We all know the story of Robin Hood right? He is a rebel that steals from the rich, and gives to the poor. We have seen the story as action flicks, animated flicks, and even fantastic comedy flicks like Men in Tights. Well now with The Death of Robin Hood, you can now enjoy his story in a very dark, and very grim setting. I did say enjoy right?
The Death of Robin Hood starts with a young woman coming up to a very old Robin who is chilling by a fire in the wild. She asks if he has heard the tales of Robin Hood, to which he tells her that they aren’t true, and Robin Hood is a murderous outlaw warning her to avoid him should she come across him. Then we cut to him sleeping as she sneaks up on him, then he wakes up, kills her, and tells he how she could have snuck up on him better. It turns out she was avenging a death in the family.
So here we are with a pretty clear tone for how the movie goes. If you don’t want too many spoilers I highly recommend you stop reading from the end of this paragraph. In short it’s a slow paced movie with a Robin Hood that was a straight up murdering outlaw as he reckons with his past as he tries to find himself an appropriate death. It is a fantastic, albeit grim as hell, movie that I highly recommend that is at it’s best when you watch it blind.
OK, this part is more spoilery. Little John finds his old pal Robin Hood, and tells him that since settling down, his wife and daughter have been taken. So Robin and Little John go to save the day, and after Little Johns wife dies, they kill a lot of people. Revenge keeps compounding on revenge, and a lot of blood is spilled. Eventually Robin almost takes a lethal wound. He wakes up on a little island where he is nursed back to health, but opts for a fake name. Because in this version he is a brutal murdering outlaw.
The movie then follows as Robin adjusts to a life where he isn’t trying to kill, or be killed, every day. The first half of the movie is incredibly well shot, and instead of being focused on a large body count instead brings brutal closely shot violence. It makes the fighting feel more real and more personal, adding real weight to the things that Robin and Little John have done. It can be very slow, but doesn’t meander too much on backstory and overarching details, but adds weight to the moments through more time with Robin Hood. After the gripping violence it slows down even more with Robin on the island, but even then this continues to add weight as his character develops.
This of course can only be done if the acting is good. Hugh Jackman is a brilliant actor, and this is no exception. I mean sure, he has done an old man who does a lot of killing before, but this is no Wolverine. Jodie Comer does an incredible job as the woman who take care of Robin Hood, and all the others supporting cast do their jobs well.
The movie looks incredible in 4K, and then added to this package includes a couple of short special features with Hugh Jackman and Michael Sarnoski who wrote and directed it. A little piece goes into the real story of Robin Hood, and it was interesting. I just wish it was longer and delved more into how the story changed away from the source this is based on.
At the end of the day, The Death of Robin Hood is a shockingly solid movie. Slow pacing may not be for everyone, but the story and acting drives this home as a movie I will likely return to somewhat regularly. Maybe in circulation with Men in Tights and Prince of Thieves to really mix up the Robin Hood tone in the house.
This isn't the Robin Hood you remember, but it's a Robin Hood worth visiting. The pacing and violence won't be for everyone, but it is for me!
