Princess of Thieves

Plot synopsis:
The film picks up years after the "known" events of the Robin Hood legend, centering on Robin's daughter, Gwyn, played by Knightley. As Maid Marian has died and Robin Hood (Stuart Wilson) is perpetually away battling in the Crusades, Gwyn has lived much of her life alone. She has grown up to be a strong-willed young woman with a talent for archery, much like her father. Her only friend is the sweet but plain Froderick (Del Synnott), who clearly is in love with her. Upon the death of King Richard the Lionheart, Robin returns to see that the proper man takes Richard's place as King of England. However, Robin is quickly foiled and imprisoned by his enemies, the Sheriff of Nottingham (Malcolm McDowell) and Prince John (Jonathan Hyde).It is then up to Gwyn to save the day. She must complete Robin's mission to find and protect the young Prince Philip (Stephen Moyer), who has just returned from exile in France to claim the throne not an easy task since he has decided to forsake his true identity and is travelling anonymously under his valet's name (who died en route protecting his prince). Though she does fortuitously cross paths with the prince, she is not aware of his identity for much of the film. With a romantic spark budding between them, they must find the Merry Men and join forces to free her father from the tortures of the Tower of London before the evil Prince John ascends to the throne and brings England to ruin. After freeing her father, Gwyn along with her father and Prince Philip stop the coronation of Prince John.In the end when Philip is about to be crowned as king, Gwyn with a heavy heart tells him that she can only serve and work for him and they cannot be together. Robin later explains that he stayed out of Gwyn's life to protect her from the life he leads, but it didn't make any difference because she grew up to be just like him anyway. He then proposes a partnership between the two of them to serve Philip, with the only condition being that she take her orders from him (Robin) alone. She agrees, and at the end they are seen together leading Robin's Men, side by side.

Tags: good versus evil, cult, action, murder

Review:
It's also great that they depict Gwyn and even the aging Robin as people who have a lot of spunk.
I thought the actors were all good, but I especially liked Stuart Wilson, who played Robin Hood.
He reminds me of Errol Flynn, who I thought played that part best in THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, made by MGM in 1938.
The actors who played Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham were quite good, and I thought Kiera Knightley and the guy who played Prince Philip were excellent.
I'm glad the movie was made, because I always wondered what happened to Robin and Marian after King Richard's return.
I know that some of the actor's skills are a bit suspect, but some of them, like Keira Knightly, had began to show some of their true talent in this film.
Of all the made for TV Disney movies that came out recently, this is one of the best.
Keira Knightley is fine as the daughter of Robin Hood, and Malcolm McDowell is fine as the sheriff of Nottingham.
Like all the made for TV movies though, the film is somewhat too flat to make it a real movie, but Keira and crew do it justice.Check it out..
It is a weakly conceived, cheaply made film, and has none of the inherent pleasure of the original Robin Hood legends.
And many of the scenes are simply painful in memory (like the bad-guy speech right when he is prepared to kill an aging Robin, which gives the secondary hero an opportunity to regain his sword.
A real family action film - that is good, too!.
Kudos to ABC and Disney for making an MOW look like a real film.
I could watch Robin Hood's daughter and the middle-aged merry men every week.
The acting of Kiera Knightley was excellent, as was Stuart Wilson(Robin Hood) and Crispin Letts (Will Scarlett).
The script needed a bit of a touch up in places, but I don't think there is even one line of Robin's that I didn't like.
"You have egg in your beard..." he says to Prince John.The one thing that really bothered me in this movie was the sword fights.
They have no speed, no feeling, and I imagine that Bob Anderson would have had a fit with these.Apart from the sword fighting (and that annoying Pope near the end...), nothing really bothered me about this movie.
If you're looking for something to watch while holding the hand of your date, avoid this movie at all cost.
Laughable historically inaccuracies, poor script, laughable acting and hilarious story make this movie barely worth 2/10.
It's really good for a TV movie.
Laughable storyline, unconvincing plot, very poor production and the actors are not invested in the movie..
