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- Robin Hood Utterly Fails to Modernize Itself
- Robin Hood Shamelessly Copies The Dark Knight
- Robin Hood Is So Bad It’s Good
As a seasoned film critic with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must confess that I’ve seen some peculiar adaptations during my time – but none quite as eccentrically entertaining as the recent Robin Hood reboot!
The impact of “The Dark Knight” on blockbusters for nearly a decade can’t be underestimated, affecting them both positively and negatively. It demonstrated that genre films could deliver deep emotional impact and appeal to both audiences and critics, yet unfortunately, it led some filmmakers astray. Studios concluded that creating darker and grittier blockbusters was the path to success, without realizing how this tone fit within “The Dark Knight’s” narrative. This misconception resulted in failed reboots of Spider-Man, Superman, among others. However, none were as puzzling as the 2018 version of “Robin Hood.
The highly criticized and financially flopped reboot of Robin Hood, it drove the concept to the brink of being a self-parody, potentially ending the trend singlehandedly. However, it would be dishonest to say that the movie wasn’t enjoyable, even if that enjoyment stemmed from its flaws. In a world filled with contemporary blockbusters that seem to lack passion in their creation, Robin Hood stands out as so confidently self-assured in its beliefs that it veers into the realm of unintentionally entertaining.
Robin Hood Utterly Fails to Modernize Itself
“Perhaps the most honest assessment of ‘Robin Hood’ is that it tackles its shortcomings head-on right from the start. Viewers might walk in anticipating one of the least appealing portrayals of the character, and they are not disappointed as the film swiftly validates these expectations by skipping any suspenseful build-up. In just 10 minutes, it becomes hard to ignore the glaring anachronisms – the costume design appears strikingly modern, which seems incongruous with the time period, and the dialogue feels jarringly contemporary.
Certainly, historical inconsistencies don’t automatically mean a piece is flawed; contemporary adaptations of Shakespeare that preserve the original dialogue have thrived, and Baz Luhrmann’s modern take on The Great Gatsby was well-received by audiences. However, when Robin Hood portrays Nottingham soldiers in contemporary military garb or depicts a riot reminiscent of Occupy Wall Street, it becomes quite distracting and takes away from the historical atmosphere.
This is all before getting into Robin Hood’s ham-fisted political allegories. Early in the runtime, the titular hero gets drafted to fight in the Third Crusades against the Saracens. Viewers are then treated to a combat sequence straight out of The Hurt Locker, complete with the Crusaders calling in airstrikes from catapults and taking cover from a ballista firing arrows with the rapidity of a machine gun. The visual parallels with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are comically obvious and only provoke laughter in their bluntness. One almost expects Robin’s commanding officer to say, “Mission accomplished.”
In this rephrased version:
Robin Hood Shamelessly Copies The Dark Knight
Previously stated, “The Dark Knight” marked a significant turning point for blockbusters, inspiring numerous copies, some of which were hits like “Skyfall” and “Logan”, while others, such as the “Amazing Spider-Man” films and 2015’s “Fantastic Four”, were not. Therefore, it’s not unexpected that a gritty reboot of “Robin Hood” would strive to mimic its success. What’s astonishing, though, is the blatant manner in which the movie seems to shamelessly copy elements from “The Dark Knight”.
When Robin begins recovering stolen goods from the villagers, which the Sheriff of Nottingham seized for war funding, he becomes known as a vigilante and is given the unexpected nickname “The Hood.” However, the film doesn’t just portray Robin Hood as a Batman substitute; to deceive the Sheriff, he pretends to be a reckless playboy during the day, thus wearing a different kind of disguise for the public. It’s fair to say that the movie fully embraces its concept.
However, what makes this film particularly amusing is its portrayal of Will Scarlet, a character renowned from the Robin Hood tales as one of the hero’s trusted Merry Men. In this adaptation, Jamie Dornan, who seems miscast for the role (not his finest performance), leads a group of commoners resisting the Sheriff’s rule, despite his true motivation being personal gain rather than genuine rebellion. Furthermore, Will is smitten with Maid Marian, often causing friction between him and Robin to an extent that their relationship gradually deteriorates.
Initially, there are several parallels to note between the love triangle involving Will Scarlet, Maid Marian, and Robin Hood, and the relationship dynamics among Bruce Wayne, Rachel Dawes, and Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight. Although the correlation isn’t an exact match (thankfully, Marian doesn’t meet her demise), they share enough similarities that Robin Hood might border on plagiarism, particularly in how the hero’s ally gradually transforms into a foe. To make the comparison even clearer for viewers, the movie subtly emphasizes these similarities through a humorous post-credits scene, which playfully sets up a sequel that unfortunately never came to fruition, featuring Will taking over as the new Sheriff of Nottingham – with half his face scarred from the final confrontation.
Robin Hood Is So Bad It’s Good
Despite striving to follow current trends, Robin Hood turns out to be an unexpectedly hilarious movie, though this wasn’t its original intention. Many modern blockbusters seem overly calculated to appeal to a wide audience, resulting in them being somewhat ordinary and sticking to the safe side (as seen in how the Venom films could benefit from fully embracing campiness but instead don’t fully commit).
Despite Robin Hood’s questionable resemblance to The Dark Knight and its confounding political allegory, its unusual sincerity makes it one of the funniest, so-bad-it’s-good blockbusters of recent years. You can stream Robin Hood on Netflix now.
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2024-10-14 02:01