Rating: 
Summary: Great cast but slow and disappointing
Review: Audrey looks beautiful and does a great job; Connery, Shaw, Williamson and the rest are terrific; but the plot is very slow and, as my husband said, "has holes that you could drive a truck through." There are too many long, tedious sword fights and too many long gallops across the English countryside with romantic music playing. And the ending was a little too corny, even for romantics like me. Better than Audrey's "Paris When it Sizzles," but still not her best.
Rating: 
Summary: Sean and Audrey camp out in the woods
Review: Growing up as a young reader in WASP America, it was inevitable that I should be exposed to the Robin Hood legend. Indeed, it was that tale, along with my young (and imperfect) knowledge of Becket, Henry VIII and his wives, and King Arthur and the Round Table, which first got me to dreaming about visiting England. After my first journey across The Pond in '75 to that green and pleasant land, I was hooked. Thus, it was with great relish that I viewed ROBIN AND MARIAN.How could one possibly find fault with the casting of this film: Man's Man Sean Connery as the aging, creaky Robin Hood, and the always beautiful Audrey Hepburn as the love of his life, Maid Marian. As a bonus for the viewer, Robert Shaw and Nicol Williamson play the Sheriff of Nottingham and Little John respectively. It doesn't get better than this. As the movie opens, Robin and faithful pal Little John are off in France attendant to the death of King Richard the Lionhearted (Richard Harris), after having rummaged around with the monarch on the Third Crusade. Richard's funeral over, our two heroes return to Sherwood Forest. Robin soon learns that the new sovereign, wicked King John, has ordered the Sheriff of Nottingham to evict a group of nuns from a local abbey. As circumstance would have it, Maid Marian took the veil in Robin's long absence, and is now the abbey's prioress. Despite his aching bones and stiff joints, Robin sets off to rescue his damsel-in-distress from his old archenemy. There are so many joys to this movie. One is watching Sean's Robin deal with advancing age. He's still young at heart, but sleeping in the damp, cold forest isn't what it used to be. Both he and Little John are too much "over the hill" for such nonsense, but only the latter, with increasing skepticism, seems to realize it. Then there's Audrey's Marian, who isn't at first sure that she needs the renewed attentions of her old beau. (Audrey is so exquisite! They don't make actresses like that anymore.) The intervening years have even had an effect on Shaw's Sheriff of Nottingham, making him much wiser in his dealings with his rascally nemesis. Finally, the scriptwriters give their own interpretation to the traditional ending of the Robin Hood story. In their hands, it becomes at least a two-hankie event. Just remembering it now, I'm looking for the Kleenex box. Call me a sucker, but I just ate it up!
Rating: 
Summary: Not The Best I've Ever Seen.....
Review: I am a big Audrey Hepburn fan, but this movie was no her best. I felt that the action was not very realisctic; you could tell that the swords were ruber. I felt that the ending was weak. I think that it would be good to rent or something but I wouldn't suggest owning it. :(
Rating:
Summary: A modern classic
Review: I have always loved this movie, and for many of the reasons already listed by other reviewers. It has a truly inspired cast, a tremendously moving ending, the chemistry between the two leads is extraordinary, and the movie presents a new and interesting take on some of the classic characters of English folklore. What really stands out for me though is the late Robert Shaw's brilliant performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham. This is the only time I have ever seen the character portrayed on screen as anything other than a throughly contemptible villain. The Sheriff has been seen as everything from the greedy, rapacious robber baron of the old British "Robin of Sherwood" TV series, to the over-the-top, caricature of evil portrayed by Alan Rickman in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". In this movie, Shaw shows us a very believable, and very human Sheriff. He's obviously cleverer than Robin, and it's also obvious that he truly respects his old adversary. A really touching scene is when the Sheriff warns Robin not to interfere and try to rescue Marian from the fate she has chosen for herself. It's clear he doesn't at all want to be Robin's enemy again. In another scene, he actually laments the death of one of his soldiers - something no other actor's Sheriff would have done in a million years. This Sheriff is actually a rather likeable figure in his way, and if he's a bad guy, it's only because he is a creature of duty and is determined to carry out the orders of his king, even when the king is an unworthy master. It's fascinating to see such a human portrayal of the Sheriff, to match the realistic human portrayals all the other actors bring to their characters. This is really one of the most underrated pictures out there. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Brings Out My Sentimental Side
Review: I liked this movie when it was first released, which answers my sons' challenge that I like Robin Hood as a middle-aged guy because I AM a middle-aged guy. It is everything that a good movie should be. It is well written, well cast and acted, and it holds up as a good story and a good film many years after its theatrical release.I have always thought that Sean Connery was a cocky kid and a not-so-good actor in the James Bond movies, but became profoundly good later in life in "The Rock" and "The Untouchables", and that same developed talent comes through here. He IS the middle aged Robin, a perfectly realized role, as is Audrey Hepburn as Marian. The plot follows Robin's return to England after the death of King Richard in the Crusades. King John (Boo!) is in power and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Robert Shaw)is up to his old larcenous tricks. But now they are "old guys" and their efforts to fuss with each other as in days of yore are sometimes funny and sometimes sad. But the movie is an excellent addition to any DVD library. Technically, the picture has been remastered to modern standards, and if the sound is not DTS, it is acceptable. Good job, but where is the outastanding "Adventures of Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn?? It's long overdue in DVD format.
