Robin Hood: Unoriginal but Fun

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Robin Hood
Director: Otto Bathurst
Stars: Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Eve Hewson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie Dornan
Genre: Action-Thriller
Rating: 3/5


Robin Hood (2018), the latest rendition of the age old tale which tells the story of what made Robin Hood the famous outlaw we all know and love, is far from perfect or is original. It takes a lot from the other action movies and TV. However, despite its lack of originality, it is still a fun movie nonetheless.

As opposed to the tales of Merry Men which tells of the exploits of the famous outlaw, Robin Hood starts with Robin of Loxley(Taron Everton) in a Crusade in Arabia as part of his military service to the church and the Sheriff of Nottingham. When, after the Crusade, Robin returns to Nottingham, he finds Marian (Eve Hewson), the live of his life, has fallen in love with another man— Will Scarlet (Jamie Dornan); his estates has been seized; he has been dead for two years; and , the town of Nottingham has been sucked to the marrow by the Sheriff(Ben Mendelsohn) to finance the Crusade. It is when he comes across an old foe() who is now in his side due to circumstance and chooses him as an apprentice that Robin turns into the outlaw of Sherwood Forest.

Although the plot seems unique at first glance, it is anything but. This origin story of the OG vigilante who inspired so many modern superheroes, ironically feels and takes a lot from the films and TV series of the characters it inspired. The action sequences which involves his trademark bow and arrow feels very similar to CW’s arrow. Similarly, the dynamic between John and Robin Hood is not different between that of Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth (mentee and mentor) or between that of Oliver Queen and John Diggle (hero and sidekick).

This in-you-face similarities, however, doesn’t completely bring the movie down. I still had a good time seeing the famous Outlaw in action whose stories I had read as a child.  The action despite being unoriginal is fast paced and thus, fun. The chemistry between Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx also adds some positive and since we’re talking about the positives, the politics behind the Crusades (the church puppeteering the Sheriff) and twist involving the infamous Sheriff were the things I really liked.



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