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Robin Hood was a movie that I thought was just going to be a another regular very ordinary remake. I figured it would be like Robin Hood Men in Tights, Robin Hood with Kevin Costner, and all the cartoon Robin Hood’s that have told this story over and over.
Much to my surprise this told the story of how Robin Hood himself was made.
We get to see the man Robin before he became the outlaw Robin Hood.
The movie opens in the depths or the midst of the Crusades which ever you would like to think of it as. Robin and his group of archers, of which he is the leader, are fighting as part of Richard the Lionhearted’s army. They are in France assaulting the final castle before they are to head home.
The King is in a reflective mood and decides to seek out someone who is an honest man who will tell him the truth. He sees Robin and the guy who will become Littlejohn fighting because Littlejohn feels like Robin cheated him in a game of chance. There is this ball and these 3 cups which Robin is moving around. Littlejohn doesn’t believe the ball is under there anymore.
Robin proves him wrong and then punches fly.
The king has a talk with Robin and is amused at how plainly he speaks. But Robin did say one thing that got him put into the stocks. He said that the 1 time they had the engagement where they put to death women and children that is the point where they lost God.
Meanwhile in Nottingham where our story will end up the people are starving and the church is hoarding the grain. Friar Tuck is following the orders of the bishop hoarding all the seeds as well as most of the wealth. The people of Nottingham are being taxed into the poor house.
Back on the battlefield as the assault on the Castle continues the King grows more bold. They have lit the castle door on fire and now can break through. King Richard gets a little too close and takes an arrow right to the neck killing him.
A group of his bravest knights are entrusted to take his crown back to England so that his brother John may be crowned king.
But the character who would become the main villain in this story Gottlieb is an Englishman who has gone over to the French side. But only none of the English know it yet. He is basically a double agent for French King Philippe.
He ambushes this group of knights not knowing exactly what they carry. They do discover the Kings horse running away and so Gottlieb orders some men after it.
During the confusion back at the castle one of Robin’s loyal men has released him and his comrades from the stocks.
Being the pragmatic guys they are he orders them to go to the coast so they can find a boat before “3000 English soldiers crowd the place wanting voyage back home.”
Very smart thinking to beat the traffic.
But they also see the King’s horse and end up taking out these Frenchmen. But unfortunately one of the nights Robert Loxley was still barely alive and asks Robin to do him a solemn favor. He wants Robin to take his sword back to his father in Nottingham.
So now the next part of our hero’s quest is set. He reluctantly agrees because he just wants to get back to England and live his life.
But we know from the story that living a simple quiet life is not in Robin’s destiny.
He makes his way back to England and much to the surprise of his now only three remaining men Robin decides to keep his promise and go to Nottingham. They have taken on the guise of the knights carrying the crown and he ends up presenting the crown to the new King John.
This would be a ominous foreshadowing because the King seems to recognize him.
The King entrusts Gottlieb to start collecting taxes. Behind his back Gottlieb has ordered French troops to the shores and they are collecting the taxes and raiding towns. King John is quickly losing the goodwill and favor of the people as he taxes them into starvation.
But he is not the king his brother Richard the Lionhearted was. Their pleas fall on deaf ears.
The movie comes to its predictable climax when Gottlieb and the French forces led by King Philippe have a massive confrontation on the shores of the beachhead with King John. Robin and his archers will also play a major role.
King John is woefully incompetent in matters of war and so basically Robin and one other of the King’s advisers are leading the assault. I won’t give away the action but it’s a big battle that’s well staged. Definitely the best part of the movie.
As this movie ends we see the familiar proclamation making Robin Hood outlaw for inciting the people to rise up and riot. As the Kings messenger is placing the letter he shoots an arrow which stamps it in to the wooden post.
The stage is now set because Robin Hood has achieved his outlaw status. Don’t worry Maid Marian plays a big role getting close to Robin. Overall this is an excellent movie that I give 3 1/2 out of five stars.