I only wanted to commend the reviewer kelley-8 who, in a review posted on 1 September 2001 - at the very least a full year before Keira Knightly made her breakthrough in Bend it Like Beckham, said "The actress who played Gwyn is beautiful and should have a long career." I was so impressed reading this.
A solid family friendly Disney Movie.
We rented this movie because my 5 year old daughter liked the DVD cover featuring a "girl with the arrow".
She had trouble following the storyline on her own - but I watched the movie with her and answered her questions.
With the combination of a female heroin and lots of action, she really enjoyed the movie.
Her 10 year old brother (who loves more advanced movies such as "Lord of the Rings") also enjoyed the movie.It's exactly what I expect from a Disney movie - interesting characters, lots of action and a simple plot line.
While not exactly a brilliant masterpiece, this movie is solid, steady entertainment.
Even though it's a "new" plot, they've kept a lot of familiar Robin Hood -themes in the film, including an archery contest and the same old villains - what would a Robin Hood -story be without Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham, after all?
Gwyn, on the other hand, won't have any of that nonsense, and is more than willing to prove that she's "just as good as a son".
The movie doesn't really explore medieval gender roles all that deeply, though - Gwyn dressing as a man is made slightly fun of, but there's no shock nor any disapproval of what might have even be considered sinful back then.
The clothes may be medieval, but the attitudes are rather modern, and in that sense this is a rather typical adventure film, that doesn't let historical accuracy get in the way of a good story.
Keira Knightley does a delightfully energetic performance as the tomboyish and almost recklessly fearless Gwyn, and adds a lot to the freshness of the film.
If you intend to watch this film because you're a fan of Keira Knightley, I doubt you'll be disappointed.
I didn't expect much from an unpublicised Disney "sequwl" type movie, but I'm glad i took a chance.
Having enjoyed Knightley's acting in several other films, and curious as to her performance in the lead, I settled down with the kids to watch it.What we found was charming, fast paced film full of the usual Disney comedy, twists and heroics.
Keira's boyish enthusiasm from Bend It Like Beckham is evident here too as she runs about with the Merry Men. The other most impressive roles were the villains, whose over the top yet convincing performances add to that Disney feel.i'd recommend any kids to watch it, or even an adult in need of a bit of fun..
Good family movie.
Good family movie.
The Princess of Thieves is a family movie and as such we enjoyed it for its lack of blood, less than fearsome fight sequences, and general lightness.
As the director says on the DVD, 'this is melodrama.' Since Robin Hood is a legendary character, it seems appropriate that any film about him not take itself too seriously.Anyone over the age of twelve will deem this film  banal and simplistic, but for young movie viewers, this film is perfect fit to their sensibilities.
Watch this film with three unjaded, young girls and see how charming this film can be.
Granted, 'The Princess of Thieves' is not as memorable as 'The Princess Bride', but the intended audiences are different.We could use more good, light family movies like The Princess of Thieves..
I enjoyed watching this movie.
It is well made with an interesting script and good acting performances.
Basic themes are: teenage coming of age, taking responsibility and the danger of the misuse of power.The thing that really grated was the scriptwriters wilful lack of knowledge of the powers of English kings.Watch it, it's amusing entertainment but of little enduring value..
Peter Hewitt (I) must never have seen a wood door or he must think that in good old England, the wood doors must be something like todays done-in-a-day houses in US.Now, don't get me wrong, I like the story and all.
Gwyn (Keira Knightley) grows up under the tyrannical rule of Prince John for his absent brother King Richard.
Robin and Will are captured while Gwyn runs into Philip pretending to be a servant.This should a lot simpler.
The production is pretty good considering this is a TV movie.
Keira Knightley is great at such a young age.
It's a cute little movie with Keira Knightley as the daughter of Robin Hood, who is kind of a deadbeat dad.
The basic plot is that Robin is captured by the Sheriff of Nottingham (anything-for-a-paycheck Malcolm McDowell), so his daughter must complete his mission of protecting Prince Philip (Stephen Moyer), the heir apparent to the throne of England.
