Recently I wrote this review for the "Krant" newspaper. It can
also be viewed on their web site at
http://www.krant.co.za/
index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=640%3Arobin-
hood&catid=74%3Amovies&Itemid=1&lang=en
"I’m not usually a fan of period pieces or Robin Hood in general
but this film proved a worthy contender against the few that I
enjoy.
The film, which is refreshingly original, tells the story of how
Robin Hood supposedly came to be an outlaw and is set during the
battles between France and England in the 12th century. The many
interesting sub-plots also string together making the film
thoroughly intriguing. You won’t recognise Robin at first and at
one stage I wondered if I was in the right cinema as he seemed
different to the legend that I knew of, but after some time you
realise that it is truly Robin, just a younger and nobler one.
At times it was hard to make out the dialogue due to the heavy
accents. The acting was typically great although the script
offered no truly deep character development for the actors to
work with. It also felt as if some aspects of the story were
hastily wrapped up and not fully explained, such as the orphans
living in the woods around Nottingham. The extended politics
within the story also become rather tedious. There is also the
occasional cliché and laughable situation which sometimes
escalates into something so ridiculous it is beyond belief
(you’ll understand when watching the end of the film).
Visually the film offers the usual, something you’d expect from
this genre, and nothing special besides an odd slow motion shot.
Occasionally a cheapening zoom is thrown into the scenes. Ridley
Scott may have also gone a bit too far with the use of smoke; I
would have liked to see that effort thrown more into the
lighting. The action scenes are fantastically filmed and played
out, although maybe over surrealistic at times.
Other reviews tend to be rather harsh on the film. I like to
categories films into two categories: great entertainment or
great films, there is a difference. I’m swaying towards the film
being of great entertainment and still worth a watch. It does
feel as if the producers are pushing for a franchise and I’ll be
sure to disown any sequels to this as it will just further
saturate the Robin Hood playing field.
Overall it’s a very entertaining film, adds to the legend of
Robin Hood, and offers action, adventure, romance and a touch of
comedic relief – what else could an audience want?
By the way, don’t leave before the credits begin. They are
fantastically animated and offer an extra treat."
