ctomvelu1

(2012-04-30 15:52:29)

Swords and sheep, lots of sheep

Heavily romanticized account of a real life 18th century outlaw, Robert"Rob Roy" MacGregor (Neeson), here portrayed as a Scottish Robin Hood.MacGregor borrows money from his landowner (Hurt), only to have itstolen by the landowner's right hand man and a most dastardly villain(Roth). To add to injury to insult, the villain rapes Ferguson's wife(Lange) and torches his farm. Soon, Rob Roy is on the run and plottingrevenge. Long and talky, nevertheless this epic boasts lush photographyand locations, and the sets and costumes feel authentic enough. Brian"Hannibal Lecter" Cox has a meaty role as an uneasy bad guy. BesidesRobin Hood, the title character is highly reminiscent of movieantiheroes like Jesse James and Billy the Kid. At the time, Neeson maynot have seemed like the best choice to portray an action hero, but hedoes just fine. And what an action hero he has become in recent years!Who da thunk it?

lsager

(2012-04-29 18:20:56)

Great story & acting combine to produce a fantastic movie

The movies I've always liked the best have three things going for them.They always have a great story. They have great, realistic characters. Andthey take me to places that I could only imagine. It really doesn't matterwhat type of movie it is... SciFi, Adventure, Drama, or Romance."Rob Roy" combines of all of these elements into a movie that I wouldconsider one of the best historical dramas of recent memory. Liam Neeson &Jessica Lange give great, believable performances while Tim Roth isabsolutely fantastic as the evil Archibald Cunningham.Treat yourself to an adult adventure movie. You won't bedisappointed.

Dan Phillips

(2012-04-28 09:44:00)

Well-acted, well-paced, good theme - if only it were a family movie!

I enjoyed Rob Roy far more than I had anticipated. It's a stirring moviewith, for a switch, an uplifting theme and "message." My only demurral isthat I wish the (for lack of a better word) adult elements had been toneddown enough for the whole family to see the movie. It wouldn't have takenthat much, given the "adult" elements that are present but skillfullybackstaged in classics such as Gone with the Wind and Quiet Man. But whenthey're older, I mean to recommend it to my kids.

(2012-04-27 13:34:52)

A good movie with not enough action...

This movie was very well made and that is why I give it the four stars. However, comma, I expected more action and more violence. Guessed wrong. The movie doesn't really get interesting until the second half. Though the entire flick is good, it gets better from the middle on. From Liam Neesons awesome escape from Tim Roth, who plays a cool villian, to the great sword duo at the end against the two. Want a good movie? Get this. Want lots of violence with a good movie? Get Braveheart.

VCRanger

(2012-04-26 21:10:42)

A masterful epic of a movie!

Easliy one of the best period movies ever made, let alone of the 90's. Itdid not receive much attention due to the timely release of another greatperiod piece, Braveheart,. I perfer this much better because it has alittleless blood and gore, and tells a much better love story between the twoleadroles. Perfect in all aspects of the movie and the scenery is absolutelygorgeous, the end sword fight is one of the best ever. It just so happensthat Mr. Neeson was also in a saber duel of a different kind in Star Wars:TPM. A rating of 10 out of 10 was given.

moviesleuth2

(2012-04-26 10:56:39)

