After
having viewed ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES ($27) for the first
time, I can honestly say that don’t know what to make of this movie.
There are things that I really liked about the film, and there are other
things that left me wondering what the filmmakers were thinking. Robin
Hood is one of the greatest of all English legends, yet it is an American
actor with a recognizably American accent who has to carry this motion
picture- something that I find oddly disturbing and disrespectful to the
tradition of the character. Kevin Costner has the right physicality for
the role of Robin, and his box office clout at the time would have seemed
to make him the right choice for Hollywood, but what the film really
needed was a charismatic British thespian to bring the character to life.
On the other hand, casting selections that I did like included Morgan
Freeman as Robin’s Moorish companion Azeem, as well as Alan Rickman in
the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Rickman’s portrayal brings a
sense of comic villainy to the character, which almost makes it seem as if
he were in a different movie from the rest of the cast. Perhaps I am not
alone in this, but I think I would have rather seen that "different
movie" in which Rickman though he was appearing, as opposed to ROBIN
HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES.
As
ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES opens, we find noble English Crusader
Robin of Locksley imprisoned in a Jerusalem dungeon. Just as he is
about to face the chopping block, Robin escapes his captors, along with a
Moor named Azeem , who vows to remain at Christian’s side, until he has
paid back the Englishman for saving his life. Upon his return to England,
Robin discovers that that his father has been executed as a devil
worshipper and that the Sheriff of Nottingham has appropriated his family
lands. Finding himself now declared an outlaw, Robin retreats to Sherwood
Forrest, where he encounters a group of impoverished peasants that have
been forced into a life of thievery by their inability to pay the taxes
hurled upon them by Nottingham and his men. As expected, Robin becomes the
leader of this ragtag group, and soon, he and his band of merry men are
robbing from the rich and giving to the poor-- much to the chagrin of the
Sheriff of Nottingham. Of course, in the middle of all this Robin does
find time to romance the Lady Marian Dubois (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio),
the absent King’s cousin, and the woman whom Nottingham intends to make
his bride. The cast of ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES also features
Christian Slater, Geraldine McEwan, Michael McShane, Michael Wincott, Nick
Brimble and Soo Drouet.
Warner
Home Video has made ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES available on DVD
in a 1.78:1 wide screen presentation that features the anamorphic
enhancement for 16:9 displays. The transfer is as good as can be expected,
considering that the film’s cinematography seems to be going out of its
way to make the twelfth century look drab and unappealing. Sharpness and
detail are generally good, but there are places where the image appears
filtered and a bit on the soft side. Colors appear subdued in places,
especially on the film’s sun deprived English exteriors, but sunlight
does make for a marked improvement. Additionally, hues are a bit more
vivid for the interiors; but this too is dependant upon the available
light of an individual sequence. Blacks usually appear accurate and whites
are stable. Dark sequences can be a bit muddy, but that has more to do
with the original photography than any flaw in the transfer. The film
element used for the transfer displays few blemishes, although a grain
structure is noticeable most of the time. Digital compression artifacts
are generally well disguised, but they do become noticeable during some of
the darker sequences, as well as those in which fog plays a significant
part.
ROBIN
HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES comes with 5.1 channel soundtracks in the
flavors of Dolby Digital and DTS. The mix isn’t as aggressive as a newer
movie, plus the fact that the sound design favors the forward soundstage
tends to date it a bit. Channel separation is clean and distinct across
the front three channels and the surrounds do come to life during key
moments, which does increase their overall effectiveness. Dialogue is very
cleanly rendered and almost always completely understandable. Fidelity is
very good, with Michael Kamen’s score coming across with a genuine
musical presence, plus the sound effects always having a convincing
quality. The bass channel is solid and deep, although not up to today’s
ground shaking standards. As expected, DTS has a slight edge over Dolby
Digital, but the differences aren’t jaw dropping. No other language
tracks are encoded onto the DVD, but English, French and Spanish subtitles
are present.
3D
animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s stylish interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as the supplemental materials, which have
been spread across both DVDs of this two-disc set. One the disc one, there
are two separate audio commentary tracks- the first is with actor Kevin
Costner and director Kevin Reynolds, while the second features actors
Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater, along with writer/producers John
Watson and Pen Densham. Both tracks have their merits, but the double
Kevin track is definitely the place to start. On disc two, we find Robin
Hood: The Myth, The Man, The Movie, a half hour program hosted by
Pierce Brosnan that examines the legendary character origins and
transcription to the screen. Twenty minutes of vintage interviews from the
film’s theatrical release are also provided, as is a live performance of
the hit song (Everything I Do)I Do It For You by Bryan
Adams. Extensive production notes and text essays, as well as a theatrical
trailer, six TV spots and a 5.1 rendition of Michael Kamen’s score close
out the supplements.
Although
not a fan myself, I recognized that a lot of people do like ROBIN HOOD:
PRINCE OF THIEVES. Therefore, I am sure that they will be delighted
with Warner’s two-disc Special Edition of the film, which offers a solid
presentation of the twelve-minute longer extended version of the film, as
well as rich supplemental content.
