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Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - Ultimate Edition (Blu-ray) (1991)

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - Ultimate Edition (Blu-ray) (1991)

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Released 4-Sep-2019
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Details At A Glance

General		Extras
Category	Action Adventure	Audio Commentary-by Kevin Costner and Kevin Reynolds Audio Commentary-Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Pen Densham & John Watson Featurette-Making Of-The Man, The Myth, The Legend Interviews-Cast & Crew Isolated Musical Score Music Video-"Everything I Do, I Do It For You" Theatrical Trailer TV Spots
Rating
Year Of Production	1991
Running Time	143:05
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Dual Disc Set	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu	Cast & Crew
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Kevin Reynolds
Studio Distributor	ViaVision	Starring	Kevin Costner Morgan Freeman Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio Christian Slater Alan Rickman Geraldine McEwan Michael McShane Brian Blessed Michael Wincott Nick Brimble
Case	Standard Blu-ray	Starring
RPI	$24.95	Music	Michael Kamen

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 English Linear PCM 48/16 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No	Miscellaneous
Subtitles	None	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    Ditching the idiosyncratic lightheartedness of Errol Flynn's iconic outing as the swashbuckling titular outlaw, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves presents more of a brutal, realistic reimagining of the centuries-old folklore legend, and the result is not strictly for young children. Positioned as the must-see movie event of the 1991 summer season, this Robin Hood endured a tough journey to the big screen, with behind-the-scenes clashes and production setbacks, all of which occurred in the public eye. Happily, however, the finished film does not bear the hallmarks of a troubled production, and it developed into a box office hit, becoming the second-highest grossing movie of 1991 (behind Terminator 2: Judgment Day). Directed by Kevin Reynolds (Waterworld), Prince of Thieves is a spectacular medieval action-adventure, misguided in some respects but successful where it counts, and it remains a hugely entertaining watch nearly three decades on.

    While fighting in the Crusades, nobleman Robin of Locksley (Kevin Costner) manages to break out of prison in Jerusalem. In the process, he saves a Moor named Azeem (Morgan Freeman), who consequently vows to protect Robin until he repays his life debt. Robin returns to his British homeland with Azeem, but finds that his father (Brian Blessed) is dead, and the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) has claimed power over the kingdom for himself, aided by Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Michael Wincott). Driven into Sherwood Forest while escaping the Sheriff's soldiers, Robin encounters a group of outlaws, including Little John (Nick Brimble) and Will Scarlet (Christian Slater), who yearn for their freedom once again. Robin quickly emerges as a leader for these Merry Men, determined to disrupt the Sheriff's rampant tyranny by robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, becoming a hero to the common people. Amid his battle for freedom, Robin also finds love in childhood friend Lady Marian (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio).

    Despite running an intimidating 143 minutes, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves moves like water for the most part, exhibiting a sensational sense of pacing as the picture covers ample narrative ground. Admittedly, Prince of Thieves is a bit sluggish at the forefront as Robin travels back to England and discovers the state of his kingdom, but it soon picks up, with the film kicking into high gear when Robin and his Merry Men begin raging war against the Sheriff. The screenplay, credited to Pen Densham and John Watson, juggles subplots and a vast ensemble of characters, creating a distinct interpretation of the English folk tale. (Mel Brooks' 1993 parody film, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, used the narrative template set by Prince of Thieves.) The only part of the narrative which feels half-baked is the romance between Robin and Marian - there is no spark to justify the coupling, and their interest in each other feels motivated purely by script demands.

    Carrying a significant (for the era) $48 million price-tag, the sense of time and place throughout Prince of Thieves is extraordinary, with elaborate sets and authentic locations convincingly recreating medieval England in the 12th century. Aided by cinematographer Douglas Milsome (Full Metal Jacket), Reynolds adopts a fluid shooting style, with effective Steadicam shots and creative camerawork - including the iconic arrow POV shot which featured in the teaser trailer. Reynolds stages an array of fight sequences and battles, which are tautly edited for maximum excitement, breaking up the dialogue to provide an irresistibly entertaining show. Additionally, Prince of Thieves tests the limits of its PG-13 rating, yet Reynolds also maintains a welcome sense of joviality to prevent the movie from feeling excessively gloomy or mean-spirited. But the crème de la crème is a killer score by maestro Michael Kamen (Die Hard, Lethal Weapon), which superbly underscores the emotion and excitement from scene to scene. Kamen's music consistently bursts with flavour and majesty, perfectly accompanying the visuals.