Blah

"Rob Roy" is a historical adventure in the spirit of "Braveheart" witha little bit of "Lord of the Rings" thrown into the mix. It wants to beexciting and epic, but try as it might, it's rather forgettable.Robert Roy MacGregor (Liam Neeson) needs money, so he goes to theMarquis of Montrose (John Hurt) to offer him a business propositionthat will make them both a lot of money. Things don't go as planned,and a man named Cunningham (Tim Roth) steals the money and blames it onMacGregor. So MacGregor must fight to save his clan and defend hishonor.That's the story in a nutshell. It's really more complex than that, buttruthfully it's not worth going into.By all accounts this should be a good movie. The performances aresolid, being both standard adventure characters and complex individualsat the same time. The film looks great. So why isn't this a great film?The truth is that apart from a few instances, I could really care lessabout anything that happened. The most important thing a movie has todo is draw the audience into the story, and for me, "Rob Roy" fails todo that.There are two characters that illicited a response from me. Mostimportantly is Cunningham, played by Tim Roth. He's as vile as theycome. He could care less about anyone, and no act of villainy is beyondhis capability. The second Alasdair MacGregor, Rob Roy's brother, ifonly because he's rather likable.There are two things I must address. One is why they chose "Rob Roy" asthe title. Liam Neeson's character is never referred to or addressed bythis name. Maybe it's the name of the legend, but my bet is that mostpeople, such as myself, would have no idea who the man was except forthe movie.The second is that the film contains the best sword-fight in filmhistory. Please. It may be realistic because people act in a normalway, but like the rest of the movie, it's rather lifeless.If you're looking for a good historical epic, stick with "Braveheart."There's a reason why Mel Gibson's film is widely regarded as a classicand most people don't know this one.

(2012-04-25 14:08:26)

Awesome portrayal of a Scottish hero.

Neeson does an excellent job in this beautifully filmed movie. Good cast, great acting. Lange at her best. Walked away feeling good after this one.

Jason McDonald

(2012-04-25 02:04:14)

A great movie

After walking out of the theater and thinking back on the movie "Rob Roy", Isaid to myself, "I'm glad to be Scottish." Liam Neeson portrayed Rob Roybeautifully and Tim Roth was excellent in his role of Archibald Cunningham.He was truly evil and he brought that character to life freakishly. And theclimax was awesome!! If you haven't seen Rob Roy, I suggest you go out andrent it. You won't be disappointed.

Stu-42

(2012-04-20 22:52:23)

Downgrade from decent to not that great

I'm confused as to why I seem to be in the minority here on this one.OK, the movie had its moments where it felt like a pretty good actionpic, but there were two glaring problems. First the editing left a lotto be desired or in this case left too much of the undesirable. Theother thing bothers me more because no one pointed it out in any of thenegative reviews here: unbelievable gore. No, there wasn't much of it,but what was there was just horrendous. I would say the scene with themost blood was actually the most disgusting thing I've seen in about 10years. If you don't mind gore but find disgusting sexual situations aremore offensive, then you'll be unhappy to find an almost equallyrepugnant action here. Amazingly, the film doesn't seem to notice howgross it is and the music swells as if in any other triumphant scene inother much better movies. What the heck were they thinking? They ruineda perfectly average entertainment and created something I'd ratherforget. I would strongly recommend Braveheart instead or even KingArthur.

(2012-04-20 13:42:53)

A good movie ' but it's just a story, not history

Rob Roy McGregor actually lived, an eighteenth-century Scottish clan chief who followed the traditional life of such men - leading his people, raising cattle, rustling other clans' cattle, engaging in feuds, killing his enemies, and so on. Historical novelisation has romanticised him and his activities, and this film continues the process.It's a good movie: strong and noble-spirited leads, goodies struggling against the odds and the system, evil baddies, fights, sex, a climactic duel, and ultimate victory for the goodies, all against gorgeous Scottish scenery, what more could one want? But it's not a history lesson. And this is where so many reviewers have gone wrong. The film's makers missed the chance to show the background political context that makes sense of so much of what went on at the time.And as a Scotsman I would add that while Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange turned in good performances, their 'Scottish' accents were only slightly less cringe-making than that of Engineer Scott from 'Star Trek'.

Andrew DiMonte

(2012-04-18 07:25:13)

Tim Roth does well, but that's about it...

..."Rob Roy" stars the over-dramatic Liam Neeson as Robert Roy McGregor, aninnocent Scot who gets mixed up with the Marquis of Montrose (John Hurt) andhis evil henchmen Archibald Cunningham (Tim Roth) and Killearn (Brian Cox). Chaos ensues and McGregor develops a personal vendetta against Cunningham. This leads to various battles, rapes, and drawn-out conversations abouthonor.I guess I'm being too hard, maybe I expected too much, this being one of myfavorite actors' Oscar-nominated performances. Speaking of which, Roth doesquite well at making you both hate and feel sorry for him, like similarvillains (most similar being Jaquin Phoenix from Gladiator). Still, Rothdid a lot better in Reservoir Dogs, making me wish he received a morefitting award for the role of Mr. Orange.And what's with all these reviews shouting about how its such a great actionmovie? Did I fall asleep during a portion of the film, because the onlyaction I remember was the climactic battle between McGregor and Cunningham. I'm not saying it was a bad swordfight - it was actually quite well done -but "Rob Roy" is hardly an action movie.Luckily Roth and Brian Cox's performances and the astounding choreographysave it, 7/10.

