Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) (Movie Review)

  Weather it be historical, folklore, literature, or cinema … Robin Hood is a name that will always be associated with classic tales of adventure-based storytelling, as well as anti-hero’s who get branded as outlaws, yet are still viewed as a hero in the eyes of the people. Dating all the way back to the 13^th century, there have been so many different tales, and iterations of Robin Hood that it becomes difficult to separate the historical aspects of the character from the more romanticized elements that have developed over the centuries. 

One thing that remains consistent is that he’s a character who never really vanishes, and every generation seems to have their own personal preference for how they view the character. In the 30’s golden age of early Hollywood pictures, the character become synonymous with classic action/ adventure cinema, when Errol Flynn took on the role in the 1938 movie titled “The Adventures of Robin Hood”. Several generations of kids were introduced to the character through Disney’s animated 1955 “Robin Hood”, which is how I was initially introduced to him. However, my personal favorite Robin Hood adventure … at least in the movies … is the 1991 picture titled “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”.

  I was about six or seven years old when I first saw this film, which along with “Jurassic Park” made it one of the very first PG-13 movies I’ve ever seen in my life time. This was also one of my early introductions to swashbuckling adventure cinema, and thus, it'll always have a special place in my nostalgic heart. Objectively, I can’t make a compelling argument that this really is one of the great adventure movies, let alone one of the best Robin Hood stories, but it’s always been my Robin Hood adventure, and the one I most fondly look back on. 

Set in 1194, at the tail end of the Third Crusade … King Richard of England is far off in France, leaving his country at the mercy of the malevolent Sheriff of Nottingham, who along with corrupt church leaders, and death cultists have sized control of the land. Returning home after five years in prison is the titular Robin of Locksley, who’s discovered that his homeland was laid to waist, and his father murdered for not joining the Sheriff’s uprising against King Richard. Along with his faithful friend, and fellow escapee Azeem, they make refuge in the nearby Sherwood Forest, and meet some of the locals who’ve also been trampled under-foot. Eager to aid the people of his land, as well as take vengeance for the murder of his father, Robin instigates a rebellion against Nottingham, and keep the Sheriff at bay until the return of King Richard. Caught in the middle is Robbin’s childhood flame Marian, whom the outlaw swore to protect after the death of his close friend during the crusades.

  Before talking about the cast of characters, I first want to cover the technical aspects I’ve always loved about this film. Firstly, the movie begins with a great opening credit sequence, set to images of medieval tapestry, and when paired with the score, it always infuses me with a sense of wonder and excitement, like I’m about to experience one of the great adventure tails come to life. 

The musical score was composed by the late Michael Kamen, and personally, I view this as one of the all-time great adventure movie scores. Kamen was coming off a winning streak, scoring action movies in the 80’s like “Lethal Weapon”, “Highlander”, “Die Hard”, and he’d continue to compose decent scores afterword’s for other adventure-based movies like 1993’s “The Three Musketeers”, as well as comic-book films like 2000’s “X-Men”. Yet, with all that, I’ve always looked back at his “Robin Hood” score as his magnum opus. It's a score that seems to capture everything exciting, classical, romantic, and adventurous in one package. It’s so good that Morgan Creek pictures paired this music with their studio bumper, as did Walt Disney’s home video line-up. Speaking of music, let’s talk about the closing song, “Everything I Do, I Do for You”, performed by Brain Adams. 

This song was a huge hit back in the day, winning the Grammy Award for best song, topping multiple charts, and was nominated at the Oscars for best original song, but understandably lost to Celine Dion’s cover theme for Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”. Regardless, the Brian Adams song still holds up all these years later, and closes the film on a high note. One minor announce I have to address is that when the movie was originally released on VHS, the end credits played over a music video of “Everything I do, I Do for You”, which is awesome, as I’ve always hatted those dull, black backdrops, and I always want something to fill that empty space. Unfortunately, when it was transferred to DVD, the song still played over the credits, but the music video in the background was absent, and that bummed me out. Even the extended cut on Blue-Ray didn’t put the video back in, and I can’t figure why … my guise is that it’s some kind of ownership issue.

