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People turned the 30th anniversary of `Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves` into a viral Alan Rickman lovefest

With the cool, gothic darkness of Christopher Nolan’s Batman series and the cinematic dominance of the entire Marvel franchise, it’s easy to forget that hero films used to be delightfully campy at best and completely hokey at worst. We didn’t expect complex protagonists or multi-faceted villains. We weren’t looking for deep backstories or in-depth character arcs. Moviegoers were largely content to be entertained while the good guys narrowly defeated the bad guys, especially in stories that were already familiar.

That’s probably why audiences in 1991 found “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” with its star-studded cast and beautiful scenery a reasonably fun, if a little strained, bit of entertainment. Moviegoers especially loved Alan Rickman’s performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham, as Twitter users made clear in response an op-ed that referred to the film as “joyless” on its 30th anniversary.

The op-ed claimed that “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” was “a joyless hit that should stay in the 90s.” While few would argue that the film is a masterpiece, many people feel that Rickman’s performance alone made it worth watching.

Rickman, who was best known for his villain roles, gave a hilariously over the top touch to the Sheriff of Nottingham role, with some memorable one-liners and perfectly Rickman-esque facial expressions.

Alan Rickman didn’t start acting in movies until he was nearly 50 years old, but his two-decade career was beloved by millions. From action films like “Die Hard” to classics like Jane Austin’s “Sense and Sensibility” to children’s fantasy movies like the “Harry Potter” series, Rickman nailed each and every one of his characters.

Heck, he even managed to play a villain of sorts in the romantic comedy “Love Actually,” giving that office tart a necklace for Christmas and making Emma Thompson cry.

And when he passed away at age 69, the theatrical world wept.

So while “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” may not make it into any Best Hero Movies of All Time lists, Rickman’s role in it makes it highly watchable at the very least.

For some, his role may be the only part of the film that’s worth watching. And there may be a good reason for that beyond just his acting.

Rickman revealed at a BAFTA event honoring his career that he had rewritten parts of what he called the “terrible” script of the film with the help of a couple of friends, Ruby Wax and Peter Barnes. Some of his lines were reportedly ad-libbed on set as well.

Basically, he saved the whole movie.

Rickman died in 2016 from pancreatic cancer, a diagnosis he had hidden from the public. Only his closest friends and family knew about it prior to his passing.

Rickman won a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. In accepting the award, Rickman said, “This will be a healthy reminder to me that subtlety isn’t everything!”

Enjoy this montage of his Sheriff of Nottingham scenes to see what he meant:


The best of Alan Rickman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

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