---
title: "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"
year: 1991
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/robin-hood-prince-of-thieves"
fi1m_id: "robin-hood-prince-of-thieves"
imdb_id: "tt0102798"
tmdb_id: 8367
wikidata_id: "Q486822"
fi1m_score: 65
critics_score: 50
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-13"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:15.539070+00:00"
region: "JP"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Directed by Kevin Reynolds · 2h 23m · Action, Adventure, Drama

## Identity

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/robin-hood-prince-of-thieves
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** robin-hood-prince-of-thieves
- **IMDb ID:** tt0102798
- **TMDB ID:** 8367
- **Wikidata ID:** Q486822
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102798/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/8367, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q486822

**Fi1m score: 65** · Critics 50 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Kevin Costner takes the law into his own hands and leaves most of the entertainment to Alan Rickman

> There is a decent adventure here, stretched to 143 minutes and pulled between Kevin Costner’s solemnity and Alan Rickman’s mischief. The supporting cast and Michael Kamen’s score provide reasons to persist, though patience is required.

## Synopsis

Kevin Costner plays Robin of Locksley, also known as Robin Hood, a man who breaks the law to fight for justice. His struggle to help others runs alongside his pursuit of the woman he loves. Alan Rickman plays the Sheriff of Nottingham, with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian and Morgan Freeman as Azeem. Christian Slater is Will Scarlett, Nick Brimble is Little John and Michael McShane is Friar Tuck. This action adventure also features Michael Wincott as Guy of Gisborne and Geraldine McEwan as Mortianna.

## Review

Kevin Reynolds’s *Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves* is a decent adventure made tiring by its insistence on being several other things as well. It wants a serious hero, a comic villain, a romance and a message about justice, and it gives each enough attention to interrupt the others. At 143 minutes, there is time for the action to raise our spirits and for the talk to lower them again. We would recommend it cautiously, chiefly for the actors standing around Robin.

Kevin Costner plays Robin of Locksley with a sincerity that ought to help a story about doing right by breaking the law. The trouble is the lack of ease: he carries the hero’s importance into passages that need a lighter touch, and makes the earnest dialogue feel longer than it is. His accent is a smaller problem than his stiffness. The adventure needs more pleasure from its leading man, especially when the supporting actors make such a point of supplying it.

Alan Rickman supplies that pleasure as the Sheriff of Nottingham, playing the villain with a comic extravagance that makes Costner look still more dutiful. We laughed at how thoroughly he enjoys making the Sheriff ridiculous. The performance works because Rickman commits to the man’s vanity rather than politely signalling that the part is a joke. Morgan Freeman’s Azeem offers a calmer source of enjoyment, with a composure that gives the film somewhere to rest. Freeman is especially welcome whenever the film grows overexcited.

Reynolds is at his most persuasive when he concentrates on the adventure. Douglas Milsome’s roving camera gives the action a freedom that the dialogue scenes often lack, and Michael Kamen’s rousing score helps us feel the excitement the hero does not always communicate. John Graysmark’s production design gives the action a credible setting, though it cannot disguise how differently the actors approach their parts. The music, in particular, earns its enthusiasm without requiring much assistance from Costner.

The screenplay by Pen Densham and John Watson makes their work harder by moving awkwardly between earnest instruction and broad comedy. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio gives Marian more life than the romance consistently allows, but the writing keeps asking us to take things seriously before changing its mind. Peter Boyle’s editing cannot find a comfortable rhythm for the switches, and the film feels long even when there is plenty happening. Individual pleasures arrive regularly, but the stretches between them are often laboured.

Historical tidiness would not rescue it, and we have no objection to a Robin Hood adventure that plays freely with the legend. The genre can accommodate broad comedy and modern attitudes; the difficulty here is getting the same characters to belong comfortably in the serious passages too. Reynolds is not consistently able to do that, which makes the film less satisfying than its strongest performances suggest. Try it for Rickman and Freeman, provided a stiff leading man and a leisurely 143 minutes are not enough to put you off.

*Fi1m score 65, published 13 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are divided, with enthusiasm for the swashbuckling competing with frustration at the storytelling. Praise clusters around the supporting cast, particularly Alan Rickman’s gleefully camp Sheriff of Nottingham, while Morgan Freeman also draws favourable notices. Admirers enjoy the action, humour and irreverence, finding enough dash to forgive the untidiness. Even some less persuaded critics find the action sequences entertaining and the supporting performances stronger than the leads.

The divide is wide: what supporters find spirited, detractors find muddled or simply dull. Kevin Costner’s casting and performance attract repeated criticism, alongside complaints about the length, script and awkward insertion of modern social messages. Direction also splits opinion, earning praise for imaginative staging and criticism for being stolid. The AV Club goes further than most, arguing that racism, sexism and inconsistent characterisation make the film difficult to enjoy beyond its nostalgic appeal.

## Straight answers

**Is Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves worth watching?**

*Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves* is worth watching with reservations, and we scored it 65. Alan Rickman's extravagant Sheriff and Morgan Freeman's calm Azeem make it worth persisting with, though Kevin Costner's stiff hero and a leisurely 143 minutes will test patience. Try it for the supporting cast rather than for Robin himself.

**How long is Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and what is it rated?**

*Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves* runs 2h 23m. It is an action and adventure film.

**Where can I watch Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in Japan?**

*Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves* is streaming on Netflix in Japan, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from ¥300. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and is it suitable for children?**

*Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves* carries a UK 12 certificate, which puts it beyond young children but within reach of most older ones. It is a swordfighting adventure with rough battle action rather than gore, and the villainy leans towards comedy more than menace. Younger viewers are more likely to be bored by the long talky stretches than frightened.

