Robin Hood

27.05.2010

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The story of how the legend of Robin Hood was born is an extremely well made, entertaining and intelligent action film, but it lacks that little extra it takes to become a true classic.

Plot
The legend of Robin Hood, the outlaw hero who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, has fascinated generations and has been made into films many times. Now a new film about Robin Hood, his faithful men and the beautiful Lady Marion has been released, but this time the story is about the events that lead to Robin Hood becoming an outlaw.

The film begins with Robin Longstride having spent ten years in Richard the Lionheart’s service. He has been involved in a failed crusade, and on the way back to England, King Richard is killed in battle. This death accelerates an international political game which will involve the new inexperienced King of England, a number of disaffected barons in northern England and the French King, who now sees an opportunity to invade England in the troubled situation.

Robin and his men come safely back to England, and end up in Nottingham. There, he meets Lady Marion, and together with his men he commits himself to prevent greedy tax collectors from taking all the food and riches of the community.

But as Robin tries to make a home for himself in Nottingham there is an increasing unrest in the country. The villages in the north are being attacked and burnt down one by one, while the French Army is preparing an attack. Robin is instrumental in the gathering of a strong English army that must put an end to the internal turmoil, so that the kingdom of England once again can be a strong, unified nation.

However, a sacrifice such as this is not without consequences.

Quality and Theme
It is practically a “dream team” of filmmakers who are behind this film. When Ridley Scott directs (he previously directed "Gladiator") you can be certain that you will get to see top-class film craftsmanship. This also applies to "Robin Hood" – which has some impressive choreographed fight scenes. In addition, the actors contribute largely to the high quality; the many renowned names of the cast make very solid performances.

The story also offers a new angle on the legend of Robin Hood. In this film we get a better knowledge of Robin’s background – his upbringing, how he met his men and what brought him to Nottingham and Marion. We get to know an honest man who stands by his word, and who is fighting for everyone to have equal rights and an opportunity to reap the gifts of nature without being robbed by an oppressive ruler. These are positive values that children and young people can learn a lot from. In addition, the film offers a fictional glimpse into the dirty political games that took place in the early Middle Ages.

"Robin Hood" will probably never become the same immediate classic as "Gladiator" became ten years ago (the films have the same director, lead actor and genre). Most of the supporting characters, including Robin's men, have strong and winning personalities, but they bring no more depth or importance to the progress of the story. In addition, the story is not strong enough to really engage the audience – at least not in the same way as the story of Maximus did in "Gladiator”. But it must be noted that these shortcomings in no way make "Robin Hood" a mediocre film, it merely doesn’t put it in the company of other great films.

Suitability
The film contains a series of action-packed battle scenes where soldiers get killed in sometimes-brutal ways. The film has a 12A rating, but due to the violent scenes, we recommend that no children under this age are allowed to see the film.

Conclusion
For young people and adults who like fast paced action, "Robin Hood" is a well-made and highly entertaining film that is definitely worth watching.

Facts

Director: Ridley Scott Genre: Action Actors: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Kevin Durand, Scott Grimes, Bronson Webb, Alan Doyle and more Language: English Nationality: USA Length: 2h 21mins Production Year: 2010 Age Limit: 12A Suitability: Young people/adults BBFC’s Consumer Advice: Contains moderate violence and sex references.