Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves (Two-Disc Special Extended Edition)

Of all the Robin Hood films ever produced, it's readily apparent that Prince of Thieves relies less on genuine historical accuracy and leans more toward Hollywood flair which still makes for an entertaining film. Despite using no English accent (which appears to grate on some reviewers for some reason), Kevin Costner presents himself well in the role of Robin Hood. Coupled with fine performances from Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman, Christian Slater, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, (to name just a few), the story moves at an exciting pace and hits the mark as a stand up adventure movie that doesn't disappoint.

As for the new 2 disc special edition release of this movie, it just got a whole lot better. Not having to flip the disc over any more to see the entire feature like in the first release, you now have a new digital transfer and a remastered DTS 5.1 soundtrack and both are outstanding. On disc 2 you have great bonus material enhancing the value and enjoyment even further. Included is a decent documentary on the making of Prince of Thieves, Bryan Adams performing his music video of '(Everything I do) I do it for you', an interactive mediaeval weapons gallery, cast and crew bios, production notes, interviews with cast and crew, and trailers and t.v. spots.

You don't really have to be a die-hard Robin Hood fan to enjoy this movie. The film has a few flaws and stretches the historical aspect somewhat but it plays out well with plenty of action, adventure, humor, and fun. This special edition release would be a good addition to any DVD collection and I recommend it to everyone.


Let me straighten some things up....   August 3, 2000
Dana K. Wolcott (Monrovia, CA United States)
17 out of 20 found this review helpful

"Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" is a rolicking adventure ride that will please most people. If ya can't get past the accents, then miss out on a good movie.

Let me clear a few things up:

1. "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" was on a tight production schedule. There were three (count 'em, three) Robin Hood movies being produced at the same time, and the one to come out finished first would be the one released in theatres. One production gave up and backed out. That left two Robin Hood movies - one with Kevin Costner, and one with Patrick Bergen.

2. Because of the tight schedule, Kevin Costner's accent was dropped to be "dubbed over" in post production. They simply didn't have the time to worry about accents if they wanted to get the movie finished.

3. Filming complete, the dubbing was dropped because of lack of time and the movie was finished. "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" was released theatre-wide, whereas the Patrick Bergen version was slated for TV.

Now that I have the little niggling thing about accents straightened up, get passed it and watch the movie for what it was intended: pure entertainment.

There is plenty of humor - from Little John's river fighting antics and his wife's bantering, to the Sheriff of Nottingham's humorous frustrations ("why a spoon, cousin, why not an ax" - "Because it's dull, you twit, it will hurt more!"), the viewer is not disappointed. The entire cast was enjoyable to watch, and the costuming was superb. The lush green of the forests (the movie was filmed in the forests of Nottingham - which proved to be a problem - the airport is nearby) is captured wonderfully on film, as well as the forest "homes" Robin Hood and his Merry Men have taken refuge in.

I rather enjoyed this movie because Kevin Costner's Robin Hood was a Robin Hood for the 90's. He was intelligent, witty, and funny, the way we picture him to be. Go ahead: rent the movie and lose yourself in a great adventure flick.


BEST MOVIE EVER!   June 15, 2000
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Out of every movie I have ever seen (and trust me when I say, I have spent thousands on seeing movies), this is the only one that I have seen that has actually brought me to tears because it was so well played, and so believeable. Thanks to the help of all the actors in this film, like Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, and everyone else who was in it, like the Lady Mariann, Duncan, and everyone else. This movie has the perfect blend of romance, action, and tragedy in it, to fit anyones craving. But it is your classic case of forbidden love, mixed with a lot of sword fighting, death, and heroic accounts. The writers of this movie have given the tale of Robin Hood, a twist, which makes it that much better than any other tale you will find out there. Right from the beginning, there is death, action, and heroic adventures. You will truly love this movie, and it will hold a place in your heart, as it does for me.


Excellent movie: Best version of Robin Hood yet to be seen   October 3, 1999
9 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is one of my absolute favorite movies of all time. The action, the adventure, and the romance were both thrilling and touching respectively. It includes an excellent cast...with Alan Rickman who did an outstanding job as the Sheriff of Nottingham you love to hate, Kevin Costner as the hunky Robin Hood (ok so his accent was bad...he was still really good in this role)Morgan Freeman as Azim: Robin's Moorish friend from the crusades, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as the lovely Maid Marian. If you love movies packed with action, heroics and a touch of romance I strongly urge you to purchase this title! Bryan Adam's lovely song "Everything I Do I Do It For You" also adds another wonderful element to this awesome movie.


A must-have   August 14, 2003
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

After reading others' reviews I was pesimistic about the DVD. Many people mentioned the disc having to be turned over on the second side to see the second half of the movie and poor A/V quality. My only guess is they are refering to the theatrical release. The extended edition has the entire movie on a 1 sided disc. The sound and picture quality are great. The bonus features disc even includes the entire musical score in Dolby 5.1. Very nice additon.

The movie was everything I remembered and more. A few new scenes are a bit odd but others are hilarious. More scenes of the Sherrif is better. Definately worth the price tag.