**How does Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves compare to The Adventures of Robin Hood?**

*Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves* is the longer, heavier and less enjoyable of the two Robin Hood films. The 1938 [*The Adventures of Robin Hood*](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood) is quicker and simpler, with an Errol Flynn who plainly enjoys being an outlaw, where Kevin Costner treats it as a duty. Watch the earlier film first; return to the later one for Alan Rickman.

**What should I watch after Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves?**

After *Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves*, try [*The Adventures of Robin Hood*](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood) (1938, Fi1m 90): A lighter, quicker outlaw adventure with a hero who enjoys the work. Then [*The Princess Bride*](https://film.one/film/the-princess-bride) (1987, Fi1m 86): For swordplay, romance and villains who understand the value of good comic timing; and [*Seven Samurai*](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai) (1954, Fi1m 95): A longer commitment, but its outnumbered fighters earn the time they ask for.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (4/5): The critic praises the swashbuckling adventure for its handsome entertainment value and dash. Director Kevin Reynolds is singled out for imaginative staging and a roving camera that turns familiar events into an enjoyable popcorn epic, with strong turns from Costner, Rickman and Freeman. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-0jwmh6/robin-hood-prince-of-thieves/)
- **Time Out** (70/100, inferred): The review finds the mix of comedy, '90s sensibility and swashbuckling action more hit than miss, though the overall effect is rather slapdash. It calls the film spirited and irreverent, but notes it will not suit those who prefer their myths kept sacred. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/robin-hood-prince-of-thieves)
- **Empire**, Phil Thomas (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the film fun and frantic but undermined by historical inaccuracies, a turgid script, and Kevin Costner sleepwalking through the lead role. It is largely saved by Alan Rickman's gleefully camp performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/robin-hood-prince-thieves-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (40/100, inferred): The critic calls the film muddled and overlong, a jumble of action, preaching, and comic antics that tries to please everyone. Notes Kevin Costner's awkwardness in the lead role. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-14-ca-439-story.html)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a mess and joyless reconstruction that awkwardly incorporates modern social messages. Praises the performances of Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Morgan Freeman as the highlights. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/14/movies/review-film-a-polite-robin-hood-in-a-legend-recast.html)
- **The AV Club**, Marah Eakin (20/100, inferred): The film does not hold up on rewatch and is a clunky, poorly acted mess that is disjointed, racist, and sexist. The critic singles out the inconsistent characters, spotty plotting, and uncomfortable scenes for complaint while noting some nostalgic appeal from childhood viewings. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/23-years-after-its-release-robin-hood-prince-of-thiev-1798272872)
- **The New Yorker** (20/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a dull, dutiful trek through the legend with no real affection from the filmmakers. Notes the stolid direction and miscasting of Kevin Costner. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1991/07/01/divided-self)
- **Den of Geek**, Simon Brew (4/5): The critic calls it one of the most enjoyable blockbusters of the 1990s despite flaws like Costner's accent. They single out Alan Rickman's outstanding, scene-stealing performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham for particular praise. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/robin-hood-prince-of-thieves-blu-ray-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Stephen Carty (80/100, inferred): Despite some cheese and ham, this is popcorn of the best kind thanks to its entertaining action, rousing score and standout Alan Rickman performance. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/robin-hood-prince-of-thieves-film-review-by-stephen-carty)
- **HeyUGuys**, Sam Inglis (3/5): The film remains fantastic fun in its action sequences and strong supporting turns, though it feels dated and long at times with miscast leads. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/robin-hood-prince-of-thieves-4k/)

## Details

- **Director:** Kevin Reynolds
- **Director:** Kevin Reynolds
- **Screenplay:** John Watson, Pen Densham
- **Story:** Pen Densham
- **Cinematography:** Douglas Milsome
- **Editor:** Peter Boyle
- **Music:** Michael Kamen
- **Production design:** John Graysmark
- **Costume design:** John Bloomfield
- **Producer:** Pen Densham, Richard B. Lewis, John Watson
- **Cast:** Kevin Costner as Robin of Locksley / Robin Hood; Morgan Freeman as Azeem; Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian; Christian Slater as Will Scarlett; Alan Rickman as Sheriff of Nottingham; Geraldine McEwan as Mortianna; Mike McShane as Friar Tuck; Brian Blessed as Lord Locksley
- **Runtime:** 2h 23m
- **Release (Japan):** 19 July 1991
- **Genres:** Action, Adventure, Drama
- **Budget:** $48 million
- **Box office:** $390 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8IYE8N3ink

## Where to watch in Japan

- Netflix: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: rent ¥300, sd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy ¥1, sd

*Checked 2026-09-13.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor 1992: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor (won)
- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor - Razzie Award 1992: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor - Razzie Award (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938), Fi1m 90: A lighter, quicker outlaw adventure with a hero who enjoys the work. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood.md)
- *The Princess Bride* (1987), Fi1m 86: For swordplay, romance and villains who understand the value of good comic timing. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-princess-bride.md)
- *Fong Sai-yuk* (1993): Jet Li brings agility and comic ease to another fight against corrupt authority.
- *The Black Tulip* (1964): French swashbuckling that gives its outlaw hero considerably more room to enjoy himself.
- *Seven Samurai* (1954), Fi1m 95: A longer commitment, but its outnumbered fighters earn the time they ask for. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/robin-hood-prince-of-thieves