Media

Home Theater Movie Renter's Guide - September, 2010

"Robin Hood" (2010) (Blu-ray) - Reviewed by John Johnson

Synopsis

In 1199, as Richard the Lionheart is returning to England, broke after spending 10 years in The Crusades, he has to battle his way through France to get to the coast. One of his archers is Robin Longstride (Crowe).

When Richard asks Robin if there were anything he regretted during the army's actions, Robin tells him that it was the slaughter of thousands of Muslims. Robin is punished for saying this, and he decides that he will abandon Richard's army and make his way on his own. Another soldier, Robert of Loxley is wounded and asks Robin to take his sword and give it to his father when he gets back to England.

Richard is killed, and Robin finally arrives in Nottingham, England, and meets Robert's wife, Marion (Blanchett). He takes the role of her husband in order to protect her from Prince John's men, who are collecting taxes on the orders of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Macfadyen). Robin and the people who worked on Loxley's estate become the men of Sherwood, who make life difficult for Prince John and his tax collectors.

There is a final showdown, with the ending we all know.

Commentary

The best of all the Robin Hood movies, the 1938 version, starring Errol Flynn, was filmed in Northern California. Blue skies in every daytime scene. Over the past several decades, Hollywood has moved away from movies that show European history of the Middle Ages as never getting wet or dirty, into a more realistic, rainy, muddy, rather unpleasant set of living circumstances. Robin Hood 2010 follows that trend. However, as with all legendary heros, the story is still not quite accurate. There was an actual Robin, but he was just a lout and a drunkard, and didn't take from the rich and give to the poor. He was just a folk hero whose fame grew beyond reality.

Technical

The image quality is excellent, with nice use of surround sound during the battle scenes.

Extras

These include The Art of Nottingham, Deleted Scenes, Rise and Rise Again, Behind the Scenes Footage, Ballad, Legend & Myth, The More the Merrier, No Quarter Given, Pocket Blue, and BD-Live.

Class A

Preamplifiers

Tubes