(2012-04-17 18:53:14)

Great movie

This review is from: Rob Roy [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) Still one of the great moral tales of all time. Tim Roth is the all-time best bad guy in movies.

(2012-04-14 02:44:48)

Scotland's Robin Hood in rustic, lyrical tones.

Popular heroes make for great movies - this adage has held true since the days of Douglas Fairbanks's "Mark of Zorro" (1920) and "Robin Hood" (1922), and Errol Flynn's representation of the legendary Robin of Locksley 16 years later ("The Adventures of Robin Hood," 1938), and it has been reinforced again and again throughout the years. And whenever we go to see yet another screen version of the life of such a hero, regardless whether based on historic fact or popular lore, we carry certain almost instinctive expectations: the hero is to be honorable and his true love virtuous, there is to be a truly evil villain, and an abundance of sword play and other action. "Rob Roy" delivers on all of these counts; yet, it manages to be much more than a colorful costume piece with a storyline in black and white, and it differs considerably from the type of movie coined ever since the adventures of history's great heroes were first brought to the silver screen.To begin with, Liam Neeson, in the title role, is not the slim, agile hero with lightning-quick, supple movements we have come to expect after having seen leading men such as Fairbanks, Flynn, Robert Taylor ("Ivanhoe," 1952) - and, for that matter, Richard Todd, who portrayed Robert Roy McGregor in the 1953 movie version of this story, after having played the lead in Disney's version of "Robin Hood" a year earlier. No: here, the part of the dazzling and deadly fencing champion goes to Tim Roth, who has the calculating, conceited, blonde-wigged henchman Archibald Cunningham down to absolute perfection - you just love to hate him; yet, he never becomes the embodiment of an ueber villain, and it is his utter fallibility as a human being which makes him all the more evil and despicable. The face-offs between Roth and Neeson (particularly their final duel) almost have something of an inverse David vs. Goliath feeling; making Neeson's much taller McGregor look occasionally more than just a bit disadvantaged vis-a-vis the cat-like Cunningham. Here is a hero whose greatest asset, in fencing as in other encounters with an enemy, is not his speed but his intelligence, his strength, and most of all, his undying tenacity.Similarly, the love story between McGregor and wife Mary (Jessica Lange) is not one between two young lovers: the movie finds the couple well-settled into their marriage with several young sons. Yet, they are deeply in love, a feeling which is only reinforced by the trials and tribulations they have to overcome. The portrayal of proud Mary McGregor, unbending even in utter disgrace, is one of Jessica Lange's strongest performances careerwide, a match to Neeson's McGregor in acting skill as much as in tone, emotion and courage. And filming on location in Scotland brought an authenticity to the movie which even the best cinematography - and "Rob Roy" had excellent cinematographers in Karl Walter Lindenlaub and Roger Deakins - and costume design (Sandy Powell) alone could not have achieved. Musically, the Scottish highlands' rugged, windswept mountains and cliffs, deep lochs, and endless grey skies are matched perfectly by Carter Burwell's score and Karen Matheson's mournful ceilidhs. Strong supporting performances by John Hurt (Montrose), Andrew Keir (Argyll), Brian Cox (Killearn) and Eric Stoltz (MacDonald) round out an altogether remarkable production.The movie takes poetic license with a number of key details; for example, the disappearance of the 1000 pounds lent to McGregor by the Marquis of Montrose (in essence, a historic fact; McGregor and the Marquis had dealt with each other in this way several times before) was probably due to the fact that McGregor's agent really did abscond with the money; not due to Killearn's and Cunningham's scheming. But the major elements of McGregor's personal story, as well as the story's historical framework are represented truthfully, taking us back into a Scotland caught between English rule, Jacobites (Scottish loyalists supporting the Stewarts' claim to the throne, like the McGregors and the Duke of Argyll) and rivaling feudal lords. And Liam Neeson, director Michael Caton-Jones and script writer Alan Sharp do an excellent job in portraying the implications of Robert McGregor's personal sense of honor, which not only required him to keep his word once it was given, be it as part of a contract or otherwise, but also forbade him to bear false witness, even at great peril to himself and his family. Because the loss of the money borrowed from Montrose meant much more to the McGregors than a business deal gone bad: as Robert had given his land as security for the money, in 18th century feudal Scotland the loss of the land not only entailed the loss of the family's economic but also that of their tenuous personal freedom, forcing them right back into the outlaw life which their clan had known only too well throughout centuries of rivalry with a powerful clan aligned with the English kings.1995 was not only the year when Hollywood discovered Scotland's popular heroes - this movie and "Braveheart" were released in the same year, much to "Rob Roy"'s undeserved disadvantage - it was a year of extremely strong movies overall. Between the in-your-face (or rather, in-your-gut) portrayal of Scotland's 13th century hero William Wallace on the one hand and such stunners as "The Usual Suspects," "Dead Man Walking," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Sense and Sensibility" and "Casino" on the other hand, and despite all critical acclaim, "Rob Roy" was not even nominated in most Oscar categories and other awards. Yet, this rustic, lyrical version of the story of Scotland's Robin Hood (like the outlaw of Sherwood Forest, McGregor hit Montrose where he knew he would hurt him most, by going after his money) has found an undying fan base over the course of the years. I hope it will continue to grow even stronger as the years go by.Also recommended:Rob Roy (Oxford World's Classics)Michael CollinsBraveheart (Special Collector's Edition)Loch Lomond and the Trossachs in History and Legend