  This was also one of the early films of director Kevin Reynolds, who’d later go on to direct another one of my favorite swashbuckling pictures … 2002’s “The Count of Monte Cristo”. While the action sequences in Robin Hood are decent all around, it’s Kevin Reynolds direction that gives the film a lot of energy, as each scene moves with just the right pace, and keeps me hooked all the way through. 

He also inserts some creative shots into the action, which help give select set-pieces a little more personality. There’s a horse chase early in the film, and I’ve always loved this moment when the hero’s knock-over a brick wall, and we see the pursuing villains framed through a hole in the rubble. I also love the subtle touches he brings to some of the quieter, non-action set-pieces. There’s a celebration scene in Sherwood Forest following the birth of Little Johns son, and the whole scene is done in one-take, with multiple characters taking different positions, entering/ exiting different spots, and it doesn’t feel like a director showing off, it all feels natural and in the moment. Speaking of Sherwood Forest, I love how the setting becomes a character in of itself, and part of the films appeal is watching Robin’s freedom fighters utilizing their surroundings for stealth missions, disappearing into their surroundings, and creating an awesome system of tree houses that are all connected.

  Let’s finally talk about the films cast of characters … most of whom I feel hit it out of the park, with one or two minor exceptions. One of the films main points of criticism is Kevin Costner’s performance in the lead role of Robin Hood, along with his inconsistent accent. Even I’ll admit … he’s no Errol Flynn … heck, he’s no Carry Elway’s … but I’ve always had a soft spot for him in this role. He certainly had star power on his side at the time, coming off hit films like “Field of Dreams”, and “Dances with Wolves”, both of which I also grew-up with, so it was cool to see a familiar face as this iconic character. For me, the weakest addition to the film is Christian Slater as Robins long-lost brother Will Scarlett. The performance didn’t leave much of an impression, and the character always felt pointless to me … like, remove his family ties from the script and nothing really changes.

  The only other underutilized character is a secondary villain called Sir Guy of Gisborne, who’s the cozen of the evil Sheriff. 

He’s well casted by Michael Wincott, who would go on to play the main villain in 1994’s “The Crow” (one of the best comic-book movies of the decade), and he’d also go on to voice one of my favorite animated villains named Scroop, from Disney’s “Treasure Planet” (a severely underrated Disney picture). So, he makes for a decent second villain, but he’s cut from the movie way too soon, and it always felt wasteful. Honestly, I think he was removed prematurely just so he didn’t steal any spot light from our main villain ... which is a fair trade. Alan Rickman basically steals the whole show as the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham. Naturally, he was riding the high of playing Hans Gruber in “Die Hard”, and his role as the Sheriff of Nottingham cemented his status as one of the great villain actors of his generation. Heck, for as bad as Hans Gruber got, even he didn’t stoop so low as to … “Call off Christmas!” Weather you take his performance seriously or not, he’s consistently fun to watch, displays a ride range of theatrics, and has all of the most quotable lines … “Locksley! I’m going to cut your heart out with a spoon!”   

  Morgan Freeman plays Robins best friend Azeem, and he has an equally commanding screen presence that knocks Kevin Costner out of the park. 

Aside from that, it’s just a great character, ranging from fearless warrior, to calm sage conveying words of wisdom. I’ve always loved this one scene in which he talks to a little girl about people of different race and heritage. Upon being asked why he’s a different color, he simply responds with … “Allah Loves Wonderous Variety!” Nick Brimble is likewise a perfect fit for Little John, and brings his own distinct charm to the character. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was coming off the success of 1989’s “The Abyss” (one of my favorite Sci-Fi classics), and is a fiery presence as Lady Marian. She and Robin have a decent relationship, and the actress manages to bring some dimension to a character who’s often written off as a damsel stereotype. There are even some well-placed celebrity appearances, with Brain Blessed as Robins late Father, which was par for the course for him at the time, as he also played Hamlets late father in the 1996 picture “Hamlet” (my personal favorite Shakespeare adaption into film). Even the late great Sean Connery makes an appearance at the end as King Richard, which is awesome as at the time, Connery was the previous actor to play Robin Hood in the 1976 picture “Robin and Marian”.    

  This film can also be credited for bringing a darker edge to a source material that’s often considered light in tone. 

