Robin Hood The Rebellion -- a review

There have been so many films made about Robin Hood that it’s impossible not to hit one of them if you were to randomly shoot an arrow into a field. Hell, even Doctor Who has done a fun episode, Robot of Sherwood, that deals with the Robin Hood legend. But the most recent big-budget Robin Hood film, starring Taron Egerton--along with a weird assortment of costumes that looked like they were ripped off from a Star Trek episode--was a huge bomb, which might as well have brought the noble Legend of the Hood to an abrupt end.

But Robin Hood is an extremely tenacious fellow who should never be counted out, as proven in Robin Hood: The Rebellion, a thoroughly enjoyable and scrappy little film with a big heart that stars Ben Freeman as the Prince of Thieves. Finding out that his beloved Marian (Marie Everett) has been taken captive by the Sheriff of Nottingham (James Oliver Wheatley), Robin Hood plots a rescue. However this rescue involves storming the Sheriff’s castle stronghold. The ensuing raucous battle to rescue Marian, all while avoiding the Sheriff’s troops while running from room to room in this maze-like castle, makes for a very entertaining time.

Freeman is perfect as Robin; he’s a natural leader without being a tyrant, and he’s quite adept at the hand to hand combat scenes. Wheatley is an excellent foil; his Sheriff of Nottingham is a vicious-minded thug who rules everyone--even his own family members--through fear. And Everett is superb as Marian; she plays Robin’s love not as a quivering damsel in distress, but as a tough-minded woman trained in combat who doesn’t shy away from a fight. And the great Brian Blessed even appears in an inspired bit of casting as Friar Tuck, who helps Robin get his mojo back in a Yoda-like mentor scene.

Robin Hood: The Rebellion comes in at a lean 92 minutes. No epic bloat, here. The cast and crew just tell a simple story--rescue Marian from the Sheriff--as efficiently as it can, expertly using real castle locations as their sets, which enhances the production value. The entire cast, from the Sheriff’s henchmen to his serving wenches, all put their heart and soul into their roles, and the script manages to keep the story fresh with plenty of twists and turns. This is basically Die Hard in a castle, and it works very well--not just as a fun and imaginative action flick, but also as a reminder of the enduring rebellious spirit that Robin Hood embodied. --SF

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