WRITER: Dominic Minghella DIRECTOR: John McKay
CATS: Jonas Armstrong (Robin), Lucy Griffiths (Marian), Keith Allen (Sheriff Of Nottingham), Richard Armitage (Guy Of Gisbourne), Gordon Kennedy (Little John) & Sam Troughton (Much)
Returning from the Crusades, Robin of Locksley finds that England has fallen under the harsh rule of the Sheriff Of Nottingham in King John's absence...Undoubtedly one of England's greatest legends, second only to King Arthur, Robin Hood has been adapted countless times for stage and screen -- from the dashing 1938 adventures of Errol Flynn, through the 1980s TV series Robin Of Sherwood, to Kevin Costner's American incarnation in the 1991 hit movie.
The BBC have revived the beloved myth for contempory audiences high on Lord Of The Rings, and are clearly hoping to create a Doctor Who-style phenomenon for the winter months. But will Robin's arrow hit the target?
Robin Hood's first episode is restricted by the fact it has to go through the motions of setting up the overly familar concept. So we find Jonas Armstrong's Robin returning to England with his friend Much (Sam Troughton), only to find the people under the tyrannical rule of the Sheriff Of Nottingham (Keith Allen).
Will You Tolerate This? opens with a fun scene of Robin (already obscured behind a large hood, immediately evoking a curious parallel to contemporary teen "hoodies"), fending off some of the Sheriff's horsemen with flashy archery skills -- the kind of which defy ratonality, but are no doubt impressive.
From here, the story trundles along and introduces many of the story elements you're expecting to see. Of particular interest is the episode's focus on Robin's status as respected landowner of Locksley and the political aspect of the Sheriff's actions. Of all the updates to the show, the medievel politics stood out as being quite pleasing to see in a family show.
With the show ultimately sticking to the broad story of Robin Hood, it's more interesting to note its changes.
Armstrong's Robin is a roguish charmer with an eye for the ladies, apparently styled on a lead singer of an indie band. The fact someone so young has apparently seen the atrocities of war in the Middle East and is ruler of a township isn't easy to believe, but Armstrong's age and good looks doesn't stop him making a strong impression where it counts.
Lucy Griffiths plays Marian -- no longer prefixed "Maid" and thankfully not written as a waif who makes doe-eyes at Robin every few minutes. She's a plucky heroine with a natural beauty and should prove to be quite an engaging romantic foil for Robin.
Keith Allen has nabbed the potentially scene-stealing role of the Sheriff, a character always enjoyable to watch in any incarnation, but now made particularly notable by Alan Rickman's performance in Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.
Allen isn't a favourite actor of mine, primarily because he hasn't really starred in anything of note (beyond Shallow Grave -- where he played the dead flatemate...) There's something a little seedy about Allen, but thankfully this quality serves him well as the Sheriff. Allen is no Rickman, but he wisely plays the Sheriff straighter than Rickman's snarling panto villain, and makes a good impression. But there are elements of Rickman's baddie sprinkled into the script -- such as when the Sheriff crushes a budgie in a fit of pique!
The supporting cast are good, particularly Richard Armitage as Guy Of Gisbourne -- a villain who, for my money, often surpasses the Sheriff because he's more pro-active. Armitage is a striking and imposing figure who I hope can use these assets to create an unnerving antagonist and not just a stereotyped macho henchman.
The production, filmed in Hungary, is of a very high standard. The countryside is beautiful with the buildings believable and atmospheric, particularly Nottingham Castle. It's clear a lot of money has been spent on the series' aesthetic, although I'd have preferred a dirtier look myself. At times, everything is so bright and beautiful you feel like you're watching a re-enactment group riding horses through a theme park.
However, this a minor complaint given the quality of everything on display. The only element that caused me genuine concern was in the needlessly-flashy directing, with every little sword fight or punch-up tarted up with distracting visuals. For period action films I always find it annoying when flashy Matrix-esque camera moves are introduced. Did Peter Jackson over-complicate Lord Of The Rings' action sequences with anything more complicated than slow-motion? No. Robin Hood would be wise to follow this example, as the show-off editing of even the simplest action beats grew irritating -- particularly a contrived sword fight in the opening 10 minutes.
Episode 1 was a solid if unremarkable beginning. The actors are by far the strongest aspect to the show, closely followed by the set design. The plot will hopefully develop once the show's concept is set-up (Robin unites outlaws to "rob from the rich to give to the poor", yada yada...) and we should have an entertaining family adventure for our Saturday nights.
