I am cautiously optimistic that this movie will be fun to watch if you like archery, superheroes, and things set on fire. Bonus points if you really loved the costumes in A Knight’s Tale.
Back in January, I wasn’t sure what to make of this production—it often feels like another “dark stylish reboot” is the last thing that we need. Because of a strong cast that includes Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn, Eve Hewson, Jamie Dornan, Paul Anderson, and composer of the much-missed musical Groundhog Day, Tim Minchin, I’m willing to give Robin Hood the benefit of the doubt. And now the trailer … doesn’t look terrible?
Look, this is not like any Robin Hoods seen on-screen before, and that’s not the worst direction to go in—we’ve had enough adaptations that try to stay true to a Crusades-era Britain with quasi-historical accuracy. It’s clear that this Robin Hood may namecheck things like the Crusades—it may even take us on a Crusade, according to set pictures—but it takes place in an alternate universe where everyone wears clothing that’s like a fashion designer’s modern fever-dream of the past. And a man can leap out of tall towers firing arrows upside down at a machine-gun rate like the unholy lovechild of Legolas and Hawkeye.
One thing I liked the looks of here is that it seems that Taron Egerton’s Robin will be playing up both sides of the role—the outlaw thief, and the lord in the upper echelon of society. I’ll be interested to see how they handle the duality of that. This Robin Hood seems more like a superhero action movie than a historical epic, so it’s especially fitting if the film focuses on Robin of Locksley and his secret masked vigilante identity.
The way I feel about Robin Hood after watching this is that I don’t think shell out to see it opening day, but I will gladly review it, and it would probably make the hours on an airplane or a Netflix stream pass swiftly. At least the cast seems committed to the bit.
What do you think, m’lords and ladies and gentlepeoples?
(image: Summit Entertainment)
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