Robin Hood (2018)

Will Hollywood ever get tired of retelling Robin Hood? I hope not, because I'll always be keen to watch another adaption of the classic legend. I just hope they get it right someday. Costner's version was good (if you don't take into account the sexism), the BBC series was awesome (they had a poor budget and poor actors, but the characters were so compelling), Crowe's 2012 film was dark and violent (but weakly written and miscast), and Men in Tights was ridiculous (it was supposed to be, but still). Of all of the adaptions, however, this film ranks among the worst of the lot.

What is Robin Hood about?

A war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown. (from IMDB)

My review of Robin Hood

With frenzied, stylised violence and extremely sloppy writing, there's very little to hold this film together.

Character motivations are murky, relationships are under-developed, the characters are flat, the acting is nothing impressive, and the dialogue is convoluted.

The tone is dark, but at the same time laden with a kind of "punk rock" energy. The movie is so caught up in its own "edgy" excitement that it does little to deliver real thrills or emotion. It has no heart. It hardly entertains, either, because the characters are so shallow and the action so unfocused.

It does have its fun moments - the soundtrack is awesome, and some scenes (like Robin's archery training with John) are enough to pump you up - but ultimately: what is a story without a reasoned plot or dynamic characters? A muddy mess.