An old-school swashbuckling epic that blends romance, adventure, and raucous humor with a sweeping sense of scale
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves is lightning in a bottle, an old-school swashbuckling summer epic that blends romance, adventure, and raucous humor with a sweeping sense of scale. It riffs on the classic English legend with a bold, big‑hearted energy, anchored by a Hollywood star at the height of his powers and immortalized by one of the great villain performances of the era.
This version of the tale follows Robin of Locksley (Kevin Costner), returning home after five long years fighting in the Crusades for King Richard’s army. His imprisonment and daring escape leave him accompanied by Azeem (Morgan Freeman), a Moor who pledges his life to Robin until a debt is paid. But England is not the home Robin remembers. His lands are in ruins, his father is dead, and the region has been consumed by corruption under the iron grip of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman). With his title stripped and his fortune gone, Robin chooses resistance, a fight to reclaim what was taken and to challenge the Sheriff’s abuse of power.
The Merry Men here are less a band of jolly outlaws and more a full‑fledged rebellion, a militia formed from castaways and the oppressed. Little John (Nick Brimble), Will Scarlet (Christian Slater), and Friar Tuck (Michael McShane) fill out the ensemble with aplomb, giving the film a lively, communal spirit. The romance with Maid Marian (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) is nicely interwoven, adding warmth without slowing the pace. Director Kevin Reynolds keeps the film cracking along with a palpable energy. Even at 143 minutes (~12 minutes longer for the extended cut), it simply flies by. The action sequences have real flair, enhanced by the use of practical effects, real locations, and tangible stunt work that CGI could never replicate. There’s a tilt into cheese here and there, a gleefully executed arrow‑POV shot, but it’s all part of the film’s charm.
The performances are a major part of the film’s chemistry. Morgan Freeman delivers a breakout turn, full of intelligence, gravitas, and wry humor, the qualities he would go on to refine across dozens of films. Then there’s Alan Rickman, who devours the scenery with pantomime theatricality, black humor, and genuine menace. The MVP of the film, elevating every scene he touches and cementing himself as one of cinema’s most memorable villains. Ironically, the weakest element may be the film’s star. Costner is fine, the film sweeps you up so effectively that his performance doesn’t derail anything, but he lacks the dynamism that might have made his Robin truly inspiring, both to the audience and to the rebellion he leads.
The Package
Arrow’s 4K treatment is verdant indeed, showcasing authentic and warmly rendered visuals from the dark interior castle sequences to the sunlit forest scenes. Blacks are deep and consistent, color reproduction is healthy and authentic, and a natural filmic grain is maintained. There’s good granular detail, with the texture of clothes, sets, and settings all takign on an impressive amount of depth. There are occasions of soft focus moments, which typically coincide with high light levels, so likely from the original stock rather than the restoration and transfer.
Arrow’s overall package is rather handsome too, coming with a collectors’ perfect-bound booklet, two double-sided fold-out posters; and six postcard-sized artcards.
A standout in this release is the inclusion of the extended edition of the film. Admirably, Arrow have remastered this in 4K too. An additional 12 minutes of footage that lengthens some scenes, with other additions largely embellishing the presence of the Sheriff of Nottingham and his cohorts. Additional extra features are:
- 4K restorations of both the theatrical and extended cuts from the original negative by Arrow Films
- Audio commentary with director Kevin Reynolds and actor Kevin Costner: Largely tackles the on-set logistics, challenges, and approaches to telling the story. The exchange between two filmmakers make for a rather compelling commentary
- Audio commentary with actors Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, and others: A more playful commentary, with personal anecdotes about making the film fueling the conversation
- A multi-part documentary featuring interviews with director of photography Douglas Milsome, editor Peter Boyle, and members of the creative team – Here We Are Kings: Making Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves: A solid making of that covers the film’s inception, approach to filming and casting, challenges, and aspirations. A few key members of cast and crew are notable in their absence
- Archival documentary hosted by Pierce Brosnan – Robin Hood: The Myth, the Man, the Movie: Behind the scenes footage and interviews marries to insights into the history behind the legend of Robin Hood
- Archival 1991 interviews with Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater, and Alan Rickman:
- Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” performance at Slane Castle, Ireland
- Music soundtrack cues, Theatrical trailer, TV spots, image gallery
The Bottom Line
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves hits every note you want from a summer epic, romance, action, adventure, heroes and villains, all wrapped in enough grit and danger to give the story an edge. It’s a film that embraces its own scale and earnestness, delivering an experience that feels both nostalgic and timeless Arrow Video’s 4K treatment is superb, as is their pairing of the film with it’s extended cut, legacy extras, and some newly commissioned features. A must buy for any fan.
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves is available now via Arrow Video
