Robin Hood
2018 · Directed by Otto Bathurst
Original language: English
- adventure
- action
- thriller
- fantasy
The story
A war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown.
What it’s like
Fast, slick, and loud, with a grimy-gold palette: sun-scorched Crusade deserts give way to murky, rain-soaked Nottingham streets lit by smoky torches and sooty forge glow. The camera is restless, with quick cuts, handheld swoops and bullet-time flourishes during archery and sword fights, and the wide shots of Sherwood Forest stay dark and mossy rather than sunlit. Its score is a driving orchestral-rock pulse with hard percussion, so the sound never really settles. The vibe is brash, kinetic grit: a blockbuster reboot that trades folk-tale warmth for swagger. Violence is frequent and bloody-but-stylised, with stabbings, beheadings and battlefield carnage shown on screen, and some torture and threatening menace; there is no sexual content, and the tone stays more action-adventure than horror. It suits a Friday night with the lights down and an appetite for spectacle, and it is aimed at viewers who want a propulsive, muscular take on the outlaw legend, a lonely ex-soldier slowly becoming a hero rather than a gentle or romantic retelling.
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