Princess of Thieves (2001)

So, apparently in 2001 Disney made a TV movie called "Princess of Thieves" about the daughter of Robin Hood and Maid Marian. That, in itself, is not all that exciting. What is exciting, though, is that this movie was directed by Peter Hewitt (who also did some of my personal favorites: "Tom and Huck" and "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey") and starring...Keira Knightly and Malcolm McDowell. Yeah. That Keira Knightly and Malcolm McDowell. I know. It's crazy. And, it's not that bad.
Keep in mind that this is a Disney movie made for kids. Actually, this movie was probably one of those that they didn't even really bother to market to boys. Why? Because Keira Knightly (who is fabulous) spends most of the movie dressed as a guy (in great clothes, by the way) shooting arrows and proving that she's just as competent as any boy. I can't say it really broke down any barriers or changed my world, but I could see some girls liking it quite a bit, and hopefully a few boys as well. I mean, if it had come out around the time that I thought that the Three Muskateers was great I would have probably been a big fan. (Oh man, can you imagine Tim Curry, who is the villain in the Three Muskateers, being co-villains with Malcolm McDowell? That would blow my mind...) It's nice to see a girl kicking some historical ass (instead of just modern-day ass) for a change. True, she ends up back in a dress at the end, but you know that she could still bust out shoot you from like 1000 feet away if she wanted to.
Given the fact that I learned of this movie's existence from seeing it in the $5 bin at the video store, I suspect it didn't do all that well. But, since Ms. Knightly made "Bend it Like Beckham" the next year, and is now big and famous and really really great, I suspect that someone must have seen it and liked it. And, I must say, she's very convincing. I would have totally taken her along on a mission to rescue the king's son.
This might not be a great movie, but Ms. Knightly (and Mr. McDowell, who is also the villain in "Tank Girl" and is just so good at being evil) does a great job of making it an enjoyable one. If you're ever out babysitting, or can still pretend you're 12, you should check it out.