Writer/director Michael Sarnoski takes the lore of Robin Hood and deconstructs it in such a way that it robs all of the fun out of the Robin Hood legend. When it comes to Robin Hood, I think of swashbuckling action and excitement, but The Death of Robin Hood takes a vastly different approach to its style and tone. What we get is a rather dour and depressing afair that feels nothing like what we would come to expect from a Robin Hood story. While this approach might appeal to some people, I can honestly say that I am not a fan.
The film’s story focuses on an aged Robin Hood, who has remained in hiding because of his previous crimes. He remains a fugitive of the law, but eventually he gets seriously injured and seeks help from someone directly affected by his crimes. During his time there, he attempts to recover and reflect on the life that has led him up to this point.
Going into this movie, I got the impression that this take on Robin Hood is a similar story in the vein of Logan, the story that is supposed to end Wolverine’s story arc within Fox’s X-Men universe. While they both have some elements in common, at least Logan made the experience very entertaining and riveting. I cannot say the same thing about this film. To be fair, the film looks gorgeous. Michael Sarnoski and his cinematographer, Pat Scola, give this movie the perfectly bleak look it deserves, but it just does not feel like a true Robin Hood movie. If one wishes to see Robin Hood on his last legs, not the hero we once thought he was, that is the only way to appreciate this film.
Hugh Jackman understands the assignment, but I feel that he is in a movie that should not have been made as a contribution to the Robin Hood lore. Overall, the rest of the cast performs well; however, I don’t know exactly why this film was made. I have no idea what Michael Sarnoski is trying to say with this film. It looks beautiful, and it helps that I watched a 35mm print of the film, but that is the best thing I can say about it. I cannot recommend The Death of Robin Hood at all. It is not the worst thing in the world of cinema, but I just didn’t enjoy its story.