This was actually a point of criticism at the time, as it had number of harsh and disturbing moments, as well as murky settings, which didn’t always work with the films lighter adventure elements, and occasionally goofy tone. Looking back, the edgy elements of the film honestly feel tame in comparison to contemporary movies that aim for a dark and gritty presentation. In fact, … there’s almost too much levity in this film. Some of the comedy works, especially when select character personalities bonce off one another. Yet, there are undeniably some corny moments and lines that made me cringe even when I was kid. 

Friar Tuck closing out the movie by breaking the fourth wall always felt strange to me … actually, just about everything with Friar Tuck felt a little too cartoony for the films own good. As for the darker elements, I again feel that most of it works, but there are undeniably select details that never sat well with me. For instance, I never liked the attempted rape scene near end of the film, and felt it through-off the excitement of the climax. Also, having a corrupt Bishop accusing innocent people of Satanism, just to get their money, always felt like it belonged in a different movie all together. Equally outlandish is having a wicked Witch character serving the evil Serif. There’s an extended cut of the film, which goes into more detail about the Witch character, that she’s the Sheriffs biological mother, and after his birth, she switched him out with a child from the castle. Because of this, the Witch doesn’t feel as random, and it gives Alan Rickman more scenes to chew the scenery, which is always welcome.      

  Let’s finally talk about some memorable set-pieces, and action highlights, as it’s an equally important ingredient to any adventure movie of this sort. Like I said earlier, the action is mostly decent, noting too out of the box, but it’s all good enough to keep the momentum going. Robin Hood dueling with Little John by the river was always a memorable, and fun highlight. 

My personal favorite set-piece of the film is when the Sheriff lays siege to Robins base camp, as it was always the most suspenseful, most destructive, and featured the most characters in battle. Plus, it was a setting I loved so much as a kid, so to see it all collapse from catapults and flaming arrows always got to me. The climax is once again a very satisfying segment, starting off slow, with a good deal of tension, and hero’s strategizing. Then it’s just non-stop thrills from there on, with an especially fun nod to “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, in which our two hero’s catapult themselves over the castle walls. The final sword fight between Robin Hood and the Sheriff is an electrifying sequence, and I always loved how each is using a weapon that’s personal to the opposing fighter. The Sheriff uses the sword belonging to Robins late father, while Robin defeats his enemy with a dagger given to Marian from the Sheriff as a weeding gift.    

  When all is said and done, I can’t help but look back on “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” as a memorable staple of the early 90’s. It may have fallen into obscurity over the years, but for its day it had quiet the impact on pop culture. 

My favorite TV show of the time “Star Trek: The Next Generation” had a special Robin Hood themed episode titled “Qpid”, as a means to ride the popularity of the current Robin Hood Movie. It was also amusing to see Patrick Stewart in a Robin Hood themed venture, only for him to cameo in “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” the following year. Speaking of the Mel Brooks comedy, that film also seemed to follow the outline of Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood film to the letter, with one or two minor alterations, like the inclusion of Prince John and the archery scene. Everything else from Morgan Freeman’s character, to the old Witch, to Robins blind friend Duncan were all parodied. As for “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” … it’s no masterpiece, but I still find it a fun experience all these years later, a decade staple, a favorable adventure movie, and it’s what always seems to come to my mind first when I think Robin Hood ... certainly not the objective best … but my personal Robin Hood all the same.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1991 adventure movie “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” … and continue to enjoy the movies you love!

 

The Leprechauns Christmas Gold (1981) (TV Special Review)

   When it comes to animated TV programs produced by Rankin/ Bass, some of the most classic to instantly come to mind are their Christmas specials in the vein of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, “Frosty the Snowman”, and so forth. However, they’ve also produced a number of specials that revolve around other holidays as well, and being the month of March, I felt like highlighting one from my childhood, that I watched around St. Patrick’s Day … their 1981 TV special titled “The Leprechauns Christmas Gold”. While obviously Christmas is in the title, this holiday special falls into the same camp as “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, in that it can be viewed on more than one specific holiday. Case in point of this special, the story is set on Christmas Eve, but everything else from the visuals, to the music, to the tone, and personality are all unmistakably meant to get you in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day.

