Mark at the Movies: Robin Hood 2018
A $6.00 movie ticket, an over-priced bottled water, and a large popcorn. The bucket of popcorn was large enough to fit a toddler’s head in it. It’s 1:35pm on a Sunday and the theatre is packed with about two dozen people. I sit in the front to watch Robin Hood the 2018 version starring Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx. I’ve been a Jamie Foxx fan for years since he had his television show in the 90s. He can be comedic and dramatic in his roles. Every role I’ve seen him in he is a believable actor on the screen.
Taron Egerton is this actor from the United Kingdom who I first saw in the movie Kingsman in 2014. Back then, that was my Valentine’s Day gift to myself since my girlfriend broke up with me a few days earlier.
The Robin Hood 2018 films is pretty good if you are looking for a predictable action film. There’s plenty of action scenes with arrows, trebuchets, and fight scenes. There is not much swordplay so go watch an episode of Game of Thrones if swords are your thing. Between the action there is the occasional dialogue with meddled English accents. Some United Kingdom actors are easier to understand than others. I’ve seen a few Robin Hood movies so I understand the foundation: Robin Hood, the hero, Maid Marian, his lover, and his band of Merry Men steal from the rich to give to the poor. They all live in the area of Nottingham and fight the Sheriff of Nottingham. Their favorite hideout spot is in the Sherwood Forest which is not the same hideout as the Hundred Acre Wood, a different forest for a different time.
This movie was different because they do not give an exact date and time of when the events of Robin Hood take place. I liked that I knew it was before 1700 yet not before 1000. There’s a six hundred year gap and that’s not a problem to me. Plus, most American don’t know where Nottingham is on a map nor do they know where Nashville, Tennessee is on a map.
One issue with this film is that it easily could be a 90 minute film yet for some reason it’s around 120 minutes. The good guys defeat the bad guys, guy kisses girl, revenge, and an allusion to a sequel. The actors do a decent job. This new film about Robin Hood is a worthy addition to the mythology of Robin Hood. Is it an excellent film? No, it’s not, yet it is good to see a different take on Robin Hood especially with many allusions to crises in our world today.
This film did well to stress the importance of income equality and the rise of mob mentality. There is dialogue about these topics in the film which is clearly for the audience since Robin Hood in his time did not have any idea about a social safety net or erosion of the middle class. Additionally, the film did well with using the bow and arrows like a gun. Many times men are holding the bow so stringent that it did not look comfortable. I’ve done archery so I know the strength and breathing necessary to get the arrow to do what you want it to do.
So, if you have the money, time, and need a distraction go watch Robin Hood 2018. If you do not have the money, time, and do not a distraction I would suggest you do something else.