It's a cheesy little movie but pleasant enough.
I wasn't expecting much, being Disney and all that, but I really loved this movie.
we watched this movie in school and it was actually good.
i didnt realize that Gwyn was played by Kierra Knightley who is in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean.
that made me go out and rent it again to refresh my memory about what a good movie it was.
Aside from the gross factual inaccuracies of this movie (ie king Richard having a son and that son replacing  John on the throne) this movie was a sweet love tale full of adventure.
I'm sure that this movie will appeal to the younger generation of girls and boys..
A nice family movie featuring a 15-year-old Keira Knightley..
(No spoilers in the first two paragraphs.) Princess of Thieves (2001) takes the Robin Hood story one step forward.
As the movie starts we see a very young Gwyn, Robin's daughter, waking in the morning and, as she goes about her routine, she turns into progressively older girls until we see the Gwen of this movie, Keira Knightly at 15.
It was a good way to show the transition in just a minute or so of screen time.
We find out that she has not seen Robin, her dad, in some time and eagerly awaited his arrival.What I liked about the development of the story is that young Gwen did not kick butt right away, after she decided to follow in her dad's footsteps.
Even though she was only 15, a point dwelled on in the DVD's making of special, she was quite an accomplished actress, and held her own against the likes of Malcolm McDowell who plays the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Stuart Wilson who was Robin Hood.SPOILERS in the remaining comments.
The story is one of the most predictable I've seen in a long time and the swordfights (if you can call them that) are beyond laughable, but nevertheless, both me and my SO spent an otherwise bored saturday night watching this made-for-tv drivel.
This movie is simply not as clever as "The Princess Bride" nor does it aspire to be, which works in some ways for its own made-for-tv charm.
My SO and I did get quite a few chuckles at several points in the movie, including the part where Froderick jumped in front of the Prince and saved his life (of course, the Sheriff happened to have only one arrow) and of course, the priceless "You got egg in your beard" line by Robin.
I think the accepted HappyEnding would be something along the lines of Gwyn and Prince William getting married and living happily ever after.
So instead of the accepted HappyEnding being what I wanted to see, instead I badly wished that SINCE Gwyn and Prince Charming couldn't marry, then over time, she "settled" for Froderick, who in my opinion was much more steady, sensible, handsome (except for the hairdo), and would make a much better husband.As it was, Disney settled for neither ending, leaving me rather frustrated - that is, only as frustrated as I get from watching a movie that didn't do a whole lot character-building-wise, or plot-wise for that matter.Overall, it's a movie that I can show to my kids and not be ashamed, for which I'm thankful - goodness knows there's few enough of those movies out there...
buuuut, as far as entertainment value and real, true, honest-to-goodness quality goes- yeah, look elsewhere..
I thought it was well acted and the plot was pretty good.
I won't watch it again, for myself it was just a one time thing.
If you invest your time in a movie then you should get the happy ending.
It was not one of her best works, but she still somehow made it seem very believable just like any other movie I have seen with her in it, but everybody else just made it look like a bunch of animal crap that people just step into by accident and get disgusted with it after you stepped into it :P.There was not enough dialogue between Gwyn and Prince Phillip for there to be any kind of relationship whatsoever, there was no spark between them!
I do not understand why Disney has to make the main girl character go with someone who is rich and handsome all because he is a prince.
It's like they just HAVE to put the girl with a prince when there is was not enough dialouge and not enough spark between them!
If anything, Gwyn should have been with Froderick because I could feel the spark between them more than with Gwyn and Prince Phillip because Froderick seemed to be more of the better man and more of Gwyn's type: brave, intelligent, and protective while, on the other hand, this was Prince Phillip's character: naive, cowardly, spoiled, and idiotic.Kierra Knightly's character had a slight development where in that one scene where her father and Will get captured, and Gwyn realizes how stupid it was to have followed her father, but she remained strong to get her father and Will back just so she could save the kingdom.