    There is little argument that Costner is miscast as the titular outlaw, making no consistent effort to hide or suppress his natural American accent, with his drawl noticeably changing throughout. Costner is still appealing enough in the role, as he emanates his usual movie star charisma, but the American accent remains jarring considering the character's British origins. Your mileage will vary. The real star of the show here is the always-reliable Rickman, who was given carte blanche to do whatever he wished as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Rickman sinks his teeth into the material, hamming it up in delightful fashion, and delivering a string of amusing one-liners (some of which were not scripted) that add to the film's entertainment value. Legend has it that Costner (one of the film's producers) reduced Rickman's screen-time in editing after test audiences found themselves liking the Sheriff more than Robin. Elsewhere in the cast, Freeman is unsurprisingly first-rate as Azeem, injecting satisfying gravitas into the material, while Wincott also makes a positive impression as Guy of Gisbourne. Meanwhile, a young (21-year-old) Slater makes for an adequately pleasing Will Scarlett, trying his hardest to hide his natural American accent.

    Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is undeniably lacking a consistent vision, intermixing broad humour and campy performances with an otherwise straight-faced and violent retelling of the medieval legend, while the accents are all over the place. But viewed as a piece of blockbuster entertainment, Prince of Thieves somehow works - it's charming, exciting and fast-paced, while production values impress and there are several memorable moments. Interestingly, this was the last (serious) big screen Robin Hood film for nineteen years: it was followed by Ridley Scott's Robin Hood in 2010.

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Transfer Quality

Video

    Note: This is a review of the theatrical cut's video and audio. If you wish to read about the extended cut, I have also reviewed Via Vision's standalone extended cut disc.

    Oh dear. Up until now, the theatrical edition of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves has been relegated to LaserDisc, VHS and DVD (a flipper disc, no less), none of which are particularly good quality. Here, Via Vision debut the theatrical cut on Blu-ray for the first time in the world, but the good news unfortunately ends there. Making use of a dual-layered BD-50, the movie is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and is mastered using the MPEG-4 AVC video codec with a respectable average video bitrate of 24.99 Mbps, but this is all for nought. Despite noble intentions, Via Vision were supplied with an ancient master, one that was most likely prepared around the movie's original release 28 years ago for its LaserDisc debut. The resulting video transfer looks like an old video file from the early 2000s: soft, murky, unrefined, flat, and riddled with unsightly macroblocking. It's surely a contender for the worst Blu-ray transfer in existence.

    There are so many shortcomings with this transfer, it's difficult to figure out where to start. Rampant edge enhancement is all over the image, resulting in awkwardly jagged edges and distracting halos, while object delineation remains mediocre. There is noticeable telecine wobble whenever titles appear on-screen, and location titles throughout the movie exhibit terrible artefacts around the edges, probably due to ancient digital sharpening tools (not that the sharpening does any good considering the transfer's softness) - just see the "Four Months Later" title at 11:02. Digital noise reduction is apparent, as the transfer rarely displays natural-looking grain. This is an excessively soft transfer, and it looks disgustingly smeary in motion, with blades of grain and hairs blending together at the worst of times. There's also shimmering to boot. I've seen ancient, DNR-laden transfers from Universal with more stability and superior object delineation. The presentation is virtually unwatchable in darkness, such as the opening sequence in a Jerusalem prison which is murky as hell. Clarity is poor from start to finish, but again the darker sequences fare the worst. Likewise, clarity struggles when thick smoke is present, such as during the major battle sequence in Sherwood Forest. Video artefacts are present throughout, from minor white specks, to a noticeable black line running down the middle of the screen at 46:58.

    The transfer attains basic watchability in some scenes, particularly when it's daytime, but even the best moments of this presentation are nothing remotely exciting, due to the severe limitations of the initial film scan and the drawbacks of the appalling post-processing. Fine detail is a disappointment, with poor texturing in every respect - even though the presentation is encoded in 1080p, this scarcely looks HD at all, and looks more like something shot on tape in the 1980s. Just see a wide shot at 54:48, which is completely devoid of fine detail and looks like a soft, blurry mess. Even in close-ups, the transfer often looks blurry, only managing the most basic of textures, while highlights are a bust. I've seen standard definition DVDs of superior quality. Colour is another serious drawback. These are some of the milkiest blacks you will ever see, and there's crush all over the place to boot. Additionally, since contrast is so hit-and-miss, the transfer looks hideously flat. The palette is dull and lacking in vibrancy, with unnatural skin tones and sickly greens. Plus, it almost goes without saying, but harsh lighting sources like flames and skies look totally blown out, lacking in specular detail. After being so spoiled by the 4K High Dynamic Range revolution, this master looks all the worse. For what it's worth, I was unable to detect any aliasing or banding throughout, which is a minor victory for Via Vision's encode.

