REST assured that this is not another lame retelling of a classic in the vein of the terrible King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Instead, it is a somewhat engaging movie that links an old classic with the current situation in the world.
Whether it is a war on terror, or paranoia that an army from the Middle East is about to invade Nottingham, there are certain elements to this movie that will resonate with audiences today.
Narrated by Robin of Loxley aka Robin Hood, he first tells us to disregard the year the film is set, and the original tale of this popular outlaw.
Naturally, warning bells go off in your head, but don’t worry about it too much.
The story begins with Robin’s romance with Marion (Eve Hewson), and how he is drafted to fight in the crusades.
Incidentally, the action scenes in the Middle East look similar (except for the weaponry) to modern action films set in that location.
Tired of the atrocities of war, Robin gets hurt during a futile bid to save a young man from being killed. Put on a ship and sent back home, he is shocked to see his family property in ruins.
He discovers that he has been presumed killed in action, and that Marion is now married to Will Scarlet (Jamie Dornan), a local politician.
Robin is approached by Yahya (Jamie Foxx), whose son Robin tried to save. Yahya (later called John because they can’t pronounce his name) convinces Robin to fight against the real culprits who are funding the futile war.
So Robin approaches the Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Mendelsohn) in the hope of infiltrating the inner circle of those who are running things behind the scenes.
He pretends to support the sheriff’s efforts to tax the people in order to fund the war on terror. But at night, he dons a disguise to rob the collection centres and give the money back to the poor.
This may not be the best movie ever made about Robin Hood. It certainly has taken a lot of creative licence with the legend. Then again, we can look at the old stories about Robin Hood as a form of propaganda.
The film has thrown in some additional drama, rhetorics and a love triangle, and there is even a hint of a sequel at the end.
