Robin Hood (2018) | Film Review

Let me get straight to the point: the answer is NO. We did not need yet another iteration of Robin Hood. For some reason, Hollywood adamantly disagrees as they churn out more versions of the character than almost anyone who is not named Sherlock Holmes. Typically, we’re treated to the more mature version of Robin, ala Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe. This time, we’re getting the youthful, vibrant take on Oliver Quee…sorry, Robin Hood, as Taron Egerton sashays throughout Nottingham. And once again, everything he does, he does it for them. But was it worth yet another retelling of a tired hero?

The date is irrelevant, so the film tells us, but it surrounds the Crusades as they serve as a motivator for the coming events. Robin of Loxley begins as a spoiled Lord smitten with the headstrong Marian (Eve Hewson), when the Sheriff (Ben Mendelsohn) ships him out to war. Sheriff’s carried quite a bit of power in this nondescript time, apparently. Refusing to engage in their barbaric brutality, Robin fights against his own men and is cast back home for his disgrace, though earning the respect of a Moor named John (Jamie Foxx) in the process.

Once he returns home, Robin has been declared dead for two years, Marian has moved on with Will (Jamie Dornan), and the Sheriff has conspired with a despicable Cardinal to squeeze every dime from the commoners for their own power and profit. John and Robin declare their own war on the Sheriff and his army, using every tool in their arsenal – ok, mostly arrows and dinner parties – to return the land to its rightful owner: the people.

Working with a script that is eerily similar to a medieval Batman Begins, director Otto Bathurst has no interest in crafting a straight-laced historical epic. Instead, Bathurst amps up the frolicking to adapt his Robin for a modern-day audience interested in a smile for two hours straight. Blisteringly paced, Robin Hood avoids the monotonous slug that was Ridley Scott’s previous big-screen attempt at the character. For the entirety of the film’s runtime, no watches were raised.

I’ll hand it to Egerton, this guy oozes just enough charm to convince me he’s old enough for the insane events that unfold here, when he clearly lacks about a decade of necessary maturity. His pining for Marian, comedic timing, and heroic antics firmly cement him as the Robin of now. Egerton has a knack for exuding confidence and weakness simultaneously, a handy trait as he traverses within the world of Lords and power brokers trying to manipulate the elite. Also, unlike Costner, Egerton can easily maintain his accent for the duration. Bravo. Oh, speaking of pining, Taron truly feels like the UK’s answer to Chris Pine, doesn’t he? And now I am going to need both of these guys to play swashbuckling brothers in some random pirate franchise stat!

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham. A fine actor, Mendelsohn has unfortunately played this exact role so often it has become a caricature. While serviceable, his Snidely Whiplash take on the Sheriff – all hell bent on greed and revenge for youthful persecutions – simply whimpers when he needs to roar. For a character to rise the ranks of power so effortlessly, you require a certain level of charisma which is not present in this depiction. It is never fair to compare previous actors in similar yet unique roles, but it is near impossible to not compare Alan Rickman’s gloriously delicious take on the Sheriff in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. A great hero needs a masterful villain to foil, and if Mendelsohn had injected any semblance of life or personality into the Sheriff, this could have elevated the film to near greatness.

While the rest of the cast delivers in their fairly by-the-numbers roles, no one seems to be having a better time than Jamie Foxx. Reveling in his opportunity to not have to carry the weight of this epic on his shoulders, Foxx damn near jumps into the audience with his enthusiastic winking at the material. He’s an absolute joy to watch as he tiptoes around the line of “too far”, because when Jamie Foxx if having fun, everyone else is too. By the time the credits rolled, all I wanted was a Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx buddy-cop pic…with Chris Pine as the villain!

To answer my original question: yes, it was absolutely worth it. Robin Hood is a rollicking good time with a blast of a cast in tow. Taron Egerton has plenty of swash in his buckle, and Jamie Foxx brings the audience to life. If there had been a stronger Sheriff, it could have easily rose into the higher echelon of action-epics. Instead, this is a perfect movie to kick back and enjoy with friends over the holidays.