Rating:
Summary: A CHARACTER STUDY, NOT AN ACTION FILM
Review: In this version of the Robin Hood myth, an aged Robin and Little John played wonderfully by Nicol Williamson return to Sherwood and Nottingham after the death of Richard Lion Heart whom they followed on the Crusades. Upon their arrival, they encounter Tuck and Scarlett, forcibly recruit Marion who's now the Abbotess of a nunnery, and in doing so, re-initiate hostilities with the Sheriff of Nottingham. I can't blame anyone for being disappointed in this film; you hear the name Robin Hood and you automatically expect feats of Zen archery and balletic sword duels between Robin and The Sherriff of N. But while not as dynamic as other Robin Hood films, Robin and Marion is not as facile as those films either. This film is about people; it's not supposed to serve as a visual roller coaster. If you prefer comic books to literature, by all means stick with the Errol Flynn version, because Robin and Marion, while it may not be a great work, is still a good piece of literature. It's about being human and being alive, to which, in this film, the fighting is secondary. And while the fight between Robert Shaw and Sean Connery did look arthritic and clumsy, it was also a lot closer to a real fight than Flynn's bladed flashdance with Basil Rathbone (sp?) ever was.
Rating:
Summary: "We'll Never Have a Day Like This Again!"
Review: Long considered one of the classic stories of British folklore, Robin Hood has inspired artists not only in his homeland, but in France, Germany, the Americas, and as far afield as Japan. One of the first counterculture figures, he rose against a repressive hierarchy and won equality for the common masses of Britain. However, the story often ends when King Richard Lionheart returns and reprimands his wayward brother, who has been sitting as regent. What happened to Robin and his companions after that? This question is explored in Richard Lester's "Robin and Marian." Lester, best known for directing the Beatles in "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!," steps away from his comedy résumé to create a more cynical, realistic look at the effects of maturity on a man who is associated intimately with virility and youth. Everybody's favorite James Bond, Sean Connery, is Robin Hood. He has spent decades on the Crusades with Richard - this time he is not a disinherited nobleman, but a peasant who has achieved greatness and fame. However, King Richard (Richard Harris, "A Man Called Horse") is a selfish and venal ruler who instills fear by force and takes without giving. Wounded while laying siege to a lesser lord's castle, he dies from the strain of an attempt to kill Robin for insubordination. This leaves Robin and his Lieutenant, Little John (Nicol Williamson) at loose ends, so they decide to return to England, which they haven't seen in twenty years. Robin Hood and Little John are both flawed men. Robin Hood refuses to acknowledge he isn't the young man he was when he fought Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Little John is loyal to the point where he won't allow himself to disagree with Robin, even when he's plainly wrong. When Robin takes a spontaneous notion to visit his old haunts in Sherwood, Little John tags along, and they run into Friar Tuck (Ronnie Barker) and Will Scarlett (Denholm Elliot). There is talk of a peasant rebellion against King John (Ian Holm), who is just as bad a ruler as when he stood in for his brother, but it doesn't really come to anything. Robin Hood doesn't realize he's getting old, though he references his age. When he rides out to seek his long-abandoned love, Maid Marian (Audrey Hepburn, "Breakfast at Tiffany's"), he finds she's become a nun. However, he refuses to believe Marian might have higher priorities than cheap thrills, and insists she join him in the forest. Because King John is on the outs with the Pope, Marian is a criminal, but she wants to be a martyr. Robin won't let her do so and steals her away, putting him in bad blood with his old foe, the Sheriff of Nottingham (Robert Shaw, "Force 10 From Navarone"). Robin wants to be the hero he was two decades ago. His companions know they are staring down the throat of mortality, but they don't seem to know just what that means. Only the Sheriff seems to have a strong grasp of human nature, and is willing to let bygones be bygones, except that he has orders from the King, who he must not disobey. Though the characters are all the same age and have the same level of experience, there is a visible generation gap between them. Robin and, to a lesser degree, his companions, all want to be the heroes they were before they became fairly legitimate. Marian has a strong sense of responsibility, but is willing to play Merry Men with Robin until it proves he's not just playing. The Sheriff is a quiet, peaceful, indeed almost fatherly figure who exacts discipline because it's needed, not because he relishes it. Robin is the eternal child, the fox that Walt Disney painted, while the Maid Marian has grown a human spirit as she's gotten older. She recognizes her limitations and is unwilling to revert to the play of two decades earlier. She realizes Robin is caught in a relentless cycle of violence, but she no longer wants to be a part of it. When Robin crows, in the wake of a successful battle, "We'll never have a day like this again," the two put very different meanings on that sentence. This dark view of English history and heroes invites obvious comparisons to "King Lear," but it is very much the product of a more modern ideal. Great figures, renowned for their youth and virility, Sean Connery for instance, were increasingly being forced to recognize they weren't kids anymore. They had to make choices - hang onto youth with both fists, grow up and seek spirituality, grow up and seek worldliness - and there was no straddling the fence. All these options are reflected in "Robin and Marian," and even more - as many options as there are characters, as many options as there are people who face age. There is no clear answer provided as to what way to face age is the correct one, but when is there in this life? When some people choose one way and some choose another, conflict is inevitable. What matters is less who chooses correctly than how all involved deal with their respective choices. Time reveals how everyone deals with their choices in this movie, but bear in mind - no one is spared the consequences of their actions, for good or ill. This timely take on the timeless story will appeal to many different ages and outlooks. However, this is no comedy, no romance. This is a hard look into human motivations. Remember that and don't say you weren't warned.
