Robin Hood – König der Diebe (1991)

Robin Hood – König der Diebe: Directed by Kevin Reynolds. With Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater. When Robin and his Moorish companion come to England and the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham, he decides to fight back as an outlaw.

“The summer of 1991 was a lousy one for movies; there were only a few that stood out amid dozens of crummy releases. The only movies that summer that I admired were u0026#39;Terminator 2,u0026#39; u0026#39;Thelma u0026amp; Louise,u0026#39; and this one, which still stands as one of the most entertaining action-adventure movies Iu0026#39;ve seen.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNo, it isnu0026#39;t a masterpiece, on any level. Yes, I realize that Kevin Costner lacks a satisfactory British accent (he doesnu0026#39;t even attempt one). But the movie is still a fun, rip-roaring piece of escapism, sort of like u0026#39;Raiders of the Lost Ark,u0026#39; only without the special effects.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCostner may seem miscast as Robin of Locksley, but thereu0026#39;s no doubt that he had the physicality and screen presence to convincingly hold our attention as a larger-than-life hero. Heu0026#39;d just come off u0026#39;Dances With Wolves,u0026#39; and so it was a thrill to see him on horseback again (it still is, in u0026#39;Open Rangeu0026#39;). Iu0026#39;m willing to concede that heu0026#39;s no Olivier, but in the action hero mold, he still cut an exciting figure.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI also enjoyed Alan Rickmanu0026#39;s great, over-the-top portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Out of place? You betcha. Fun? Funny? Wicked? Hey, thatu0026#39;s why we pay admission.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe sets are all dank and gloomy and wonderful. The action is well-staged and had audiences on their feet all those years ago. Sherwood Forest is appropriately dense and spooky-looking. OK, so the movie has Christian Slater in it. I didnu0026#39;t say it was perfect.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026#39;Robin Hoodu0026#39; marked the beginning of the end of Kevin Costneru0026#39;s unanimous popularity with audiences. Everyone started playing the part of Hollywood bean-counter and worrying about u0026#39;Waterworldu0026#39;su0026#39; budget. But you know what I like about both these movies? No CGI. I am sick and tired of CGI movies. Popping the deluxe u0026#39;Robin Hoodu0026#39; DVD into the old player is a refreshing treat and a thumb in the eye of digital junk like u0026#39;Pirates of the Caribbean.u0026#39;”