Ol' Blue Eyes
19-11-2003, 00:10
I just received my Region 4 special edition today and sat down and watched the film this evening. First, the technical stuff - it looks and sounds great. There's some minor print damage visible very briefly in a couple of places (a vertical line for a second or two) and a bit of grain but those are the only clues that the film wasn't made in 2003. Otherwise this is of the quality you'd expect after seeing other Warners PAL special editions like Amadeus and Unforgiven and it erases all memory of the atrocious non-anamorphic bare bones version. The R4 version is also uncut, retaining the violence in the opening scene, Will Scarlet's n0rty word and the Sheriff's dubious attempt to have his honeymoon on the castle floor. I haven't yet sampled the extras and knowing me, it'll be at least 2011 before I do.
Now the film. Robin Hood was simultaneously the biggest hit of 1991 and the beginning of the ferocious anti-Costner backlash. I felt at the time the derisory reviews were unfair and that Prince Of Thieves, though flawed, was a thoroughly enjoyable adventure romp. Seeing it for the first time in 10 years or so, I think it stands up remarkably well. The flaws are still there - it takes its time to get going, there's the occasional dodgy line and you have to swallow two very transatlantic stars (Kevin Costner and Christian Slater) and their now-you-hear-it-now-you-don't English accents... though that's not to say Costner doesn't still have his charm and Slater isn't well used.
But accept these drawbacks and you're rewarded by a surprisingly satisfying and full-blooded adventure with a deftness of plotting and complexity of characterisation that's all but gone from blockbuster film-making. There are so many strong characters in this film. Even minor players like Little John's wife, Guy of Gisbourne and the Bishop are given more personality than all of Charlie's Angels put together. When I review films I always make a big fuss about characterisation because it matters. It's the difference between caring how a story turns out and just goggling at the special effects like you do at The Matrix Revolutions. I like the relationships in Robin Hood, the way backstories are pencilled in and tensions generated.
This new special edition actually improves the film noticably by adding scenes fleshing out Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham - we learn more of his relationship with his witch (who springs a big surprise!) and his plot to usurp King Richard's throne. This makes him less of a camp scene-stealer and more of a malevolent, scheming villain. And yes, he does get a few more choice lines too! Indy fans will appreciate seeing more of the hulking Pat Roach, who Harrison Ford fought in both Raiders and Temple of Doom. He plays the leader of the Celt mercenaries here. For once, all the new stuff seems to add to the film and isn't just padding (hello Terminator 2 SE!).
The action is solid and suspenseful and CGI-less and the violence looks less controversial in times when Terminator 3 gets a 12A. Oh and worry not, the film fades to black before the Bryan Adams song kicks in. All in all, this is well worth ordering from Australia or mainland Europe, especially given the cuts to the impending UK version and the poor reports of the R1 picture quality.
Now the film. Robin Hood was simultaneously the biggest hit of 1991 and the beginning of the ferocious anti-Costner backlash. I felt at the time the derisory reviews were unfair and that Prince Of Thieves, though flawed, was a thoroughly enjoyable adventure romp. Seeing it for the first time in 10 years or so, I think it stands up remarkably well. The flaws are still there - it takes its time to get going, there's the occasional dodgy line and you have to swallow two very transatlantic stars (Kevin Costner and Christian Slater) and their now-you-hear-it-now-you-don't English accents... though that's not to say Costner doesn't still have his charm and Slater isn't well used.
But accept these drawbacks and you're rewarded by a surprisingly satisfying and full-blooded adventure with a deftness of plotting and complexity of characterisation that's all but gone from blockbuster film-making. There are so many strong characters in this film. Even minor players like Little John's wife, Guy of Gisbourne and the Bishop are given more personality than all of Charlie's Angels put together. When I review films I always make a big fuss about characterisation because it matters. It's the difference between caring how a story turns out and just goggling at the special effects like you do at The Matrix Revolutions. I like the relationships in Robin Hood, the way backstories are pencilled in and tensions generated.
This new special edition actually improves the film noticably by adding scenes fleshing out Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham - we learn more of his relationship with his witch (who springs a big surprise!) and his plot to usurp King Richard's throne. This makes him less of a camp scene-stealer and more of a malevolent, scheming villain. And yes, he does get a few more choice lines too! Indy fans will appreciate seeing more of the hulking Pat Roach, who Harrison Ford fought in both Raiders and Temple of Doom. He plays the leader of the Celt mercenaries here. For once, all the new stuff seems to add to the film and isn't just padding (hello Terminator 2 SE!).
The action is solid and suspenseful and CGI-less and the violence looks less controversial in times when Terminator 3 gets a 12A. Oh and worry not, the film fades to black before the Bryan Adams song kicks in. All in all, this is well worth ordering from Australia or mainland Europe, especially given the cuts to the impending UK version and the poor reports of the R1 picture quality.