Summary:
A retelling of the legend of Robin Hood.
My Thoughts:
I’d venture to guess that this is still the preferred Robin Hood film for the average moviegoer; it’s undeniably corny and frequently hilarious, but its still extremely entertaining and exciting. It had been years since I’d watched this movie, but in preparation for the new “Robin Hood" film starring Taron Edgerton, I decided to rewatch it, praying to God it wasn’t as bad as my TMM cohost Michael claimed it was. To my great delight, I found I still enjoyed this film immensely, though I cannot deny that it has aged rather poorly. There are scenes in this film that are delivered so awkwardly and melodramatically that I wanted to hide my head in embarrassment… but, there are other scenes that still bring a huge smile to my face, and more scenes that made me want to stand up and cheer for our swashbuckling hero. This film may not be great, nor has it aged well, but its still a film I can guarantee I’ll return to again, despite all of its issues.
“Why a spoon, cousin?” “Because it’s dull, you twit. It’ll hurt more.”
After years away from England, fighting in the Crusades, Robin of Locksley (Kevin Costner, “Dances With Wolves”) returns with his companion Azeem (Morgan Freeman, “Million Dollar Baby”) to his homeland to find his father (Brian Blessed, “Henry V”) murdered and his land stolen by the evil Sherriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”), whom takes advices from the witch Mortianna (Geraldine McEwan, “The Magdalene Sisters”). Desperate to regain his lands, Locksley visits the Maid Marian (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, “The Abyss”), a friend from years earlier in hope of assistance, but she says she cannot offer it to him. Fearful for his life, Locksley flees to the woods where he encounters a band of thieves led by a man named Little John (Nick Brimble, “A Knight’s Tale”). With the help of his new band of thieves, Robin faces off against the Sherriff in a fight to the death.
While watching this movie, I decided that it was part of a growing subgenre of films that I like to call ‘comfort films’; that is, films that aren’t bad enough to be called bad, nor good enough to honestly be called good. They are films that are nearly right in the middle of good and bad, and as a result, it’s up to the viewer how they’d like to rate this film. For me, this is a film I know I’ll return to again and again throughout my lifetime because it checks a certain number of boxes for movies that appeal specifically to me. I love movies set in medieval times; I love adventure/ swashbuckling films; I love Alan Rickman and Morgan Freeman, and I can tolerate small doses of Kevin Costner… for these reasons and more, it falls into my ‘comfort film’ category. It’s not great, and I know that, but it doesn’t keep me from truly enjoying myself from start to finish. It certainly won’t work for some people, and that’s alright. In the end, it’s your opinion.
For me, the best part of this movie is Alan Rickman. As the Sherriff of Nottingham he is truly the most memorable part of this film. He gives a performance that some might consider over the top, but I disagree- it’s just the right amount of humorous for me to eat it up from start to finish. There are moments when Rickman prances down the stairs, childishly yells at one of his miscreants, or otherwise throw temper tantrums that make him feel like a spoiled brat who just happened to come into a bit of power (in a way he reminds me a lot of Kylo Ren in the new Star Wars movies). He is the only actor that seemed to really just have fun with his part, and that was truly to the benefit of this film. There were a couple really great scenes with Morgan Freeman; his character is constantly fighting against the racism and ignorance of the British peasants, and honestly it adds a layer of depth to the character that makes him more tangible. That whole storyline could’ve honestly been omitted, but I’m glad it wasn’t; it gives the film a more grounded feeling, when many other aspects of this film are sometimes silly. Kevin Costner is a little rough in this film, I don’t know if there’s any way around that. The romantic scenes that he shares with Mastrantonio are more often than not cringe worthy, and the way he delivers dialogue is, at times, quite laughable. I like Costner in the right role, it’s just those roles are few and far between. Christian Slater is terrible; I think the only movie I really liked him in was “Heathers”, and that was more because of the script than his acting.
Of course, the real reason we come to a Robin Hood movie is for the story: a man who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, who stands up against tyranny even in the face of death. This film checks all those boxes, though it doesn’t really go much beyond that. This film is exactly what you’d expect from a Robin Hood movie, and for better or worse there aren’t many surprises along the way; though I will admit there were a few moments that shocked me this time through. The biggest surprise came from the scenes featuring Mortianna the witch. For whatever reason, I didn’t remember the satanic rituals that happened in this film (maybe my parents skipped over it when I was a wee little lad). Some of the scenes involving Mortianna are quite dark; surprisingly so, even for a PG-13 movie.
Verdict:
Overall, this movie falls smack dab in the middle of good and bad. There are some truly standout moments and performances, but as a whole the movie fails to evoke a great emotional response. I enjoy this film for what it is: a swashbuckling adventure that doesn’t take itself seriously, but I could absolutely see where others would find this movie predictable and over the top. In the end, the choice is yours. Perhaps this movie just got under my skin too early, because I can forgive all the little flaws for the sake of a story I truly and unironically enjoy.
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