Kevin Costner: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
3. Robin Hood - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Whenever I see this movie, I always think of the funny Mel Brooks spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights. In that movie, Robin Hood is asked at one point: And why should the people listen to you? His response: Because unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent. This is a direct reference to Kevin Costners performance in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. And its spot on: Costners performance here is so excessive, so hokey, and so silly that I actually found myself laughing uncontrollably at what was meant to be a serious movie.
As Mel Brooks so aptly stated, Costner does not even make the slightest attempt at a British accent. Occasionally, at the average rate of one word per minute, he will make a slight inflection on an r. I think that, about twenty minutes into the movie, they just decided to change Robin Hood from British to American. Its really the only explanation.
But, its not just the accent (or lack thereof) that makes Costner so loathsome in this role. Think back to all of the ways that you have seen someone over-act in the past: the exaggerated hand gesturing, the uncontrollable spasms of emotion, the inappropriate speech volume. Costner doesnt discriminate: he uses every method at least once here. It is just hard to watch.
Did this really come out the same year as JFK?!