Robin Hood: Season One
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DVD details
Actor: Jonas Armstrong, Keith Allen, Lucy Griffiths, Richard Armitage, Sam TroughtonBrand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Unknown
Running Time: 585 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-08-04
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Model: E4002
Studio: BBC Worldwide
Product features:
- People's hero, war hero, romantic hero and leader of the world's most famous resistance group.Robin Hood is known and loved by millions around the world. His fight against a corrupt government and greedy officials is something we all can connect with. Fun, modern and intelligent, the BBC's Robin Hood is guaranteed to appeal to today's sophisticated viewers and is set to be as popular as the new D
DVD Reviews of Robin Hood: Season One
DVD Review: An Excellent Revision of a Classic Character
Summary: 4 Stars
Now there have been many Robin Hoods over the years, from Errol Flynn to Kevin Costner, to Carry Elwes, but this version outshoots them all by far. Not only one of the best visual renditions of the legends ever made, it's also a fantastic Medieval action-adventure in its own right, especially considering that (with the exception of HBO's Rome) most television productions of pre-modern times tend to be horribly campy and cheesy (remember the Xena and Hercules series?). This production of the legends, fresh out of Britain and now playing on BBC America as well as released on DVD is a completely new rendering of the story, made fully modern in it's imagery and poignancy, but still keeping to many of the classic elements of the tale while giving them a new spin.
First off, Robin himself is younger than his cinematic predecessors. In this version, he is still in his early or mid-twenties. He's a little more cocksure of himself than the other depictions, especially when considering his own mortality. As Marion points out, he acts as if he could never die. He can be a bit of a womanizer too, as evidence in the first episode when he decides to dally with a peasant's daughter right behind her father's back. But Jonas Armstrong proves that Robin is the original romantic swashbuckler, with super-human archery skills to boot. The show takes full use of modern special effects to render Robin's mad bow skills, allowing him to pluck off arrow after arrow with amazing precision. Robin's fighitng style is also different, influenced by his time in the Holy Land. Instead of using the typical English longbow, he wields a shorter re-curved Turkish bow, which the show uses to explain some of the edge of his archery prowess; additionally rather than fighting with a broadsword, he carries a Middle Eastern scimitar. One other thing that this younger, hipper, Robin presents is a far greater sense of altruism and idealism. Sure, the very nature of Robin Hood is his philanthropic "rob from the rich, give to the poor" philosophy, but this time he takes it a step further. While it's clear that Robin could use his superior archery skill to pick off any number of baddies, Robin holds to a philosophy of (almost) non-violence. Far from being a pacifist, he nevertheless refuses to use outright violence to defy the Sheriff and his men, stating several times that bloodshed has solved little. While giving a depth to Robin's charater, it does stretch the level of believability sometimes. There are several moments when Robin is face-to-face with the Sheriff, and could easily put a dagger in his throat or an arrow through his gut, and after the third time this happens you kind of want to shout "Oh off it, and kill the bloody bugger!"
Speaking of the Sheriff of Nottingham, Keith Allen portrays that most wickedly evil, amusingly dark depiction of the classic villain (sorry Alan Rickman, you're no longer on the top). Unlike in other version of the tale, the Sheriff is no skilled swordsman, maniacal warrior, or masterful battlefield tactician. Keith Allen's Sheriff is older, shorter, and scrawnier, yet no less menacing. The Sheriff here is the brains behind the operation, sitting in his castle at Nottingham and plotting all the evil cruelties to dish out to the peasantfolk. Not just evil, he's actually funny in a dark, twisted sort of way. He gets a queer pleasure out of being evil, and it's rather infectious. You have to chuckle to yourself when he sits watching his guards plucking out peasants' tongues and casually remarks on how he drinks the finest of wines...and yet strangely enough can't taste any of them. Oh well (dumps the wine out). Oh, not to mention he crushes sparrows with his bare hands. At the Sheriff's side is Sir Guy of Guisbourne, played by the darkly handsome and sleekly villainous Richard Armitage. Most versions of the legends have either passed Sir Guy up, or relegated him to a minor role as an ever-failing henchman. Here, he is given all his evil due, dressed in shining black leather that perfectly compliments his sharp, narrow features and blazing eyes. As the Sheriff's strong-arm, he is the military force of the shire, and depicts a cool calm exterior to the Sheriff's often frivolous demeanor. The interplay between the characters is probably one of the best things about the show. It's never openly depicted, but one gets the sense that Sir Guy is rather fed up with the Sheriff, and easily believes he can do a better job. Yet the Sheriff represents job security, and even Sir Guy is a little afraid of him.
