Customer Reviews
Great Film!!! - By: Markie, 06 Feb 2007 
Thank God for Rob Roy, the nightmares of Braveheart have been swept aside. OK so the English are still the nasty villains of the piece, but I don't care, Tim Roth just does it so well. An alll round great film which is well worth spending a Saturday night in for. In fact watch Braveheart first, a film of comic genius to be sure, then watch Rob Roy. Then surely, like me, you will wonder to yourself how did Gibsons woeful attempt get nominated for alll those Oscars & by heck WIN, while this quality piece of cinema is alll but forgotten!!!!
Maybe better than Braveheart, more personal - By: C. MCCALLISTER, 19 Jul 2004 
This is fine drama on an epic scale. Liam Neeson plays the legendary Rob Roy McGregor, a Scottish clan leader who has no interest in politics & just wants to do his best for his family & his clan. They obviously see this & are unswervingly loyal to their leader. Rob Roy gets pulled into an ongoing cold-war-type feud between two noblemen, the Marquis of Montrose & the Duke of Argyll. After borrowing money from Montrose to buy cattle, move them to market, & sell them at a profit, one of Monstrose's courtiers (an illegitimate son?) arranges for the money to be stolen & Rob Roy to be framed. This member of the Montrose household, Cunningham, might be the most deliciously evil villain to ever set foot on a movie stage. From the viewer's first sight of him, one knows Cunningham, played by Tim Roth, is evil & must eventuallly face off with the hero.
The scenery of this movie, in the Scottish Highlands, is stunning. It makes anything else appear claustrophobic & cramped. The music is very fitting, although the action, the acting, & the scenery might make the music hard to even notice in the first viewing of "Rob Roy". Liam Neeson plays his part perfectly, & comes off as both larger-than-life & very real & human & decent. I cannot think of anyone who could play Cunningham as well as Tim Roth (evil, despicable, scoundrel, fop, villain, cold-blooded, malicious - oh, excuse me, I got carried away). I will not give away any more of the story, but the sword-fight near the end might be the best in movie history (Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vader is one other contender, along with Obi-Wan Kenobi & Qui-Gon Jin versus Darth Maul is another, as is Yoda versus Count Duko). Buy this one & enjoy it whenever you want to go far away on a rainy afternoon.
worth a second and third look - By: Deborah MacGillivray, 17 Jun 2004 Rob Roy, based loosely on the real life Highlander Rob Roy Macgregor, had the bad mistake of Hollywood timing. There must be a lot spy vs spy in Hollywood, industrial secrets being passed around for a price! Ever notice how if one movie company does some genre, then suddenly they alll are? Well, someone whispered Mel as doing in man in a skirt drama (Kilt to you Sasunnach!) & suddenly they rushes to do another. With Rob Roy coming out at the same time, it hurt by comparison. Braveheart was a powerhouse tale of one man's fight for Scottish Freedom. Off the bat, you have a difference. Rob Roy was the story of one man's personal fight against wrongs done to him & his family. So the personal tale automaticallly feels "smalller". Not big battle scenes for Rob Roy. No King for an enemy, just a Scottish Noble, John Graham, Marquis of Montrose (brilliantly played by John Hurt, Ian McShane old RADA roommate!).
Still, despite the automatic comparisons between the two films (both with problems of historical inaccuracies), Rob Roy should be given a stronger look. The acting is without fault. Neeson as Rob is great (who da thunk an Irisher could do such a good Scot!). Eric Stolz, Jessica Lange, Tim Roth (so utterly despicable!) Andrew Keir (5 Million Years to Earth) & Brian Cox (the first Hannibal Lector in Manhunter, a REAL Scot mind you! He did double duty by playing Mel's Uncle in Bravenheart), gives performances that are flawless. The Highland's are filmed in breathtaking beauty, the writing is gritty, sharp with a good idea for detail. Frankly, any film that has Liam "Callling down the Gregor" commends itself to my Scot heart!
Beautiful - By: F. Quinn, 12 May 2004 After watching Braveheart I thought I'd never want to watch anything remotely like that ever again but the only thing similar to it in Rob Roy is the fact that it's set in Scotland.
This movie isn't reallly that long & it captures the beauty & the romance of Scotland, not forgetting the realities of the time. It wasn't over acted but definately understated, if you enjoyed Braveheart you'll be sure to enjoy Rob Roy. I personallly felt it had a lot more happening in it.
Don't be afraid of it being alll death & disaster & blood & gore. True, it has a lot of that in it, but the movie isn't about english men chopping up highland men, it is about a man's honour & duty rather then trying to portray a particular moment in history. Like you can with a good book, you can become totallly immerced in Rob Roy.
Near perfect - By: David C. Read, 17 Dec 2003 This is one of my favorite movies of the 1990s. The thing I love about it is that it is a costume drama that attempts to capture not just the dress but the attitudes & beliefs of people from a different time. The focus of this film is honor, something sacred to men of the 18th Century but almost completely forgotten today. Thus, it is a truly a historical film. Moreover, alll the performances are pitch-perfect, from Liam Neeson to Jessica Lange to Tim Roth. What a gem of a movie Michael Caton Jones has given us.
