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Tonight's Movie - Robin and Marian
4 years ago
I like Robin Hood, but the only film version I've seen is the Disney version. I have now seen Robin and Marian, a 1970s adaptation about Robin's final adventure. It's an okay film, though it is a bit confusing how this fits into Robin Hood lore.
See, real life Robin Hood lore, as I understand it, is that Robin owns Sherwood forest. He goes off to fight in the crusades. When he gets back, he finds his land has been taken by king John. Thus begins the rivalry with the sheriff, the relationship with Maid Marian, etc.
This film starts with an old Robin Hood returning from the crusades, but him and the sheriff are already old enemies, and he was dating Marian prior to leaving, etc.
It would be like a story about an ageing Batman where his parents are killed in an alley after Bruce had been Batman for years. It makes no sense and creates a bit of a chicken and egg problem.
Timeline discrepancy aside. The rest of the film is decent. The all star cast puts in a great job in their various roles. The relationship between Robin and Marian is especially believable. Another highlight is the historical accuracy. I'm no expert on these things, but it avoids the usual cliches typical of films set in medieval times. eg. Indoor scenes are lit by candles and windows, not huge burning torches.
I want to mention the ending, which was a spin on the real Robin legend I should have saw coming but didn't. I'll not say any more.
In terms of flaws, there's a few. There were more than few cases where it was hard to understand what a character said due to bad diction. Nothing major was lost, just a short line here or there. The other major flaw is the ending is unclear about the end result of the final battle. I know the film isn't about that, but an epilogue would've been nice. It also has the pacing and editing typical of older films, so don't expect dramatic music during action scenes or anything like that.
My final verdict. The film is okay. It's not bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it either. In my case, the film happened to be on TV so I taped it to watch later. That's the best way to watch it I think.
See, real life Robin Hood lore, as I understand it, is that Robin owns Sherwood forest. He goes off to fight in the crusades. When he gets back, he finds his land has been taken by king John. Thus begins the rivalry with the sheriff, the relationship with Maid Marian, etc.
This film starts with an old Robin Hood returning from the crusades, but him and the sheriff are already old enemies, and he was dating Marian prior to leaving, etc.
It would be like a story about an ageing Batman where his parents are killed in an alley after Bruce had been Batman for years. It makes no sense and creates a bit of a chicken and egg problem.
Timeline discrepancy aside. The rest of the film is decent. The all star cast puts in a great job in their various roles. The relationship between Robin and Marian is especially believable. Another highlight is the historical accuracy. I'm no expert on these things, but it avoids the usual cliches typical of films set in medieval times. eg. Indoor scenes are lit by candles and windows, not huge burning torches.
I want to mention the ending, which was a spin on the real Robin legend I should have saw coming but didn't. I'll not say any more.
In terms of flaws, there's a few. There were more than few cases where it was hard to understand what a character said due to bad diction. Nothing major was lost, just a short line here or there. The other major flaw is the ending is unclear about the end result of the final battle. I know the film isn't about that, but an epilogue would've been nice. It also has the pacing and editing typical of older films, so don't expect dramatic music during action scenes or anything like that.
My final verdict. The film is okay. It's not bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it either. In my case, the film happened to be on TV so I taped it to watch later. That's the best way to watch it I think.