As for the rest of the gang, they also get their fair share of makeovers. Much (or Mudge, depending on what spelling you use) is no longer the gawky miller's son saved by Robin Hood, but is rather Robin's former manservant raised to squire for his valor during the Crusades. He presents an amusing comic relief for the band of Merry Men, and almost every time he opens his mouth, something funny comes out. Will Scarlett is perhaps one of the most drastic changes, both in terms of personality and backstory. In the original ballads and version of the tale, Will is often Robin's cousin, forced into a life of thievery after killing several of the Sheriff's men in self defense. He is usually portrayed as being sneaky, cunning, and not always 100 percent on Robin's side. In this version, Will is the son of one of Robin's serfs, a quiet boy barely in his teens who is sentenced to be hanged for stealing grain from Sir Guy's stores. Little John is also a different character. He still has the super-human strength and massive size that is part and parcel of the character, but he is a more solemn, somber character rather than the boisterous, rowdy man given over in other depictions. When he walks on screen for the first time, you can't mistake him for who he must be, but you also have to remark on the new wardrobe he's given (the most striking being a dark floor-length highwayman's coat). Finally, Marion herself is a striking character...in more ways than one. Lucy Griffiths plays what is perhaps the most gorgeous of all Maid Marions, with rosy cheeks, dark sheeny hair, and the most beautiful pair of grey-green eyes I've ever seen. She is not the naive, simpering maiden of some stories, but a strong-willed character in her own right with convictions just as strong as Robin. All in all, the idea of the Merry Men (who are never actually called such in the series) is more realistic and believable. Instead of being an entire army living in a treetop village in Sherwood Forest, they are ragged band of about half a dozen men, tromping from makeshift campsite to campsite, perpetually on the run and pressed for food and resources.
As far as the show goes in its production and storytelling, it is also masterful. The series doesn't try to come off as too heavy-handed like some Robin Hood versions (such as the 1992 Kevin Costner film), and maintains a light air of action-adventure. One simply needs to listen to the show's opening theme to get that sense of swashbuckling adventure. Humor is spiced plentifully throughout, offset by the disgustingly vile actions of the Sheriff and Sir Guy. Yet despite the lightheartedness that the show tries to maintain, it rarely devolves into the campy realm of such series as Xena: Warrior Princess or Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Mind you, there are a few moments when plot loopholes or storyline conveniences become a little too much (one has to wonder how many times Robin can sneak into Nottingham Castle without getting caught), but those moments are few and can be easily ignored in the spirit of the series. The only other minor complaint is the episodic nature of the series; most plotlines are developed and wrapped up in a single episode rather than drawing out into intricate and complex scenarios. But again, this is an action-adventure series, not a high drama, and it works for that type of show. All in all, it's an amazing series filled with good old fashioned thrills, swordfights, and chivalrous romance. One of the most dashingly imaginative imaginings of the epic tale, it fails to disappoint and hits all the right bull's eyes.
Minuses: some rather large plotholes (ignore them and show works fine), some costumes which are rather too modern to be even remotely historically accurate, apparently a budget that wasn't large enough to include real chainmail. Oh, and where the Tuck is the Friar?! After playing him for an entire summer on-cast at a Medieval Faire, I was personally offended with his omission.
Description of Robin Hood: Season One
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