Robin Hood (2018)

Why is it so hard to make a good Robin Hood movie? The story is ripe for an exciting adventure. But, honestly, not since Disney made the famous thief a fox has there been a good Robin Hood film. Prince of Thieves is awkward and the only good part is how it brought Alan Rickman to national attention. Ridley Scott's attempt to make Russel Crow in tights was a snore. Men in Tights isn't as funny as people say it is. And now we have another attempt which has some good ideas but falls rather flat.

The gimmick here is how they attempt to give the film a modern vibe. Robin on the crusades is shot like The Hurt Locker. When he returns to Nottingham the rain of arrows is shot like a hail of bullet scene right out of Bad Boys. It all looks really good, as does the sexy cast, but there just isn't any story here.

How hard is it to tell a story about a fallen nobleman turned thief pushing back against a corrupt regime? In this case they specifically go after current administrations in their political commentary and it still feels less than fresh. When there aren't Michael Bay style action sequences the story gets pretty boring pretty fast.

One day Robin Hood will recapture the public imagination. Just not today.

Robin Hood
Starring: Taron Edgerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelson, Eve Hewson, Tim Minchin, Jamie Dornan, F Murray Abraham
Director: Otto Bathurst
Writers: Ben Chandler, David James Kelly