After
having viewed ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES ($27) for the first
time, I can honestly say that don’t know what to make of this movie.
There are things that I really liked about the film, and there are other
things that left me wondering what the filmmakers were thinking. Robin
Hood is one of the greatest of all English legends, yet it is an American
actor with a recognizably American accent who has to carry this motion
picture- something that I find oddly disturbing and disrespectful to the
tradition of the character. Kevin Costner has the right physicality for
the role of Robin, and his box office clout at the time would have seemed
to make him the right choice for Hollywood, but what the film really
needed was a charismatic British thespian to bring the character to life.
On the other hand, casting selections that I did like included Morgan
Freeman as Robin’s Moorish companion Azeem, as well as Alan Rickman in
the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Rickman’s portrayal brings a
sense of comic villainy to the character, which almost makes it seem as if
he were in a different movie from the rest of the cast. Perhaps I am not
alone in this, but I think I would have rather seen that "different
movie" in which Rickman though he was appearing, as opposed to ROBIN
HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES.
As
ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES opens, we find noble English Crusader
Robin of Locksley imprisoned in a Jerusalem dungeon. Just as he is
about to face the chopping block, Robin escapes his captors, along with a
Moor named Azeem , who vows to remain at Christian’s side, until he has
paid back the Englishman for saving his life. Upon his return to England,
Robin discovers that that his father has been executed as a devil
worshipper and that the Sheriff of Nottingham has appropriated his family
lands. Finding himself now declared an outlaw, Robin retreats to Sherwood
Forrest, where he encounters a group of impoverished peasants that have
been forced into a life of thievery by their inability to pay the taxes
hurled upon them by Nottingham and his men. As expected, Robin becomes the
leader of this ragtag group, and soon, he and his band of merry men are
robbing from the rich and giving to the poor-- much to the chagrin of the
Sheriff of Nottingham. Of course, in the middle of all this Robin does
find time to romance the Lady Marian Dubois (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio),
the absent King’s cousin, and the woman whom Nottingham intends to make
his bride. The cast of ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES also features
Christian Slater, Geraldine McEwan, Michael McShane, Michael Wincott, Nick
Brimble and Soo Drouet.
Warner
Home Video has made ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES available on DVD
in a 1.78:1 wide screen presentation that features the anamorphic
enhancement for 16:9 displays. The transfer is as good as can be expected,
considering that the film’s cinematography seems to be going out of its
way to make the twelfth century look drab and unappealing. Sharpness and
detail are generally good, but there are places where the image appears
filtered and a bit on the soft side. Colors appear subdued in places,
especially on the film’s sun deprived English exteriors, but sunlight
does make for a marked improvement. Additionally, hues are a bit more
vivid for the interiors; but this too is dependant upon the available
light of an individual sequence. Blacks usually appear accurate and whites
are stable. Dark sequences can be a bit muddy, but that has more to do
with the original photography than any flaw in the transfer. The film
element used for the transfer displays few blemishes, although a grain
structure is noticeable most of the time. Digital compression artifacts
are generally well disguised, but they do become noticeable during some of
the darker sequences, as well as those in which fog plays a significant
part.
ROBIN
HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES comes with 5.1 channel soundtracks in the
flavors of Dolby Digital and DTS. The mix isn’t as aggressive as a newer
movie, plus the fact that the sound design favors the forward soundstage
tends to date it a bit. Channel separation is clean and distinct across
the front three channels and the surrounds do come to life during key
moments, which does increase their overall effectiveness. Dialogue is very
cleanly rendered and almost always completely understandable. Fidelity is
very good, with Michael Kamen’s score coming across with a genuine
musical presence, plus the sound effects always having a convincing
quality. The bass channel is solid and deep, although not up to today’s
ground shaking standards. As expected, DTS has a slight edge over Dolby
Digital, but the differences aren’t jaw dropping. No other language
tracks are encoded onto the DVD, but English, French and Spanish subtitles
are present.
3D
animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s stylish interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as the supplemental materials, which have
been spread across both DVDs of this two-disc set. One the disc one, there
are two separate audio commentary tracks- the first is with actor Kevin
Costner and director Kevin Reynolds, while the second features actors
Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater, along with writer/producers John
Watson and Pen Densham. Both tracks have their merits, but the double
Kevin track is definitely the place to start. On disc two, we find Robin
Hood: The Myth, The Man, The Movie, a half hour program hosted by
Pierce Brosnan that examines the legendary character origins and
transcription to the screen. Twenty minutes of vintage interviews from the
film’s theatrical release are also provided, as is a live performance of
the hit song (Everything I Do)I Do It For You by Bryan
Adams. Extensive production notes and text essays, as well as a theatrical
trailer, six TV spots and a 5.1 rendition of Michael Kamen’s score close
out the supplements.
Although
not a fan myself, I recognized that a lot of people do like ROBIN HOOD:
PRINCE OF THIEVES. Therefore, I am sure that they will be delighted
with Warner’s two-disc Special Edition of the film, which offers a solid
presentation of the twelve-minute longer extended version of the film, as
well as rich supplemental content.
