When I wrote the Robin Hood article, I still had a bit of Robin Hood yet to watch. Most of the really great Robin Hood stuff has already made the blog, but I have to update at least a couple of things to really be fair.
Best Music
I totally missed an obvious addition when I was talking about music in the Robin Hood property.
You just can't get catchier than this:
Tight tights!
Yeah, that'll be in your head all day. You're welcome. Again.
Best Death
The 2006 Jonah Armstrong led Robin Hood series ran 39 episodes. It may not have had much (wait for it) in the way of "Bests" but it did have a couple. In several versions of the tale, Robin dies at the end and that's how they put a bow on this series.
Robin falls to the poisoned blade of the Sheriff of Nottingham (a lady by this point, very progressive this series) and dies. He gets to say goodbye to the remaining members of the Merry band before going off to die alone in the greenwood. He is visited at the last by a vision of the late Marian (also died, end of the second season) and then succumbs to the poison. It's bitter sweet and poignant and gave me the tearies.
Best Much
Like I said, wait for it. Much the miller's son hardly ever gets a big chunk of screen time but in that 2006 series, he's more like the second lead than sidekick. Sam Troughton plays him mostly for laughs and gets more than his fair share of mean spirited jokes directed his way but he not only takes the beating but comes out as the most developed character beside Robin himself. There's a true bromance at work here. Much and Robin bicker like husband and ...er...husband, yet the obvious love they have for each other comes across with consistency. They are master and servant in name only, family in truth.
A couple of special mentions.
A Saracen with different...attributes....
That 2006 series added a few actors of colour in minor guest roles over the 39 episodes but the character of Djaq the Saracen was a regular part of the gang for the first 2/3 of the show's run. While the inclusion of a Saracen character is really no longer noteworthy in Robin Hood tales, having that Saracen be an educated, witty, independent woman certainly is.
A Friar of a different sort
When Jay left the show they brought in David Harewood as Tuck. He's the first example I can find of one of the main characters being played by a person of colour AND he's the first fit, able and serious take on the Tuck character that I know of.
Most Scarlet Scarlet
2010's non-Robin Hood Russell Crowe starring Robin Hood film drops a LOT of balls. Story, character, concept all pretty much feel like a totally different character. If folks didn't keep calling Crowe "Robin" or "Locksley" you'd pretty much not realize that this was supposed to be Robin Hood at all.
Still, for once, Will Scarlet was...well...scarlet.
The actor, Scott Grimes, is an actual, honest to goodness redhead. So, yeah. Special mention for that.
Best Alan A'Dale
The only other decently Robin Hood-ee thing about the 2010 movie is its Alan A'Dale. He hardly has any lines but the dude can sing. Small wonder since he's played by Alan Doyle who is the lead singer of one of the truly great modern Canadian bands, Great Big Sea. If you aren't familiar, look them up. They do what we call "Down Eastern" music, basically Celtic folk meets classic rock.
Doyle's voice is so distinctive I recognized him after one sung word and a quick Google confirmed.
Absolute worst...everything
A Robin Hood movie with Taron Egerton. Superb British comedian, Tim Minchin, as Friar Tuck. A modern take with modern effects centred around a heist sounds too good to be true for the next big Robin Hood movie.
And too good to be true is EXACTLY what it was.
This mess of a movie looks like the Lord of the Rings crossed with Jack Ryan by way of Ocean's Eleven. And not in any of the good ways that mix could be cool. The battles look ridiculously like a 21st Century war movie right down to the "armour" which (I assume) intentionally evokes the multi-pocket design of modern tactical vests, the lighting and sets look like a modern sci-fi movie and the noble's costumes look like they were bought at the local mall the day they were shooting. The streets of "Nottingham" look cleaner and more well tiled than my bathroom floor, somehow there's bright, electric light everywhere and the population all look like they are just about ready to start the orgy in the Matrix.
As you can see up above, the costumers went WAY far away from traditional Robin Hood design. The idea of breaking out of tradition can often bring super results. Or not.
There was also an idea that this would look more modern and in the battle scene at the beginning, that really happens.
This is another case where if nobody ever called him "Robin" you would simply never make the connection to Robin Hood from watching the film. It looks more like a sci-fi movie set in a future where gunpowder somehow is no longer available.
It's just terrible on every level. I paid $5 for my copy and i can honestly say I feel ripped off. I have watched it once as part of my "watch everything I own" undertaking and I cannot ever foresee a day when I will open that case again now that it's back on the shelf.
Update:
I had the ah-ha moment. The 2018 Taron Egerton/Jamie Foxx Robin Hood kept reminding me of something and when I was writing the article above I kept trying to find a "such and such" meets "such and such" comparison. I wasn't happy with the final result.
It's not "such and such" meets "such and such" at all, which is why I couldn't put my finger on it.
It looks and feels like a spin-off of Hunger Games. Seriously, add a couple of guns and a few tech toys to ANY scene in 2018s Robin Hood and it's Rise of the Mockingjay - The Heist Movie.
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