The English folklore character, Robin Hood, has appeared in stories, movies, and theatre for hundreds of years. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, one of the many stories featuring this sneaky heroic outlaw, came out in 1991. Along with the movie released, a video game, and toys also came out for the Prince of Thieves franchise. The story of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves begins with the capture of the character, Robin of Locksley. After breaking out of a Jerusalem prison, Robin takes the journey home to England where he encounters new obstacles. With the help of his merry men and newfound friends, Robin takes on the challenge of defending the evil sheriff. Join us in a Prince of Thieves Retrospective through the characters of the popular franchise.
Join us in a Retrospective of Prince of Thieves
Follow along with us in this Prince of Thieves Retrospective as we dive into the 1991 movie, video game, and toys released. We will also mention Robin Hood with his merry men and maid Marian as they go through many obstacles with the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Movie
First up on our Prince of Thieves Retrospective, we have the 1991 movie. This American film starred Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater, as well as Alan Rickman. This PG-13 film was directed by Kevin Reynolds, written by Pen Densham, and distributed/ produced by Warner Bros. with Morgan Creek Productions. Although Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves released as a 143 minute film, an extended version also released, lasting 155 minutes. With an initial budget of $44 million, the film then proved to be a success with a box office gross of $390,493,908.
The film begins with Robin of Locksley and his merry men at a prison in Jerusalem during the Third Crusade. After their escape, Robin and his men then get accompanied by their new Turkish friend, Azeem. With the help of Azeem, they all flee the country to return home to England. Unfortunately, upon his return home, Robin approaches grievous news. He finds out about both the death of his father and the destruction of their castle. Guy of Gisborne, the cousin of the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, approaches the group and they then flee to the haunted Sherwood Forest. While in the forest, Robin and his men along with Azeem, run into Little John and his cohorts.
Robin and Azeem join an outlaw band where Robin takes lead as chief. The sheriff then sets off to destroy Robin and his band. After this, the two encounter many violent adversaries while Robin and his men rob most of the wealthy people entering the forest. As this film was the 2nd highest grossing film of 1991, it proved to be successful and popular among fans.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Toys
Next up on our Prince of Thieves Retrospective, we have the toys released for the franchise. Kenner toy company released action figures and playsets in 1991 to go along with the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves movie. The action figures resemble the characters from the movie while the playsets resemble some popular scenes. This allowed children to play out their favorite moments from the movie with their favorite characters.
Action Figures
Kenner released the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves action figures, representing the characters from the film, in 1991. The figures released consisted of 8 figures, including two versions of Robin Hood. Robin Hood came out as one figure with a crossbow and fabric cloak. The other Robin Hood figure featured a long bow as his weapon. The Azeem figure comes with a scimitar blade as his weapon and cloth robe as well as grey painted clothing. Dark Warrior comes dressed in shiny black and silver armor with a helmet, shield, and also a huge pike scythe.
The next figure, Friar Tuck, stands shorter than the other figures at 4 inches while most stand at 6 inches. Friar Tuck comes with a battle staff as his weapon and a dark brown fabric cloak. The Little John figure comes with a quarterstaff as his weapon. Not only does this figure have a cloth shirt but also cloth boot covers. Sheriff of Nottingham comes with a sharp, tall sword and is clothed entirely in black with a shiny black armor cloak. The last figure released by Kenner for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Will Scarlet, comes with a crossbow.
All figures released in bubble packaging with a cardboard back featuring the character from the film. Since the character appears in image on the cardboard backing, the resemblance of the figure to the character appears clearly. The back of the cardboard shows all figures and playsets released for the franchise along with a description of the character with his weapon.
Playsets
In 1991, Kenner released four playsets to go along with the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves movie. The Battle Wagon, Bola Bomber, Net Launcher, and Sherwood Forest Playset all released for the franchise. The first of these, the Battle Wagon, captures the rustic medieval aesthetic of the film in detail. The wagon also features play abilities such as a launching catapult, detachable prison cell, and hidden rolling wheels for surprise attacks. This versatile playset inspires imaginative play through the battle-ready abilities and attention to detail. The Next playset, the Bola Bomber, features the ability to launch “rock bombs”. The launcher resembles wood logs connected together to form a bomb launcher. When the two rocks are set on the toy, the player can pull the launching arm back and then push the button to fire the rock bombs.
The Net Launcher toy also resembles wooden logs with the same rustic and mystical look. When the arrow is placed in the launcher, the player can then push the lever on the toy to fire the net. This net allows Robin Hood to trap multiple enemies at once. This last playset, The Sherwood Forest, includes many epic features. Not only does the playset resemble the forest with a treehouse-like platform but also features a working elevator, perfect for escaping easily or entering in with style. Beneath the tree platform, a net releases to capture any lurking enemies or unwanted surprises. This playset also comes with spear launchers and a swinging boulder to defend against any attack.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Video Game
The Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves video game comes next on our Prince of Thieves Retrospective. This game also released in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy. The role-playing action-adventure game was published by Virgin Entertainment Group and composed by Paul Webb and David Whittaker.
The player in the game takes the role as Robin Hood while trying to escape jail in Jerusalem and then free England from the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham while taking on different tasks. Although this game follows the story from the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves movie, many other missions take place in order to extend the game. In order to keep things interesting and new within the game, many gameplay variations take place and play out differently. Most of the game takes the overhead perspective as a stage-driven action game while duels, battles, and chases add to keep things enjoyable for the player.
Final Thoughts
The enchanted world of the titular Robin Hood gets pictured epically through the Prince of Thieves franchise. The movie, toys, and video game brought joy to fans in the 90s and continue to bring joy and nostalgia to fans all over the world today.
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Made in Collaboration with:
Chris Ingledue
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Bio: I am the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab Pop Culture and Toy Shop. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys and pop culture, triggering fond memories, and reigniting their imaginations. Every day, I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year. I scour the internet, like when we had the Sears Catalog of yesteryear, for the next great treasure. Then, I await the arrival of the postman as if he were Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!