Considering how influential a character he is, there’s a surprising lack of actually good Robin Hood films available. Sure, there are some outliers, like 1976’s Robin and Marian and even Disney’s 1973 animated classic. In 1991, Kevin Costner delivered an earnest performance in what remains the best adaptation to date. Let’s take a look at what makes Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves an instant must-watch for any fan of swashbuckling classics!
Perfect Performances
From Kevin Costner as Sherwood’s most charismatic rogue to Morgan Freeman’s Azeem, everyone in Prince of Thieves plays their parts masterfully. Costner plays a Robin who feels equal parts legendary and human. This Robin is not an infallible marksman: he struggles to reconcile his ways with his image of justice, and then questions himself when his whole world comes crashing down after meeting Lady Marian.
A Band to Remember
The tale of Robin Hood feels grander than ever in Prince of Thieves thanks to Michael Kamen’s powerful (and undeniably catchy) original score. Also, the classic power ballad (Everything I Do) I Do It for You, which was made exclusively for the film, became an instant ‘90s classic. It might sound a bit more “modern” than a Robin Hood film demands, but it worked perfectly coupled with Kamen’s score.
The Real Sherwood Forest
Most of the filming took place in real historic UK sites that give Prince of Thieves a sense of scale that’s unmatched, even by modern CGI-heavy blockbusters. Say what you will about Costner’s suspicious “accent,” but Sherwood Forest had never felt as authentic on the big screen before 1991.
Point Blank Photography
One of the most iconic scenes in Prince of Thieves involves a seemingly arrow-mounted camera zipping between trees. Naturally, this was a practical effect, but it looks so convincing that one might actually think the film’s DP had access to a prototype GoPro camera. Even the more static shots, like those showing the chalk cliffs at Seven Sisters, look appropriately epic.
Grimdark Before It Was Cool
While most modern adaptations of historical dramas or folk tales are used to the (almost obligatory) “darkening” of modern cinema, the ‘90s still loved the concept of classic, saccharine swashbuckling films. Movies like Hook and Cutthroat Island prove this. Prince of Thieves, however, “modernized” the legend of Robin Hood with a darker, more serious tone that audiences of the time (and now) could appreciate even more.
The Ultimate Villain
It would be impossible to discuss Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves without mentioning Alan Rickman’s stellar performance as the devious Sheriff of Nottingham. Rickman is a legend when it comes to embodying some of the most memorable villains, and his at the top of his game in Prince of Thieves.
His take on the Sheriff of Nottingham is both threatening and unexpectedly comedic. In fact, Rickman seems to be the only one taking Prince of Thieves as a dark comedy instead of a serious epic, and in doing so, he turns every scene he’s in into pure gold.
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While I absolutely love Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, it is not the best adaptation yet, not by a long shot. That title belongs to 1938’s The Adventures of Robin Hood, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring screen legend Errol Flynn in the title role. No Robin Hood film made afterwards came even close to match the sheer perfection of that version, and that includes the Kevin Costner blockbuster. How the author of this article was able to completely ignore this film – he didn’t even mentioned it! – is beyond me.