Rewatchables Reference

• Alan Rickman's 'cancel Christmas' scene – the Sheriff stealing every scene he's in.
• The sword fight between Robin and the Sheriff at the end.

• Alan Rickman's performance – completely understood the assignment and created one of the great over-the-top villains.
• Morgan Freeman's quiet dignity as Azeem – gave the film some gravitas.
• The '(Everything I Do) I Do It for You' Bryan Adams song becoming one of the biggest hits of the '90s.

The flaming arrow shot at the end – Robin shoots the arrow and it flies in slow motion to light the funeral pyre.

• Bryan Adams '(Everything I Do) I Do It for You' – number one for 7 weeks, became the anthem of the movie.
• Michael Kamen's score – overture is genuinely great, one of the best adventure scores of the era.

• Kevin Costner's accent – doesn't even attempt an English accent, just plays Robin Hood as a California guy.
• The witch subplot with the Sheriff's cousin – tonally bizarre and adds nothing.

• Costner's complete lack of English accent – makes zero effort.
• The attempted rape scene of Marian by the Sheriff – very uncomfortable by modern standards.
• Some of the action sequences look very '90s TV-quality.

• This movie made $390 million worldwide on a $48 million budget – one of the most inexplicably huge hits of the '90s.
• Rickman's performance might actually hurt the movie because it exposes how bland everyone else is.

• Mel Gibson was the first choice for Robin Hood.
• The movie was essentially greenlit to compete with a rival Robin Hood project.

• Alan Rickman – full category winner. 'I'll cut your heart out with a spoon!' He improvised much of his performance.
• The witch character – completely unhinged.

• Michael McShane as Friar Tuck – does the jolly friar thing perfectly.
• Michael Wincott as Guy of Gisborne – great gravelly-voiced villain henchman.

What if you put a real English actor as Robin Hood? Hugh Grant in his prime? Daniel Day-Lewis?

• Budget was $48 million, grossed $390.5 million worldwide.
• Bryan Adams song was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for 7 consecutive weeks.
• Kevin Reynolds and Costner had a falling out during production – Reynolds reportedly said 'Kevin should only direct himself in the future' (referencing Dances with Wolves).

• Alan Rickman – made the whole movie work and became a legend for this performance.
• Bryan Adams – '(Everything I Do) I Do It for You' was the biggest hit of his career.
• Kevin Costner's box office clout – this was peak 'Costner opens anything' era.

• Why doesn't Costner even try an accent? Everyone else in the movie is British.
• The geography makes no sense – they land at the White Cliffs of Dover and walk to Nottingham by nightfall.

Robin Hood as a prestige TV series could actually work – the outlaw band, the political intrigue, the class warfare themes.

• The Alan Rickman 'cancel Christmas' clip – endlessly rewatchable.
• The Bryan Adams song on cassette single.

Alan Rickman won the movie. Not even close.

• Sometimes the villain IS the movie.
• You don't need an accent if you have enough star power (debatable lesson).

Would give it to Alan Rickman for Best Supporting Actor – one of the great snubs that he wasn't even nominated.

• Does this movie work at all without Rickman?
• Did Costner know he wasn't doing an accent, or did he think he was?

Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) – Mel Brooks' parody that came out two years later.

Craig Horlbeck producing.