(2012-04-13 18:57:06)

The heart of the Trossachs

This review is from: Rob Roy (DVD) Scotland is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and Rob Roy takes full advantage of this. The scenery is appropriately breathtaking and epic, with the camera making huge sweeps of the landscape. A romantic setting for a very romantic figure.The truth of Rob Roy, like that of any folk hero, is a matter of speculation and debate. Those looking for an adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's book (also fictional) will be disappointed. Scott's book takes place long after the events described in this film with Mary and Rob at the head of an outlaw band. It also stands apart from Braveheart, which takes place about four hundred years earlier, and is an entirely different period of Scottish history.That being said, Rob Roy is a lovely film with a quiet feel and a personal story. Liam Neeson is perfectly cast as the large, honorable highlander. Tim Roth is every bit his opposite, small and dangerously deceitful. Jessica Lange, Rob's wife Mary, is stoic and strong. All the supporting players give excellent performances, both English and Scottish. The Scottish music is lovely, and the Gaelic song sung at the gathering is captivating. The duel at the end is one of the best I have seen.

David R. Cross

(2012-04-13 09:28:21)

Better than Braveheart?

When Braveheart first came out, I was enthralled, and was admittedlyone of the most rabid fans of the film. When Rob Roy came out, I wasintrigued, and although I enjoyed the film I did not think it was agreat film. However, as time has gone by, my appreciation for Rob Royhas grown, and my enthusiasm for Braveheart has diminished. Braveheartis great entertainment, to be sure, but there are flaws as well. Themost significant, in my view, is the unflattering portrayal of Robertthe Bruce, who was without a doubt Scotland's greatest king. Another isthe historical inaccuracy of the film, which tarnishes the film inproportion to the many historical distortions. I think I am alsobothered by the fact that it was in this film, seen only (at least byme) in retrospect, that the beginnings of Mel Gibson's egomania can beseen clearly for the first time. In contrast, Rob Roy has grown on meover the years. Partly because it largely avoids the faults I mind mostin Braveheart. But also because Rob Roy is like fine wine, growing moremature and complex with each viewing.

(2012-04-12 18:12:42)

A Highland Legend brilliantly portrayed!

