what does it matter? It's excting and has a great soundtrack. And Costner was meant to portray Robin with subtlety. Why is everyone picking apart this movie? Don't quash my childhood fantasies.
Rating: Summary: Adventure Abounds.....DVD Needs New Sound... Review: This review refers to the 1997 DVD released by Warner Bros..... Robin of the Hood, Prince Of Thieves, friend to the poor,on the run from the law. This film has it all. Lots of swashbuckling adventure,heroes, villians, romance, comedy,terrific cinematography,wonderful actors,great costumes,and a truly memorable musical score. It's a great story. Robin Hood(Kevin Costner) escapes from a foreign prison during the 12th century wars, comes home to find his father(Brian Blessed), a nobleman, murdered and the people of his beautiful countryside are starving. The person responsible for all this suffering, well you know..it's the Sherriff of Nottingham(Alan Rickman). With King Richard also away at the wars, It is up to Robin to save the starving people, thwart the efforts of the Sherrif to take over the country, and save Maid Marion(Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) from the clutches of this madman.He has lots of help though, He hides out in Sherwood Forest with Littlejohn, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlett(Christian Slater)and the rest of the outlaws, and also is befriended by Azim(Morgan Freeman),a Moor that escaped the prison with Robin. There's lots of great action and romance to follow. The sword fights, arrows blazing with fire in slo-mo, explosions,all look great in the widescreen(matted), along with the tender moments between Robin and Marion with the great musical score in the background. There's even a suprise cameo.(I won't say who just in case you havn't seen it yet). As I already mentioned there is some great acting in the film. Kevin Costner is a terrific Robin. Alan Rickman is so good at being so loathesome(Die Hard/Quigley Down Under), and Morgan Freeman as usual thrills us with his performance. You'll love hearing Brian Adams' "I Do It For You", and the scenery of the English countryside is breathtaking. So here's my reason for only four stars for this wonderful, fun film....The DVD....Although the cinematoghraphy of the scenery looks great, the scenes inside the castles(and there are many) are dark and undistinguishable. The sound is good in the 2.0 Dolby surround, but could be great in 5.1(with all the action and great music it really needs this). And lastly what's with having to turn over the disc after only 1:10 of the film, Warner Bros!...I just got comfortable!There are a few extras(no live commentary) telling some of the facts about Robin Hood, and the cast and crew, and I could live with that, but the film needs a make over.If this is a movie you will watch over and over then the DVD is worth having until a new edition arrives, if not you might want to rent it until then. I also wanted to mention for those that have not seen it and are thinking about watching it with the family, the PG-13 rating does push the envelope a little. There's some language, and some scenes that may be to sexual(nothing explicit though) for younger viewers. And of course there is all the fighting. So Pleeeeze Warner Bros, DVDs have come along way in 5 years, how about a new edition?(and maybe you could throw in the Brian Adams video????) Thank you.....Laurie
Rating: Summary: Don't waste your money on this third-rate version! Review: There is only one version of the Robin Hood story worth looking at, and that is Robin of Sherwood. Better acted, better scripted, better filmed, better researched and a thousand times more entertaining. And given how much the Costner debacle has "borrowed" from it, they obviously thought so too
Rating: Summary: Two-sided? Review: This review is purely about the DVD, not the movie. It's an old run, and hence is a two-sided disc. Given that, the transfer is good, but it's time to update the edition with a multilayered disc. Additionally, there are no extras with this edition. My advice is to wait for another edition.
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