I am unabashedly a fan of the Robin Hood legend. What’s there not to like? It’s got a guy who steals from the rich to give to the poor (everyone thinks that they’re the poor and their enemies are the rich), an irreverent religious figure who is actually kind (instead of being holier-than-thou), archery, venison (I like deer meat), and really comfortable looking costumes.
In any case, 2018’s Robin Hood breathes fresh air into the legend. It gives us all the important and popular characters – Robin Hood (Taron Egerton), the Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Mendelsohn), Maid Marian (Eve Hewson), Little John (Jamie Foxx), and Friar Tuck (Tim Minchin) – reimagined with modern sensibilities. It also includes Will Scarlet (Jamie Dornan) (yes, 50 Shades‘ Jamie Dornan), who isn’t terribly important to the mythos (in my opinion) but plays a critical role in the eventual film franchise. I would have liked to see Prince John, but I guess they’re saving him up to be the ultra big bad in a later film. Oh, and there’s Guy of Gisborne (Paul Anderson) too! That really tripped me up when I was young – I didn’t realise that “Guy” was a name, so I thought he was the Guy of Gisborne in the way there was the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Robin Hood changed my mind about Taron Egerton – I’ve only seen him play uncouth, self-absorbed, lumbering characters thus far. However, his portrayal of Robin Hood is pretty likeable! Admittedly, it is a rather standard hero character with the usual tragic superhero-ish background, but you can’t go wrong with the basics. He may be a fairly standard, straightforward hero – but he’s a protagonist that you actually like and want to root for. Hopefully, he takes on more endearing roles like Robin Hood.
So about that superhero-ish background – there’s no denying that there’s a strong superhero aesthetic to the film. The action sequences, the origin stories, the visual style – they all evoke the idea of a superhero movie. There’s not a lot of grittiness, not as much as you’d expect with modern films with period settings. It feels modern and apt, the sort of entertainment you’d want to watch after a tough day, rather than being one of those overdramatic, hyper-realistic sort of period dramas. Besides, Robin Hood is a vigilante, which most modern superheroes are. What’s wrong with this interpretation?
The chemistry between Robin (Taron Egerton) and Marian (Eve Hewson) is negligible though, which is a pity since this relationship is supposed to be an important factor in Robin’s decisions. You get the distinct feeling that they’re literally going through the motions, and they have more chemistry with other characters that they’re not supposed to be in love with. Given that they have no reported quarrels in real life (as far as I’ve read) and they look pretty chummy in their on set photos, it’s a mystery as to why.
Plot-wise, I would have loved to see them eat venison and the formation of the Merry Men – but again, I guess they’re saving that for a later film. This movie is fairly packed as it stands, although I guess the slower scenes could have been replaced with the aforementioned ones.
Ultimately, Robin Hood is an enjoyable reinterpretation of the familiar story, and that modern aesthetic makes it much more palatable to today’s audiences. I personally hope that it acts as the gateway media for more people to read about Robin Hood (who’s the quintessential human archer) and realise that he’s the inspiration for Arrow. It takes itself just seriously enough to be a good movie, without taking itself so seriously that it feels like a slog.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this more than once? Mmm, maybe not.
Score: 3.9/5
Secret ending? Yes.
Running time: 116 minutes (~2 hours)
Robin Hood is a fantasy action adventure in English, that’s based on the legend of Robin Hood.
The film follows the exploits of the titular hero, a noble who has returned from war to find his city in chaos. Together with his friends, he must find a way to free the common folk from oppression. But with so many secrets to hide, will he be successful in his quest?
Robin Hood is directed by Otto Bathurst and written by Ben Chandler, with additional screenplay credits for David James Kelly. It stars Taron Egerton (The Hood/Robin of Loxley), Jamie Foxx (John/Yahya), Ben Mendelsohn (the Sheriff of Nottingham), Eve Hewson (Marian), Tim Minchin (Friar Tuck), Jamie Dornan (Will “Scarlet” Tillman), Paul Anderson (Guy of Gisborne), and F. Murray Abraham (the Cardinal). It is rated PG-13.
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I’m an independent scriptwriter who’s written for popular shows like Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site.
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