No one can deny the appealing theme. Robin Hood is known as the “Prince of the Thieves” in this fifteenth century English melodrama. He robs the rich who allegedly came by their wealth by heritage and distributes the spoils to the poor thereby leveling the playing field.
Robin is played by Taron Egerton. He does not have a handle on how he’s going to do this. Egerton, physically fits the part, he seems not to grasp his mission. Fortunately, he is helped by Morrish Jamie Foxx (aka Little John) and the Jim Minchin (aka Friar Tuck). Ben Mendelshon plays the fiendish Sheriff of Nottingham to the hilt and offers 1,000 pounds for the head of Robin Hood. Eve Hewson as Maid Marian is the prize everyone seeks and she tempts both the hero and anti-hero.
This edition of “Robin Hood” pales in comparison to the Errol Flynn 1938 film with Basil Rathbone as The Sheriff. Olivia de Havilland was Maid Marian. Swordplay was much more dramatic than the bow and arrow combat featured in the current film. King Richard and Sherwood Forest are barely mentioned.
“Robin Hood” gets a mere passing grade of C. It is currently showing at The Rialto Theater in the Villages.
Villager Jack Petro reviews movies for Villages-News.com
