"Locksley! I'm gonna cut your heart out with a spoon!" (Review)

I can still remember the first time I saw Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. I went to the Northhill Theater in Calgary, which at the time was the largest screen in the city. Now all the theatres have been converted to multiplexes. Northhill was one screen and I believe the theatre itself seated over 500 people. For a movie like Robin Hood, with all its swash buckling action scenes, it was the perfect venue. As I was walking through the parking lot afterwards with a friend of mine we both started discussing how we could get our hands on a couple of bows and some arrows. At that age it was the kind of movie that made you want to be part of the action yourself.

When the film was released on VHS I immediately got a copy and watched it over and over and over again. I took great pleasure in watching Robin of Locksley become the leader of a group of outlaws who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. I especially enjoyed watching that band of merry men build weapons, train and become heroes to the villagers and peasants. In the end I guess I loved the movie for the same reason that generations of audiences have loved the whole story of Robin Hood. It doesn’t matter if you’re partial to Errol Flynn or Kevin Costner or even Disney’s rendition. Robin Hood defies the corrupt Sheriff, gives gold to the less fortunate, saves the damsel in distress and does it all with a smile. And he’s really, really good with a bow. The most recent equivalent of Robin Hood would have to be Captain Jack Sparrow; they are both characters we love to cheer for.

When I discovered that a Special Edition DVD was available for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, it immediately went on my wishlist. When I had the opportunity to get a bunch of DVDs as part of a really great introductory deal with Columbia House, it immediately came off my wishlist and went into my collection. And then, last weekend, I had the chance to watch one of my favourite movies again, this time in blessed DTS surround sound and 1.85:1 Anamorphic video. Oh happy day!

As an added bonus the Special Edition is actually an Extended Edition. I had no idea until I actually received the DVD. An additional 11 minutes of footage has been re-inserted into the main feature, primarily scenes involving the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) and his crone witch, Mortianna. After watching the extended bits it was easy to see why they were originally left on the cutting room floor. The relationship between Nottingham and Mortianna is bizarre and manages only to detract from the Sheriff’s character. Unfortunately there is no option to watch the original feature film on its own.

Aside from that little hiccup, Rickman’s performance is sensational. It’s right up there with Nicholson’s Joker (Batman) and Oldman’s Zorg (The Fifth Element). He manages to provide the right mix of comedy and treachery. Throw in a couple of entertaining performances by Morgan Freeman as Azeem and Michael Wincott as the Sheriff’s cousin and you’ve got a pretty good character film in addition to the swash-swash, buckle-buckle. There’s even a fantastic cameo by Sean Connery.

A number of critics looked down on Kevin Costner’s performance in Robin Hood. Actually, a number of critics look down on all of his performances. I’m not sure what all the fuss is about. I would be hard pressed to think of a Costner movie I didn’t enjoy. And yes, I’m including Waterworld in that list. I think he’s an entertaining actor and his movies are always interesting and fun to watch. Robin Hood is no exception. Despite the fact that he’s the only Robin Hood to speak without an English accent (which was subsequently spoofed in Mel Brook’s ‘Men In Tights’), he still manages to portray the character as I’ve always imagined. It’s easy to cheer for Costner’s Robin Hood and that, to me, means a job well done.

Despite several film artefacts and debris, the picture quality is quite good. The 1.85:1 transfer fills my entire (wide)screen, which is always good, and the colors are fairly clean. There is some saturation in the darker scenes, which is likely due to age, and the fire effects weren’t as crisp as I’d like to see. I’ve definitely seen better transfers but Robin Hood still looks good. The DTS 5.1 soundtrack is a nice treat. The surrounds are used mainly in the action scenes where they are certainly put through their paces. Forest scenes benefit from chirping birds and wind rustling through leaves all around. It’s a nice touch.

There is a second disc of special features. And if you’ve been keeping up with my reviews you probably already know what I’m going to say next. I haven’t had a chance to look at the special features yet. I’ll try to catch up this weekend, I promise.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a great movie. It makes me feel like the music sounds, boisterous and triumphant. I’m glad to have this one in my collection and I expect I’ll be watching it again soon. And again. And again…

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Special Edition gets 8 arrows (out of 10).

Bulls-eye trivia for Robin Hood.