Robin Hood (1973/1991/2010/2018)

ROBIN HOOD (U)
D: Wolfgang Reitherman
Disney (Wolfgang Reitherman)
US 1973
83 mins

Animated

W: Larry Clemmons, Ken Anderson & others
Mus: George Bruns

voices of: Brian Bedford (Robin Hood), Peter Ustinov (Prince John), Terry-Thomas (Sir Hiss), Phil Harris (Little John), Andy Devine (Friar Tuck), Monica Evans (Maid Marian)

Disney's adaptation of Robin Hood folklore, with animals portraying the legendary human characters for reasons only Disney's producers know. Robin Hood himself is a fox.
In comparison with other Disney animated films, the standard just isn't that good, with a rather boring treatment of the story, unmemorable songs and the animation itself well below Disney's usual high standards. Young kids will still love it, but the studio can do much better.
6/10

Robin Hood
Robin Hood
ROBIN HOOD (PG)
D: John Irvin 
20th Century Fox/Working Title (Sarah Radclyffe & Tim Bevan)
US/UK 1991
104 mins

Adventure

W: Mark Allen Smith & John McGrath
DP: Jason Lehel
Ed: Peter Tanner
Mus: Geoffrey Burgon

Patrick Bergin (Sir Robert Hode / Robin Hood), Uma Thurman (Maid Marian), Jürgen Prochnow (Sir Miles Folcanet), Edward Fox (Prince John), Jeroen Krabbé (Baron Roger Daguerre)

The forgotten version of the familiar tale, possibly because it was a victim of poor scheduling.
Released the same year as the far more entertaining Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (qv), this pedestrian adaptation of the English folklore legend was all but ignored during its brief cinema release in the UK, and was scrapped altogether from American theatres.
Too light on adventure, with too many talking heads scenes and more of a period drama than a Robin Hood movie. The casting decisions are also uninspiring, with none of the performances able to captivate or engage. Sometimes, things can't simply be blamed on circumstance.
4/10

Patrick Bergin in Robin Hood
Patrick Bergin in Robin Hood
ROBIN HOOD (15)
D: Ridley Scott
Universal/Imagine/Relativity Media/Scott Free (Ridley Scott, Brian Grazer & Russell Crowe)
US/UK 2010
140 mins

Adventure

W: Brian Helgleand 
DP: John Mathieson
Ed: Pietro Scalia
Mus: Marc Streitenfeld 

Russell Crowe (Robin Longstride), Cate Blanchett (Marion Locksley), William Hurt (William Marshal), Mark Strong (Sir Godfrey), Mark Addy (Friar Tuck), Oscar Isaac (Prince John), Danny Huston (King Richard), Eileen Atkins (Eleanor of Acquitaine)

Another Hollywood rehash of the popular Robin Hood story, this time with Russell Crowe in the title character's boots and Ridley Scott behind the lens.
Doing away with the green tights in favour of a more realistic perspective of legendary events, with gritty, dark and moody cinematography and production design. Crowe's performance as Robin Hood found itself the subject of much criticism upon the time of it's release, with the actor delivering a Nottinghamshire accent which doesn't quite ring true.
Though much of the film is adequate entertainment, it leaves a question of why it was necessary to make another version, especially one which pales in comparison to the definitive version (1938's The Adventures of Robin Hood). 
6/10

Russell Crowe in Robin Hood
Russell Crowe in Robin Hood
The legend you know, the story you don't
The legend you know, the story you don't

ROBIN HOOD (12)

D: Otto Bathurst

Lionsgate/Summit/Appian Way/Safehouse/Thunder Road (Jennifer Davisson & Leonard DiCaprio)

US 2018

116 mins


Action/Adventure


W: Ben Chandler & David James Kelly

DP: George Steel

Ed: Joe Hutshing & Chris Barwell

Mus: Joseph Trapanese


Taron Egerton (Robin Of Loxley), Jamie Foxx (Little John), Ben Mendelssohn (The Sheriff of Nottingham), Eve Hewson (Marian), Tim Minchin (Friar Tuck), Jamie Dornan (Will 'Scarlet' Tillman), F. Murray Abraham (The Cardinal)


Yet another cinematic incarnation of the famous English legendary character, following Errol Flynn iconically in 1938, Kevin Costner in a popcorn version in 1991, Patrick Bergin in a rather placid version the same year, Cary Elwes in a 1993 spoof, Russell Crowe in a 2010 film which split opinion, even represented as a fox in a 1973 animated version from Disney. All of these are streets ahead of Taron Egerton donning the hood for this "cor-blimey geezer" version which does for the fable what Guy Ritchie & Charlie Hunnam did for King Arthur a year earlier.

Everything about this film is bad, from the unfocused direction which can't seem to place the story in any particular timeframe to the poorly-penned screenplay which attempts to "subvert expectations" by reimagining the characters in a story we may be all too familiar with. Personally, when a film says it's a reimagination, it just means to me that it's an incompetently researched cash-grab relying on a nostalgic hook to try and pull people in.

Even the action set pieces are boring, which is quite unforgivable for a film which is marketing itself as an action-adventure. Despite having a good cast, the performances are rotten, mostly due to the abysmal direction and script, and I really can't let this review get by without mentioning the anachronistic costumes, which look as though they were picked up from an H&M outlet store on the eve before the shoot.

All this proves is that Hollywood seem to be a little too deft in stealing from the poor (cinema audiences) to give to the rich (studio executives). Don't let them have your money for this.

2/10


Taron Egerton & Jamie Foxx in Robin Hood
Taron Egerton & Jamie Foxx in Robin Hood