    A film of such a generous budget deserves better, as this transfer does absolutely no justice to Douglas Milsome's rich cinematography or the lavish production design. Especially on a larger display, this transfer is a slog to get through, even for the movie's most ardent fans. Perhaps desperate fans watching on tiny screens will be able to suffer through it, particularly those with the awful old flipper DVD who have to change disc sides halfway through. For everyone else, I can't recommend picking this one up. Surely a remastered version is on the horizon. However, it's hard to specifically blame Via Vision for the transfer's shortcomings, as this is probably the best encode we can expect from such an ancient master. The same master is also streaming on Stan, and looks even worse. Likewise, iTunes uses the same master, but it carries an additional smattering of digital noise reduction to presumably hide the chunky grain and macroblocking. I don't think I'll be pulling out this disc again anytime soon.

    There are no subtitles on the theatrical cut.

*Video Ratings Summary*
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

There are two audio options for the theatrical cut: a lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, and an uncompressed Linear PCM 2.0 stereo track. For the purposes of this review, I solely concentrated on the primary DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, though it's nice to have the alternative option for those who wish to have it. Thankfully, the audio is significantly better than the disastrous video presentation, but I have nevertheless heard significantly better tracks on films of a similar vintage, and the audio is superior on the extended cut. First things first, the track is fortunately free of popping, clicking and hissing, while there are no issues with audio sync. There are also no problems in terms of prioritisation, as dialogue is frequently comprehensible amid the more chaotic sound effects and Michael Kamen's majestic music. Additionally, the track does make use of the soundscape, with music pushing to the rear channels, while panning and separation effects are evident - at the 22-minute mark, for instance, the sound of a bird flying away is isolated to the rear. Additionally, during a night-time campfire scene at the 45-minute mark, the dialogue exclusively comes through the front speakers while environmental sound effects like crickets emerge from the rear channels.

On the other hand, however, clarity is distinctly mediocre. This more than likely traces back to the materials again, but audio is never as crystal clear as one would hope - this sounds more like an old lossy mix from a DVD, as opposed to a pristine lossless Blu-ray audio track. There also isn't much of the way of LFE or subwoofer activity, though there is sufficient impact to the sword fights and arrow impacts. In short, I've heard better audio tracks, but I've also heard worse.

*Audio Ratings Summary*
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

Via Vision's Ultimate Edition is a two-disc set, retaining all of the previously existing special features from the Warner Bros. DVD and Blu-ray.

Disc 1: Theatrical Edition:

The Man, The Myth, The Legend (SD; 31:52)

Produced at the time of the movie's release, this is an archival behind-the-scenes documentary hosted by Pierce Brosnan which covers the real-life Robin Hood myth, as well as the making of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The ten minutes or so covering the real-life legend is interesting enough, featuring interviews with professors and regular citizens, though it cannot definitively answer whether or not Robin Hood actually existed. The content about the film itself is more interesting, packed with insightful behind-the-scenes footage and interviews about various aspects of the production, from the costumes and sets, to the director and actors, as well as Michael Kamen's excellent music. Most of this is pure EPK material, which is to be expected - there's certainly no discussion about the production's issues, such as falling behind schedule or Reynolds leaving the project in post-production. (Note that this feature is actually called "The Man, The Myth, The Movie" but Via Vision has listed it incorrectly.)

One-On-One With The Cast (SD)

A collection of cast interviews, all of which are listed individually - there is no "Play All" function. The interviews are intercut with film clips and behind-the-scenes footage, and are of varying interest - this is mostly promotional fluff. These are all taken from low-quality SD sources, and aren't even properly formatted to fill the TV screen.

Kevin Costner (4:18)
Morgan Freeman (4:22)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (3:42)
Christian Slater (3:43)
Alan Rickman (3:13)

Trailers (SD)

Here we have a trailer and several TV spots. Oddly, this doesn't include the iconic teaser trailer which made such an impression on the movie-going public.

Theatrical Trailer (2:00) - Weirdly, the video cuts at 1:38 even though the audio continues. Someone mucked up the formatting.
A Legend (00:33)
A Legend (00:13)
A Love Story (00:33)
A Love Story (00:13)
Fight for Justice (00:33)
Fight for Justice (00:13)

Music Video: "Everything I Do, I Do It For You" (SD; 4:17)

Here you get to watch Bryan Adams performing this hit song live at Slade Castle. I'd hardly call this a music video as there's no film clips or anything - just the live performance.

