Photo: Lionsgate
This isn’t your grandpa’s Robin Hood. Nor your dad’s. Hell, it might not even be yours, and maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Every generation should have heroes that it can relate to and this latest entry into the long list of Robin Hood adaptations is unlike any that have preceded it.
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The timeless story of an outlaw who “steals from the rich and gives to the poor” has been reimagined for a new generation raised on superheroes.
This time around, up-and-comer Taron Egerton plays the bad boy Robin of Locksley who is mentored by Little John (Jamie Foxx). We told you it was different.
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Go-to villain Ben Mendelsohn chews up the scenery as the Sheriff of Nottingham and future movie star Eve Hewson is Maid Marian. There’s a lot more to this surprisingly fun, action-packed movie that will stir debates on both sides, so let’s get into it.
Robin Hood (2018)
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Breakout Star
Whereas other Robin Hood movies featured A-list stars like Errol Flynn, Kevin Costner, and Russell Crowe, the new version stars Taron Edgerton, who is isn't a household name (yet). That will change with this would-be franchise as well as his upcoming portrayal of another famous Brit, Elton John in Rocketman.
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Weaponry
Robin Hood's iconic weapon of choice is a now high-powered, fast-shooting bow that looks straight out of the Sierra Trading Post catalog.
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Technique
The high-powered archery in this film feels very accurate and visceral. If you fire an arrow out of a regular bow, you can easily see it coming and put up a shield, but the new technique of high-powered shooting used in this film makes the attack unpredictable, akin to hand-to-hand combat. An enemy might be able to stop one arrow, but it's the second and third that come in too quickly to stop them all.
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Multicultural Casting
Jaime Foxx is African-American, so him playing Little John is brave, woke casting choice that we would like to see more of.
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Fashion
The clean, sleek costuming looks like it's from a Robin Hood line via H&M. Speaking of, where can we get that sharp coat Ben Mendelsohn is wearing?
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Fierce Female Character
After this movie, Eve Hewson will be known for more than being Bono's daughter. Maid Marian gets in on the action, not just playing the stereotypical damsel in distress.
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Special Effects
There's a lot of special effects as this modern retelling is geared for an audience raised on Marvel movies rather than historical dramas.
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New Vision
This is Otto Bathurst's first feature film, but a fresh take requires a fresh set of eyes. We're in skilled hands considering he's directed episodes of some of our favorite television shows like Black Mirror and Peaky Blinders.
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for CinemaCon
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Coming of Age
This is very much an origin story a la Batman Begins that sees a young, immature Robin Hood endure some bumps and bruises before becoming the hero he was destined to be.