Here we have one of those films that is as enjoyable in the tenth or so viewing as the first! The landscape of Scotland is generously displayed throughout. Liam Neeson plays the part of Rob Roy MacGregor, the legendary outlaw of the Highlands, as only he can. I doubt there was anyone else who could have played the part so naturally. In this story, Rob Roy finds himself forced to fight a guerrilla war against Marquis Montrose, a string of events resulting from the criminal acts of the Marquis' vile employee, Archibald Cunningham. Cunningham robbed the clan of a monetary loan, murdered Rob's best friend, and raped Rob's wife. However, Rob Roy, a true Highlander and man of honor, settles this issue by the sword, putting an end to Cunningham! The duel is one high point of the film, another memorable scene is a meeting between rival aristocrats Marquis Argyle and Marquis Montrose, in which Cunningham is introduced. I won't give away the dialogue!

Chewbacca_42

(2012-04-05 04:10:09)

Sword Fighting is Hard

Overshadowed by "Braveheart" released the same year, the two costumedramas beg comparison. I admit my bias against Mel Gibson, yet Imaintain a rational preference for "Rob Roy." Both "Braveheart" and"Rob Roy" compellingly depict Scots history in bloody, romanticfashion. "Braveheart" is an epic paean to individual honor and courageand a fine revenge fantasy. It's also melodramatic, anachronistic andmaudlin. Note its cornball usage of slow motion filming. Its violenceis both ugly and glorious. It is the latter quality which makes it moreappealing to the adolescent mindset. While "Braveheart" surpasses "RobRoy" in sheer levels of carnage (not to mention its indulgent runningtime), the latter film is ultimately more mature and satisfying. Itsaction is more understated, yet more surprising and clever. Its sex isless showy, yet more erotic. "Rob Roy" also has a better realizedromantic interest. Its dialog attempts to approximate the poetry of theperiod. Its rotted teeth in the mouths of the actors attempt toapproximate the dentistry of the era. And Tim Roth is a superlativevillain. Also recommended: "The Last of the Mohicans" and "ThePatriot." You may find the latter more akin to "Braveheart" with itsemphasis on blood lust, with the former more similar to "Rob Roy" intone. All the of the aforementioned movies merit their R ratings forviolence.

(2012-04-04 16:11:43)

Rob Roy movie

This review is from: Rob Roy (DVD) The movie has much action and is a great adventure. Although I had ordered a used version, I now wish I had ordered a new movie. My movie had some white lines in it, and the voice at times seemed muffled. The picture at times also had wavy lines through the entire screen. But the movie was great anyways.

(2012-04-04 03:22:55)

the DVD is very grainy

I like the movie allot, but this has to be the grainiest DVD I have ever seen. This movie deserved a better DVD transfer.

nixholl

(2012-04-03 10:43:51)

Appreciated but not liked

Overall my opinion of Rob Roy as a film thinking of all aspects of itis poor. I found it very slow to start and in some ways overlygratuitous, the story primarily is a very good one but due to aspectsof the film it turned into a bore. The main thing that I noticed withinthe first 5 minutes that carried all the way through was the endlessamount of sexual connotations and needless sexual "violence" whichafter a while became frustrating. The violation of Mary scene however Iwill admit was played well and the desired affect was achieved as I didfeel really disgusted for Mary and for me it was when the film began tobecome interesting. As previously said the start was very slow and forthe first 30 to 40 minutes the only thing that stopped me from turningit off is the principal I have that I cannot pass judgement on a filmunless I have seen all of it, but i persevered and watched it in itsentirety. OK, enough with the moan. There were a few things that reallywere good in the film and as well as criticize the bad i must praisethe good. Firstly Tim Roth was absolutely outstanding in his role asthe evil Englishman who robs, rapes and beats to get his way. Hisacting really left me with a hatred towards his character that I havenever felt with a movie villain and it really was deserving of praise.Secondly the duel at the end between the hero and the villain wasamazing. I felt 99% sure that Rob Roy would win but the film was playedthat it may be the other way, and with this in mind i felt the need toscream at the TV when the duel was won. Overall as said I do appreciatethe film but did not enjoy it as a film to watch and couldn't reallywatch it on a regular basis.