Again 2018 presented us with another taste of movies’ past- this time with Robin Hood. The Kevin Costner version of 1991 is one of my favorite movies to watch at any time and boasts one of the most timeless and classic movie theme songs in Bryan Adams’ “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)”.
So, while I was expecting merely a modern day “take 2”, this version is more of a complete reimagining than a slight reboot. The characters are largely the same, mainly Robin (played by Taron Egerton), Marian (played by Eve Hewson), Little John (played by the legend himself (Jamie Foxx) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (played by Ben Mendelsohn). However, this version chooses to explore more of Robin’s fighting background/education and then loosely connects that new backstory to the version of Robin Hood we all know from the 1991 and Disney films. However, the connection is more than just a little contrived, with the audience expected- and in ways forced- to suspend its disbelief regarding what is almost painfully obvious from the beginning and is for some reason not so to the film’s main antagonist.
Jamie Foxx provides the sort of wit and snappy retorts he’s made a living off of; and, he is definitely my favorite part of the film. His character’s connection with Robin is actually one of the more redeeming qualities of this film; and, it is no coincidence that said connection reminds me so much of Costner’s and Morgan Freeman’s in the aforementioned version. And, while the action scenes are mildly entertaining, they don’t do enough for me to plug up the glaring plot holes. It also tends to drag, which for a "reboot" is never good because the audience almost always knows what's coming; so, there's no reason to prolong the plot development of a film that's already 2 hours long. The final death scene actually did a lot in my opinion to ALMOST make the messy plot development worth it; but, not enough to make me give this film more than 2 reps out of 5. This version comes off as more of a made-for-TV “Arrow” movie than anything else. If you haven’t already; and, even if you have, go enjoy the 1991 version and thank me later.
What were your thoughts on 2018's Robin Hood?
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