| Mistakes |
| Anachronisms The sheriff refers to the Celts as "hired thugs." The term 'thug' refers to the Thugee, members of the cult of Kali in India. This word did not come into the English language until after the colonisation of India, and thus is used several hundred years too early. Freeman uses a telescope, which wasn't invented until 1608. During the religious service we see noblemen and women sitting on benches - benches were not introduced in churches until the 19th century. The portrayal of the Celts is not particularly accurate. The Celts were not even that wild or barbarous when Caesar first encountered them in 55 BC. During the Roman occupation many Celts became Romanised and "civilised." By the 12th century most Celts lived in the North, the West (Wales), or the Southwest (Cornwall), but other than their language, they were basically the same as anyone else in the country. They weren't wild men living in the forest wearing animal skins. They look more like Picts than Celts, although there were no Picts like that by that time either, and the Picts were definitely not Celtic. 12th Century man Morgan Freeman uses gunpowder 171 years before Marco Polo brought any back from China. In the end, at the hanging when the sheriff finds out that Will is in league with Robin, he says that he found the "turncoat", a phrase that originated in the Revolutionary War - clearly after that time-period. When Robin Hood and Azeem escape from the dungeon they appear to emerge through a manhole cover in the dirt street. Azeem is seen using a broad-bladed scimitar, while Moors in the 12th century used broadswords. Scimitars were not used until the 15th century. You can hear rubber-soled shoes squeaking while Robin Hood and Marian are walking through the church, where they meet again after being separated. Continuity When Robin and Little John fight in the river Robin's hair changes from being dry to wet to dry again despite falling in the river several times. This one takes place in the main battle scene in the forest. Robin holds a rope, swings around, knocks a man off his horse, and lands on the thatched roof. The next shot shows him shooting an arrow, but this time (and this time only) he's holding the bow left-handed, not right-handed. When Robin reaches the cliffs of Dover after escaping from prison, he jumps out of the boat and starts kissing the ground. He then reaches out with his left hand for help up, but when the camera switches, he's being lifted by his right. When Robin and Azeem are about to be launched in the catapult, look at Azeem's sword. When he first gets in, the blade is facing down. It then cuts to Will, then back to Azeem, whose sword is now facing blade up. Then they are launched and Azeem lands with the sword blade down again. At the start when Morgan Freeman is tied up in the prison, at one point when he asks the Christian to free him, his hands are tied at the wrists, then apart tied to the wall, and then back to his wrist all in three quick takes. After stealing the treasure along with Tuck Robin and Crew open the chest soaking wet. A deleted scene in England - 'throwing the carriage into the lake' - made that bit of the film make no sense. While Morgan Freeman is off praying, Robin fights the men attempting to capture the young poacher. As Robin defeats the men, careful viewers will notice Freeman climb down the rock wall, climb back up, and once more, climb down to join Robin. As Robin begins to distract Mary from aiming the arrow you will notice that at the wide angle shot she picks up a brown fletched arrow. As the shot tightens it is a white fletched arrow. When Robin reaches his homeland, after he kisses the ground, he rolls over in the water. His coat is covering him, then in the next scene, it isn't, then it is, then it isn't. When Robin is challenged by John Little after attempting to cross the river watch Johns staff. The scene cuts between shots from in front of and behind John. All shots from in front of him show him leaning closely on the staff, all shots from behind show him holding it to side and not leaning on it. In the scene where Will Scarlet goes back to Sherwood after being captured by Nottingham, Little John attacks him calling him a traitor. In one shot the cuts on Will's chest are going one direction in the next shot, they are going another. If Sherwood forest is supposed to be haunted, how come there's loads of travellers for Robin to steal from? In the film, the Sheriff even says that it's "The only route to London". So why were all the soldiers scared witless of it only a few moments before? During the 'freedom' speech given by Robin on the fallen tree you can see that one of the Old Peasants' weapon changes between cuts. First he holds nothing, then in the close up he holds a bow, then nothing again, then he leans on a staff and finally nothing again. |