Common Sense Media Review
Classic tale has surprising amount of violence, bloodshed.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 9 parent reviews
Based on 20 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is a mixed bag, combining a classic story with excessive violence, dark themes, and some disturbing scenes, making it unsuitable for younger viewers. While some appreciate the performances, especially by one of the villains, the overall depiction of graphic content and questionable moral themes leaves many recommending parental discretion for younger audiences.
- graphic violence
- inappropriate themes
- mixed performances
- parental discretion
- dark humor
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, Robin Hood (Kevin Costner), freshly returned from the Crusades, sees the ruin that the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) and his thugs have brought to England and vows to right the wrongs. When his father is murdered, Robin seeks revenge on the Sheriff. He joins up with Little John, Azeem the Moor (Morgan Freeman), Maid Marian (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), and an army of scrappy villagers in an attempt to get rid of the no-good Sheriff of Nottingham and his nasty thugs for good.
Is It Any Good?
Although this version of the legend reveals more of Robin Hood's backstory, it tries to incorporate something for everyone and is too violent for kids. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves relies on the familiarity of the plot to build extraneous plot twists, upon which most of the suspense lies. Viewers will be asking, "When will (x) happen?" as opposed to, "What will happen next?" Teens who aren't bothered by this will love the courageous actions of Robin Hood and his Merry Men and the exciting battle sequences.
Parents will secretly root for Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham, who sparkles in contrast to Costner's dull Robin Hood. Costner merely floats along, leaving any sense of urgency or drama to the Merry Men, villagers, and the exciting visual effects. Sadly, although Marian first appears a strong, independent, brave young woman, by the end of the film she has relapsed into the stereotypical damsel in distress. The film wobbles between stilted, "medieval-like" dialogue and American accents from the majority of the main characters, an issue compounded by historical errors throughout the film.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Robin Hood's choices are often between the lesser of two evils. Do two wrongs ever make a right? (For example, robbing the rich to feed the poor?)
Does the graphic violence in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves seem necessary to tell the story and heighten the conflicts and drama, or does it seem merely added to provide gratuitous entertainment?
This is obviously a story that is known far and wide, and had been already been made into a movie several times over by the time this version came out in 1991. What would be the challenges in making a movie that has already been done before? How does this movie stick close to the legend, and how does it take liberties?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 14, 1991
- On DVD or streaming : September 30, 1997
- Cast : Alan Rickman , Kevin Costner , Morgan Freeman
- Director : Kevin Reynolds
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 143 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence.
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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