Princess of Thieves (2001) Reviewed

Princess of Thieves (2001), a made-for-television movie produced by Granada Entertainment (and distributed in some parts of the world by Disney), asks the multi-part question: What if Robin Hood and Marian had a daughter, Marian died, Robin was an absent father for years, and his daughter grew up to follow in his footsteps as a great archer who robs from the rich, gives to the poor, and has an unfaltering sense of justice? It goes on to answer this and other unasked questions, such as: Will she ever forgive her father for his absence, will she fall in love, and will she join her father in further adventures?

Gwyn (Keira Knightley) is the aforementioned daughter, who is riled to reckless bravery early and often. Luckily, her backstory of intensive training and inborn talent is established in a throwaway line. Despite the flimsiness of the writing (which strives for novelty, but wallows in predictability), Knightley's conviction shines and is the only interesting element in the movie. Malcolm McDowell's Sheriff of Nottingham and Jonathan Hyde's Prince John are unsurprisingly unsubtle in their incompetent villainy. Stephen Moyer's Prince Phillip and Adam Ryan's Conrad (Phillip's valet) are moderately dashing. Stuart Wilson's Robin and Crispin Letts's Will Scarlett are probably reasonably accurate as weary folk heroes long past their prime. The scenes of combat seem to have been coordinated as an afterthought, the feats of archery lack suspense, and the political intrigue is laughable. Nearly everything except the shooting location (Romania) seems to be a shortcut, as if it were multiple episodes of a television show inexpertly edited down to a movie.

Princess of Thieves largely fails as a swashbuckling movie, but Knightley saves it (just barely) from the oblivion of utter mediocrity.

Writing: Poor
Directing: Mediocre
Acting: Mediocre
Cinematography: Mediocre
Stunts: Mediocre
Fight Choreography: Mediocre
Panache: Good

Overall Rating: Mediocre
Swashbuckling Rank: Mediocre/Fair

Written by: Robin Lerner
Directed by: Peter Hewitt
Performed by: Keira Knightley, Malcolm McDowell, Jonathan Hyde, Del Synnott, Stephen Moyer, Adam Ryan, Stuart Wilson, Crispin Letts, et al.