Robin Hood

This review may contain spoilers!

This film begins by telling you that this is unlike any Robin Hood film you've seen before; so it's fitting for this review beginning with me telling you that this film is like every Robin Hood film I've seen before. I would give Robin Hood a 5.5/10.

This film is actually rather fun to watch when it comes to some of the production elements, it has all the working components of a fun, mindless blockbuster. In particular, the speed and fluidity of the fight sequences look great, right down to some of the horseback stunts that really impress the viewer. The editing for the film manages to keep the action moving in good time, while also presenting the timing of a sequence or scene rather well. The best achievement from this film is certainly the score by Joseph Trapanese; the music throughout sets the blood pumping in those high energy scenes or slips in an emotional mood to a scene that desperately needs that feeling.

Taron Egerton, who played Robin of Loxley, is an excellent pick for the protagonist of the film; Egerton is more than capable of portraying the indignant young rebel and lends a hefty amount of charisma as the thief becomes a leader of the people. Ben Mendelsohn, who played the Sheriff of Nottingham, has absolutely triumphed in every antagonist role he's taken up and this role is no different; his wild displays of malice fringed by a deep-rooted weakness at the hands of those who made him who he is. Paul Anderson, who played Guy of Gisbourne, is another great antagonist who is merciless against those who oppose him; Anderson is in a role who could've been another henchman but he never once allows the character to become two-dimensional.

However, the best performance came from Jamie Foxx, who played Little John. From the beginning of the film, Foxx presents the sheer intensity of this Arabian warrior through his physicality and initial fight sequences. It does not take long for us to see Foxx shine when his role has to suffer through watching his onscreen son brutally murdered by Crusaders. Rather than break, a fire awakens in this role and the mission of fighting the rich to prevent war comes to pass; a goal that this character pursues with tunnel-vision. Throughout the entire film, Foxx has some nice camaraderie with Egerton and equally shares a powerful rivalry with main antagonist, Mendelsohn.

This film tries really hard to push the idea that it's new or original in its design all the while playing to obvious themes or cutting corners to advance the story. This is a Robin Hood that pins a lot on the romance between Marian and Robin, a relationship that comes to pass in the first scene and grows corny very early in. Yet the film continues to return to this subplot as a significant driving force, even allowing it to become a love triangle narrative the likes that haven't been seen since the young adult novel adaptation craze. Throughout things are just pushed along so that the narrative can happen without much justification. Robin and John's alliance is very quickly forged and Robin agreeing to join the fight is more surprising than exciting; alternatively, the reasoning for keeping Marian away from the antics of 'the Hood' is flimsy at best. Add onto that the poorly written antagonists and the film falls apart. The major antagonists of the film are the Church and they're so absurdly over the top in their portrayal of being evil that it becomes melodramatic. The cinematography used throughout is very experimental which is a risk that doesn't pay off, the random shots at odd angles that litter a scene don't heighten the pace but rather hamper the films otherwise fine visuals.

Eve Hewson, who played Marian, is very much built up to be the romantic counterpart to Egerton but the two severely lack chemistry; Hewson feels rather bland and doesn't seem committed to playing to the revolution storyline or the love triangle storyline. Jamie Dornan, who played Will Scarlet, has found a better film than the Fifty Shades series but hasn't proven to be one of the better aspects of said film; Dornan oozes angst in every scene and his role fast wears the viewer down. Tim Minchin, who played Friar Tuck, is this unbridled comic relief who lays it on pretty thick throughout; Minchin's constant bantering and jokes make for light relief but grate against the tone of the film severely. F. Murray Abraham and Ian Peck, who played the Cardinal and the Arch Deacon respectively, make for a pair of overdramatic master villains; it's disappointing to see the masters behind the antagonists' plot devolve into melodramatic laughter and moustache twirling.