And both Prince John and Sheriff of Nottingham are not bad guys, in my opinion, they seem more like spoiled little princes just trying to get what they want when their mommies won't let them have what they want.Here's one question, though, before I am to close this review: Exactly how in the hell is Prince Phillip, a prince of France, the son of King Richard, a king of England?
Why don't you look back in the history book, so that you can actually make these things more historically accurate!If you want a good, historical accurate movie, don't watch this!
If you also want a very good and entertaining movie, don't watch this, not even for your kids!
** out of ****I'm still not sold on the talent or starpower of Keira Knightley, the teenage British actress who took audiences by storm in 2003 by appearing in three critically acclaimed films, Bend it Like Beckham, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Love, Actually (of the three, I only found Beckham truly enjoyable).
Princess of Thieves, apparently her first lead role (which she received probably because of her resemblance to Natalie Portman), is a decent outing as far as Disney television movies go (which are usually total crap), but it could have been one corker of a swashbuckler.The film tells the "what if" tale of Gwyn (Keira Knightley), the headstrong daughter of the Prince of Thieves himself, Robin Hood (Stuart Wilson).
But Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Malcolm McDowell) conjure a plan to murder Philip, thus leaving the kingdom to John's hands.Robin Hood is assigned to escort Philip to safety in England, a task Gwyn is eager to take upon herself, but is promptly refused by her father.
Princess of Thieves is a TV movie, meaning I should probably go a little easier on it when it comes to aspects involving production values and special effects.
Faraway shots of castles are obviously painted backgrounds and Prince John's army appears to consist of approximately two dozen individuals, not exactly a number that would set fear into the hearts of enemy soldiers.But when it comes to matters of acting and pure entertainment, the film is mostly on decent to solid foot, with the lead performers mostly impressive and the film moving at a fast and perfectly watchable pace.
It's a movie you could gladly show your kids, who will probably adore it, and you yourself could also watch along without too much fidgeting.
It's no surprise the best performances are delivered by seasoned thespians Malcolm McDowell and Stuart Wilson, but Keira Knightley is also competent as Gwyn, even if she remains an actress of very limited range.
Knightley looks well over twenty in this picture, even though her actual age was probably closer to fifteen (wonder if she'll always look six years older than her real age) and I can't even begin to fathom how she could possibly pass for a boy when her looks are so feminine.It's unfortunate Knightley has no discernible romantic chemistry with lead Stephen Moyer, who's kinda bland at first, but is also occasionally charming as the handsome Prince Philip.
Would you be surprised if I told you the movie includes a pointless subplot that's mired in teen movie cliché, with Gwyn's goofy-looking best friend sporting a crush on her even though her affections are for the prince.
To put it simply, they should have just excised this "love triangle" portion of the story entirely.As a swashbuckling adventure, Princess of Thieves is mostly a failure, with terribly choreographed battle scenes that are miniscule in scale.
And because the movie is aimed at kids, the running time is well under ninety minutes, resulting in a rushed feeling throughout the film, particularly in the second half, with the Sheriff inexplicably in the rebels' hands in the blink of an eye (all this happening off screen) or the sudden appearance of the rebel army outside the enemy castle gates.
I especially liked the archery tournament, even if its outcome was blatantly predictable.But it's hard to ignore what a movie this could have been.
Princess of Thieves is adequately disposable entertainment, but for a truly fun, funny, and romantic tale of a dashing prince falling for a beautiful commoner, see the far superior Ever After instead..
If you are planning for a Saturday morning movie to watch in bed while eating breakfast, then this is your movie.The plot was simple and interesting, Keira Knightley was cute and convincing and the location were they shot was beautiful.
There were some really old and amazing ruins from some medieval cities and then the forest and the Black Sea.The sword fighting in the movie was a mess, not convincing, not real at all, those men had no idea how to hold a sword, neither did Keira.
SPOILER I really injoyed and loved this movie I cant wait to get it in dvd.
I really like that they gave Robin a daughter but I dont know why that they had to make his wife die.