Music Soundtrack Cues in 5.1 (HD; 50:16)

Rather than an isolated score track over the movie itself, here we have the film's soundtrack by Michael Kamen, isolated for your viewing pleasure in Dolby Digital 5.1. The tracks play over a still promotional image from the film. This is one instance where Via Vision have improved upon the previous Warner Bros. Blu-ray, as there are track listings for your convenience. There are also chapter stops separating the eight music tracks.

Disc 2: Extended Edition:

Audio Commentary by Kevin Costner and Kevin Reynolds

Even though the friendship between these two fell apart after the troublesome production of Waterworld, and even though they famously had a bad time making Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the pair get together for this first audio commentary track, which was recorded in 2003. Initial discussions include the aspect ratio (it was shot for 1.66:1), costuming and score, before progressing onto a more scene-specific discussion of this medieval action-adventure. Topics include sets, actors, choreography, Costner's accent, and more. Costner points out the trademarks of Reynolds' filmmaking style, praising his scene transitions (while saying that scenes in The Searchers do not cut together smoothly) and the individuality of his approach in an age where movies feel more and more factory-made. In fact, Costner spends a lot of time heaping praise onto the writing, camera movements and even a montage - he's the driving force behind this commentary, with Reynolds mostly responding to Costner's remarks. There is some dead space are the pair just watch certain scenes and moments, and they drift off-topic (Costner mentions The Postman), while there are plenty of meaningless proclamations like "This is a great scene!". Frankly, I can't say I was too engaged by this commentary, nor did I get much out of it beyond a few trivial titbits. This isn't an essential listen, sadly.

Audio Commentary by Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Pen Densham and John Watson

The second audio commentary on this disc features actors Freeman and Slater, as well as writers/producers Pen Densham and John Watson. Thankfully, this commentary is a bit more thoughtful, with Densham and Watson initially speaking in-depth about the process of developing and writing Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Slater and Freeman take a backseat, with Slater not uttering a single word for large portions of the movie (he says nothing until he first appears in the movie at the 40-minute mark), while Freeman offers tiny comments, bouncing off the more enthusiastic Densham and Watson. One of the writers even admits to making miscellaneous noises on the soundtrack, such as dying grunts and horse noises, and they point out that Sherwood Forest doesn't really exist anymore. There's also a discussion about people commonly associating Robin Hood with tights; and therefore, this production's costume department deliberately avoided tights. Additionally, they mention use of family members as extras, point out one specific extra who was killed several times in a single battle sequence, and explain that the iconic POV arrow shot was filmed specifically for the trailer but was added to the movie after such a positive reception. Another great story is in relation to Michael McShane, who was cast as Friar Tuck following his appearance on the U.K. version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?. Also interesting is mention of Stuart Baird's involvement in post-production - he's known for re-editing troubled movies. Since this is the extended cut, the writers also usually point out which material is new. All in all, this is a mostly interesting track.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

Via Vision's disc retains all previously released special features, and adds an exclusive in the theatrical cut. This makes this set the winner... but a cautious winner. It's the most complete package available until the movie gets a fresh remaster. Arrow Video is re-releasing the film in the U.K. at the end of this month, but it doesn't add any special features or a remaster. Perhaps Arrow will eventually spearhead a collector's edition.

Summary

An enormous box office success in 1991, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves endures as a love-it-or-hate-it affair - it has attracted both vocal haters and passionate fans. Although the finished film is not perfect, and I can understand some of the main criticisms, it still works for me. It's an exciting, rip-roaring action-adventure, and I have a great time whenever I watch it.

Via Vision's Ultimate Edition Blu-ray is currently the most complete set to date, with two cuts of the movie and a complete set of special features. Unfortunately, the theatrical cut is poorly served with a mostly awful video transfer, though the extended cut looks much better. The special features, meanwhile, are fine but unspectacular. I can't recommend upgrading if you own the previous Blu-ray edition unless you're desperate to see the theatrical cut, poor presentation notwithstanding.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Review Equipment
DVD	Sony UBP-X700 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player, using HDMI output
Display	LG OLED65E6T. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 2160p.
Audio Decoder	Built in to amplifier/receiver. This audio decoder/receiver has not been calibrated.
Amplification	Samsung Series 7 HT-J7750W
Speakers	Samsung Tall Boy speakers, 7.1 set-up

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