Rating:
Summary: A senior-citizens (subjects?) love story
Review: Lovely Audrey Hepburn, as beautiful as she ever was, rekindles a long lost romance with her then groom-to-be Sean Connery twenty years after they separated. Only trouble is ...the Sheriff of Nottingham is out to get them because she's Lady Marian and he's Robin Hood! All this played out in tongue-in-cheek style by director Richard Lester. I saw this movie in 1976 for the first time, and just recently a few days ago. It is still one of the best romances ever made, and, probably, the Dream Cast ever: Robert Shaw, Nichol Williamson, Richard Harris, Denholm Elliott, Ian Holm as Lackland John and, as his young bride ...Victoria Abril in her first role! Don't miss it!!!
Rating:
Summary: A good movie is still the best DVD feature.
Review: Okay, first a bit of DVD speak. The special features advertised on the box include sound in English (and only English). I didn't know that sound in movies had been a special feature at any point since the 1930s. Oh well.. as with most scaled down DVDs, it advertises the standard menus, scene access and trailers as being special features. No matter. The film is a very nice transfer, and the movie itself is pretty special. The script is by James Goldman, who also wrote the medieval character piece The Lion in Winter. And if anything, the writing here is even sharper than his early film. Many people have noticed the 1970s Vietnam era feel. And it's true that Robin as a returning crusader certainly taped into the mood of the decade the film was made. But it's more than that. Most Robin Hood films end with Robin being pardoned by the king. And this happens in one of the earliest ballads too. But the part of the ballad that is cut out of most movies is that Robin Hood eventually left the king's service and returned to his outlaw ways. And then he died at Kirklees Priory. And these final years of Robin also appear in many of the children's novels. This movie -- like very few other filmed versions of the legend -- shows the end of Robin's life. After the death of King Richard, Robin returns to Sherwood. He has a lot of regrets -- leaving England, leaving Marian, participating in senseless slaughters like Acre. So, a much older Robin seeks a second chance. In his twilight years, Robin tries to recapture the best days of his life. There's something very sad and tragic about it -- but it's also wonderfully human. The acting in the film is first rate -- Sean Connery makes a very believable Robin. Nicol Williamson is an interesting older Little John. Screen legend Audrey Hepburn plays a very changed Marian. And finally Robert Shaw is the best sheriff of Nottingham in all the Robin Hood movies. An older, more patient, likeable man. The sheriff hasn't been promoted because "I can read and write. It makes you suspect. Not a duke in twenty can read a word. Correct, my lord?" "Books are for clerks." As he waits for Robin to invade Nottingham, he explains "He's a little in love with death. He flirts. He teases. I can wait." I think those quotations should give you some idea of how good the writing is and also something of the film's mood. It is a rich and interesting character piece of people who are very human, but who also formed the basis of legend. ("They've turned us into heroes, Johnny.") It's not an action film, not swashbuckling adventure. There is some romance, but it both a mature and immature romance of older people trying to recapture lost glories. A smart, sombre -- but also witty -- film. As others have said, it is very much underrated. When I bought this DVD, the store owner was impressed. "Now that's a cool choice," he said. And so it was.
Rating:
Summary: Pure visual poetry
Review: One of the best movies about age and aging. Robin and Little John are weary from the Crusades, old (for those times), and return home to England, not knowing what they'll find. Most of the old gang turns up, as it happens, and friendships are rekindled, as is the animus of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Beautifully photographed; several shots are almost Vermeer-like in their composition. And yes, the last scene is heartbreaking. Watching this film got me through a dark time in my life, so it's special to me.
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