[usr 3.5]
A war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown in a thrilling action-adventure packed with gritty battlefield exploits, mind-blowing fight choreography, and a timeless romance.
The story of Robin Hood is as timeless as, well, Robin Hood. It seems that every ten years or so, Hollywood hashes out a new script, casts some new up-and-coming bright star in the leading role, surrounds him with a bevy of Hollywood heavyweights, and voila! You have a new Robin Hood movie. It really doesn’t get any simpler than that. We all know the story, Lord Robin of Loxley was born into nobility, was trained in archery and swordplay, and then served his country by fighting in the Crusades. When he returned to England many years later, he discovered his land and home had been seized by the Sheriff of Nottingham. It was at this point that Robin decided to fight for the poor and oppressed by stealing from the rich. And that, in a nutshell, is the story.
I like Taron Egerton, he made a big impact on me in “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and its enjoyable but less-than-stellar sequel, “Kingsman: The Golden Circle.” He also brought humor and pathos to the role of Eddie Edwards in “Eddie the Eagle,” starring alongside Hugh Jackman. In short, Mr. Egerton is very talented and brings enormous screen presence with him, a must-have for any starring role, especially one as big as Robin Hood. Here, he is surrounded by Jamie Foxx, Jamie Dornan, and go-to bad guy of the moment, Ben Mendelsohn. Mr. Egerton pulls off the role with great ease and director Otto Bathurst (“Peaky Blinders”), wisely keeps Egerton and his cast on their toes, allowing for very little downtime in between some very impressive action set-pieces.
Unlike Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood,” which starred Russell Crowe in the titular role and Cate Blanchett as his Maid Marion, and which was dark, heavy, and almost devoid of humor, Egerton’s outing has a few serious moments but for the most part, the film is lighthearted. Ben Mendelsohn chews up the scenery as the opportunistic and power-hungry Sheriff of Nottingham but one cannot help but compare him to the late Alan Rickman, whose performance in 1991’s “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” in the same role, was a highlight of his career. He played his sheriff as eccentric, mischievous, shameless, and downright inhospitable and left behind shoes that will most likely never be filled.
“Robin Hood” strives for nothing more than entertainment and in that regard, it succeeds. Jamie Dornan is wasted as Will Scarlet, every time I saw him onscreen, I felt the only reason he took the part was because it was far removed from that of Christian Grey. Here, he is unkempt, unshaven, complete with buzz cut, and a far cry from his “Fifty Shades” persona. Jamie Foxx is fine as Robin’s friend and sidekick, Little John, but fellow Irish actress Eve Hewson, as Marian, Robin’s love interest, brings an elegance and fierce determination that perturbs all the men around her. She is both brave but at times, fearful, but not for herself, rather, the poor who rely on her and need her help. With the holidays fast approaching, you will have your pick of movies to choose from but if you are looking for something playful and entertaining, look no further.
In theaters Wednesday, November 21st
