Remakes and reboots of films have certainly become a Hollywood staple--so much so that original films are practically considered a surprise. The list of films that have been rehashed time and again are too numerous to list, suffice it to say that surely they will continue as long as there is a market for them. This version of "Robin Hood" is the newest of one of the oldest franchises that have been remade.
Robin of Loxley (Taron Egerton), a war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander, Little John (Jamie Foxx) mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown in a thrilling action-adventure packed with gritty battlefield exploits, mind-blowing fight choreography, and a timeless romance with Marian (Eve Hewson).
Between the Church of England headed up by the Cardinal (F. Murray Abraham) and the Sheriff of Nottigham (Ben Mendelsohn) and the political manipulation of the two toward the people, it's no wonder there is a revolt to put an end to the tyranny. Will Robin learn his craft from John in order to thwart the evil deeds of the sheriff?
Others to round out the cast are Jamie Dornan as Will Scarlet, Tim Minchin as Friar Tuck, Paul Anderson as Guy of Gisbourne, Ian Peck as Arch Deacon, Cornelius Booth as Lord Pembroke, Kane Headley-Cummings as Stoker, Scot Greenan as Clayton and Lara Rossi as Evelyn.
This was directed with rollicking action by Otto Bathurst ("Shoreditch Twat" (TV movie) '02, "Guardian of the Amazon" (TV movie documentary) '02, "Margot" (TV movie) '09) plus tons of TV. Surely this was as well directed as it was because of all the TV experience this filmmaker has under his belt, otherwise this would've been suspect. Gnawing ones' teeth on enough TV can potentially be a leg up for someone wanting to branch out, and considering this was Bathurst's first feature film in the directing realm, proves that practicing on other medias will give you that expertise. It was written by Ben Chandler and David James Kelly ("Straw Man" (short) '10), based on a story by Chandler. What is even more remarkable is that this was written by one writer with absolutely no experience--Chandler, and the other with only a short to his credit--Kelly. Was this writing Academy Award worthy? Not really, but it certainly kept me riveted for the 116 minute running time. The biggest flaw here was that after a strong opening and starting to the film, the plot started slowing down to where the writers were having a problem continuing the storyline. But then after that lull in script, the story, all of a sudden, took off and then became the story these writers were trying to convey to their audience. The intriguing part of this film was the original idea of the plot. It basically tells us how Robin of Loxley becomes Robin Hood. Other incarnations have done this, however not in the original way as this one. The first film was 1938's "The Adventures of Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn with others, "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" '91, "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" '93, and "Robin Hood" '10. With this being one of the oldest franchises, certainly more incarnations will be developed for future generations.
With yet another "Robin Hood" produced for the new generation of moviegoers, it will be interesting to see what is offered us in say, approximately ten years from now. The treatment of character development in this was original and the stunts by Simon Crane were amazing. Even though it was a bit slow in the middle, it was still the quintessential popcorn film for all to enjoy.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 116mins.
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