TV - Movies
Fans Think
Kevin Costner
Completely
Ruined This
Adventure Movie
By NICK STANIFORTH
Since the ‘80s, Kevin Costner has had some impressive big-screen credits to his name, appearing in cinematic staples like "Field of Dreams," "The Bodyguard," and "The Untouchables." He was a star who could almost guarantee box-office success if his name was on the movie poster — including for divisive films like "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves."
The 1991 film performed well at the box-office, but received poor reviews for several reasons, with Costner’s take on the title role being credited as the greatest flaw. Film critics and fans alike dragged his take on Robin Hood as “the doofiest yet put on film” and “wooden or cardboard,” with many singling out his British accent (or lack thereof) for mockery.
While Costner's biggest adversary in the film may have been the English accent, the late Alan Rickman's performance as the comically villainous Sheriff of Nottingham made the movie much more entertaining. Test audiences preferred Rickman’s performance over Costner’s so much that the producers trimmed down the Sheriff’s scenes to ensure the hero got his limelight.