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Every now and again, a great movie debate kicks up some dust on the Internet. Generally, in these moments, I don’t like to think of myself as a person who should necessarily weigh in via the comments, but all that changed this week when one person started a thread asking the age old question: Is Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves a good movie? It’s my moment, y’all.
Listen, as a youngster who grew up in the nineties with a VHS player (RIP) and habitually negligent parents, I can confidently say I have watched Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves at least 50 times. My sister and I still occasionally bust into the, “There was a rich man from Nottingham who tried to cross the river” song, and I still often throw out lines like, ‘Fuck me, he cleared it.” So, an Internet debate over whether or not the ’90s Kevin Costner, Alan Rickman, Morgan Freeman, and Christian Slater movie is good? Let me roll up my sleeves and get my keyboard warrior on.
One Reddit User Called Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves Their “Embarrassing Pick” And It Kicked Off A Big Debate
This whole thing started when one Reddit user unabashedly mentioned in a thread on Reddit they “literally love” Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, but feel like “they shouldn’t.”
I literally love Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves 😂😂😂 I shouldn’t. Kevin Costner uses an American accent. The dialogue isn’t very good. There are a million reasons this movie sucks – and I get it. But I LOVE it. I generally (from what I’m told by others) have decent taste in movies. But I LOVE this movie like an asshole lol what’s your embarrassing pick?
What they really hoped to do was spawn a conversation about embarrassing movies that people are just obsessed with. What they more so ended up doing was spawning a debate about whether or not the Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie sucks or is excellent. In fact, a slew of responders are aggressively defending the movie, with commenters noting:
Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves is a film audience hated? Lol in what universe? It cleaned up at the box office and then its theme tune went triple platinum. Pretty sure the audience fucking loved it.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a legit great movie. The critics can go kick rocks. I mean… Alan Rickman continues his streak of playing the greatest movie villains ever (Hans Gruber, Sheriff of Nottingham, Severus Snape, that dickhead in Love Actually). Morgan Freeman is awesome as always. Great actions scenes, great music, perfect Sean Connery cameo…I don’t even care about Kevin Costner’s lack of an English accent, since the nobility back then (including Robin of Locksley) would have been speaking Norman French anyway.
Man, I been watching Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves for most of my 37 years on this planet.I liked it when I was a kid, a teenager, and I still like it. I probably end up watching it with someone who hasn’t seen it every 5 years or so. Damn Im overdue for some dang Robin Hood.
Seriously, who didn’t love Prince of Thieves?
A lot of people in the thread maybe don’t think the movie is one of the best of the 1990s, but there are plenty who mentioned specifically how great Alan Rickman’s casually funny villain is in the flick. (Personally, I like this performance more than the one in Die Hard, and I will die on that hill.)
Yeah, but Alan Rickman’s Sheriff is one of my favorite villains.
Alan Rickman was gold in everything he was in—RIP to a fine actor.
So, I think we can agree the movie is fondly remembered, but that still leaves us with one big question…
Is Prince Of Thieves A Good Movie?
A lot of fans called out how Robin Hood: Men in Tights is honestly so much better, with one noting Thieves “walked” so Men In Tights “could run.” Others didn’t defend the movie as good and noted “critics hated it,” but did mention contextually it rocked out at the box office in 1991. They have a point. When Prince of Thieves came out, it was not beloved by critics. A roundup of reviews years later on Rotten Tomatoes only has the flick at 51%, though it’s worth noting the audience score is a much higher –though not incredibly high — 72%. And this is well before the time the audience basically turned on Robin Hood movies.
Eventually, the original poster clarified their stance, noting the movie is “not good” but it’s also “great,” which is I think maybe the point to hammer home here.
Everyone I know makes fun of me. I adore it. That climax at the end, when she yells ‘ ROBINNNNNNN!!!!’ At the top of her lungs to save herself gave me chills. But when I talk about it, people tease me hahaha cause… you know… it’s not good. It’s great. But it’s not good hahaha.
Personally, I agree with the OP. I don’t feel like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a good movie per se, but it is a nineties charmer chock full of memorable performances. The total package just works, even with multiple accents and a goofy script. This movie has everything: It’s got a Sean Connery cameo. It’s got Kevin Costner as an American Robin Hood. It’s got weird set stories involving mushrooms. Plus, it features a lot of weirdly quotable lines. Most importantly, it’s infinitely watchable. So, please excuse me while I throw it on for Round 51.
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