Fight Clip Club: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Why a spoon, cousin? Why not an axe, or something?

Of course, discussing Three Musketeers last week made me think of this movie, because of course. But what’s funny is, I hadn’t remembered how many similarities there are between the two: we’ve got a really cheesy wooden-faced central hero, some Merry Men, a bunch of over the top sword fighting, and a villain who’s allowed to ham it up like an Easter dinner. And Michael Wincott as a growly, glorified RenFaire actor as the main bad guy’s henchman. Seriously—watch the unctuous antics of Tim Curry and then the unhinged performance of Alan Rickman and you see the reason why we Gen Xers are so in love in with our villains that we want long backstories for them all. (Well I don’t; I’m sick of the back stories, but that’s a whole ‘nother article for another time.)

Anyway, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves is pretty terrible, but it’s one of those that’s so bad it’s good. Do I think this because the movie came out the year I graduated high school, and I was primed for its drama kid romantic fun (as well as smoking hot Christian Slater)? Is it because I have fond memories of the brilliant skewering Mel Brooks did of it only a couple years later? Maybe a little. I think the most likely reason I enjoy this glorious dreck is the absolutely wondrous scene chewing that is Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Why was there no Prince John in this version of the story? Because NO ONE can be a higher level bad guy when Rickman has been given carte blanche. And I always know I’m in for a rollicking time fight wise when Michael Wincott is playing a henchman. For all the guff I give the guy, I relate to him muchly. I see myself in his roles, if I ever was in movies.

I did discuss this fight a bit in my very first Problematic Trope essay, ‘The Marion Effect’, wherein I lament the change in Marion’s badassness from our introduction of her until this fight scene. Inexplicably, she’s almost completely helpless here, and not only needs Robin Hood to save her, but the couple things she chooses to do to help him in this fight are ineffectual. All she can do is squeal “Robiiiiin’ and it’s like…what happened? You kicked his ass in your first scene. How have you forgotten all your fight skills?! 

Let’s take a look and I’ll show you what I mean.

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