Robin Hood - Season 1 DVD Review

My first reaction to another telling of Robin Hood, this time as a television program, was of near disgust. The story has been told so many times and in so many different ways that it is unbelievable that it could continue to be remade, but I can honestly say that I have never seen a Robin Hood done quite like this.

Jonas Armstrong is a ridiculously good looking Robin Hood in the new television series about the famed thief, perhaps a little too modern to be believable, but also much more likely to attract a younger audience. A younger audience may be what Robin Hood needs, with a much tamer story that has been turned television friendly and somewhat modern touches thrown in from the clothing to the hairstyles which always seem perfect. Even the villain has smoldering good looks which would only be believable on a soap opera.

Some of the action seems a bit over-the-top and silly, perhaps as a way to try and contend with the many successful versions of the story which have already been told. In one scene Robin actually fights while holding a baby and this is a realistic task compared to what he is able to do with his bow and arrows. Even as absurd as some of the action can be, it is well choreographed and keeps the show moving far easier than the humor, which never really seems able to hold as well. There is a slight corny element in this new Robin Hood which makes it seem far more suited to be paired with The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. than any of the Robin Hood films. The story is basically the same, but there is something different about this show which makes it a bit too contrived to take seriously.

With much of the basic plot being the same there are moments which must be dragged out a great deal just to keep the story lasting much longer. At its best the show is able to create a more textured and complex version of the story, but often when additional sub-plots are added to beef up episodes they are less interesting than the tale we already know. In order to keep the show moving each location is listed with the sound effect of an arrow whizzing by, but this sound is often just a reminder how much time has gone by without any arrows being shot. The Robin in this show has lost his taste for blood after the holy war in Israel and doesn’t use his bow to kill. Instead he often just shoots them close to his target in an intimidating manner which loses all effect after the fifth time in the first episode. Perhaps it makes more sense to have Robin be peaceful, but it certainly isn’t much fun.

The DVD extras include a “Hood Academy” featurette as well as “Dressing the Hood” but these technical featurettes deal with specific elements of the show while there is also a basic making-of featurette. Other various features include audio commentaries and character profiles.