Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Description

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) – 4K Ultra HD Disc Review

Arrow Video | 155 min  | BBFC 12 | Release: March 20, 2023
Genres: Action • Adventure • Historical • Romance • Drama

Video Quality — 5 / 5

Arrow’s native 4K restore is sourced from the original camera negative and graded in Dolby Vision & HDR10. This is a massive step up from older Blu-rays:

• Natural grain structure preserved — no DNR or artificial smoothing
• Forest daylight scenes (Sherwood camp, horseback combat) show huge increases in clarity
• Fire-lit interiors and candlelit castle sequences benefit from HDR depth and color roll-off
• Skin tones corrected — no more waxy push from prior masters
• Black levels stable with no crush during night ambush sequences

This disc looks cinematic, not “polished”; Arrow treated it like a prestige archival title.

Audio Quality — 4.5 / 5

Two tracks are provided: DTS-HD MA 5.1 and DTS-HD MA 2.0.
The 5.1 mix is the obvious choice:

• Michael Kamen’s score (especially the overture and Marian theme) is rich and wide
• Arrow combat and crowd ambience fill the surrounds without gimmicks
• Dialogue is clear — no age-artifact distortion
• Bass impacts (battering ram, flaming arrows, siege sequences) have weight

No Atmos upgrade, but the 5.1 is warm, powerful, and faithful.

Special Features — 4 / 5

Arrow retained a strong supplement set without the slipcase-only extras:

• Both cuts on the UHD disc (Theatrical + Extended)
• Reversible cover artwork
• Commentary and archival interview materials
• Arrow-authored featurettes covering production & reception
• Trailer and promotional material
• English SDH subtitles

Not the most loaded Arrow release ever, but more than adequate for a catalog title.

⚖️ Overall — 5 / 5 ⭐

Arrow’s 4K of Prince of Thieves is the definitive home version: reference-grade transfer, gorgeous HDR, honest grain, strong audio, and both cuts on one UHD. For collectors of 1990s epics, this release sits at the top shelf with Braveheart, Gladiator, and Last of the Mohicans in restored form.