    Our story revolves around a young cabin boy named Dinty Doyle, who stumbles upon a mysterious island, not to far away from his home country of Ireland. Turns out the island is inhabited by Leprechauns, who’ve been cut-off from their homeland of Ireland. While there, the boy seeks a beautiful green pine tree to use for the holiday season. Unfortunately, the one tree that catches his eye was also the resting place of an evil Banshee, who aims to steel the magic holiday Gold from the King of the Leprechauns. His highness, one Blarney Kilakilarney by name, has spent his whole life protecting the enchanted Leprechaun Gold, and has lost sight of the things that are truly most valuable to him … namely the love he has for his wife and family. Thus, our young cabin boy aims to help the Leprechaun king find his way back to the love of his people, return the Leprechauns back to their homeland of Ireland, and outwit the nasty Banshee from all her crafty schemes.

    For a twenty-five minuet special, there's a lot of time dedicated to characters sitting around, and dropping exposition, which is definitely the weakest aspect of this special. The details of the story also get very strange, and even random, but for me, random oddities are par for the course for Rankin Bass animation. 

Storytelling in general isn't always the selling point of these specials, it's always about experiencing the fantastical, and how it gets you in the mood for the holiday. The signature Rankin/ Bass, stop-motion animation on display will obviously be a required taste for some … and while I was indifferent to the style as a kid, I've grown to find these effects very appealing all these years later. There’s just a humble charm that comes from seeing practical puppet effects, and set designs. Objectively speaking, I honestly think this is one of Rankin/ Bass best looking animated offerings, as this special had a little more of a budget then their early programs of the 60’s. While there are select moments in which you can clearly see the strings attached, there’s still impressive movement and expressions in the characters, and there’s even a number of shots that look and feel a little more cinematic than some of their other offerings. One of the more unique visual effects on display comes near the end, in which we see the stop-motion mixed with traditional hand-drawn animation. The songs are also very delightful … at least when self-contained to this special. You won’t be thinking about any of these songs afterwards, but while watching the special, these songs do add to the films charm and appeal. I especially enjoy the opening credits, which are paired with a song called “The Rainbows End”.

    There’s another big song number called “Christmas in Killarney”, which is probably the closest the film ever gets to feeling like a special to watch in December. Still, I can’t help but feel that the story could have just as easily been set on St. Patrick’s Day, and it wouldn’t change a thing. Honestly, I wish the Christmas elements were removed entirely, as there’s barely a visual, character, decoration, or fantastical element that puts me in the mood for Christmas. All through the special, we’re looking at Leprechauns, four leaf clovers, green Ireland landscapes, and highlighting all kinds of Irish lore in the vein of Banshee’s, magic gold, and rainbows. Heck, even St. Patrick is present in this special, although he’s definitely more of a fantastical entity, then a representation of the Christian St. Patrick in which the holiday is named after. Regardless, this special is bursting with imagery, and atmosphere that gets me all exited for St. Patrick’s Day.     

    The characters in this special are all basic, kid friendly architypes, and yet are just charming enough to carry the film. Art Carney voices the leader of the Leprechauns, and his character is at the heart of the story, with the cabin boy serving as the innocent who aims to do good, but can just as easily be led astray. The Banshee likewise makes for a decent holiday themed villain, although, not quiet on par with some of the Banshee depictions I’ve seen in other specials and movies. Still, this Banshee has her moments, and even lends herself to some enjoyably spooky imagery. I especially like this one scene in which she poses as a shipwrecked girl, which leads to an image that I remember shocking me when I was a little kid.   

   In the end, this is unmistakably one of the odder entries in the Ranken Bass holiday collection, but as said before, it’s less about telling a memorable story, and just experiencing something that will put you in the mood for the holiday. I for one have always loved St. Patrick’s Day, and I've always felt like there’s so much potential for it to have a variety of specials in the same vein as either Halloween or Christmas. While I can’t make any arguments for this special as one of the great TV holiday offerings, there’s just something simple and charming about the whole experience that puts me in a good St. Patrick's Day mood. I’d say it’s still a decent special to share with kids, and if your just in the mood to watch something to go along with St. Patrick’s Day, I find this a decent one to add to the appeal of the green holiday.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1981 special “The Leprechauns Christmas Gold” … and continue to enjoy the holiday specials you love!