Review: Robin Hood BBC Season 1

Title: Robin Hood Season 1

Producer: BBC

Creators: Foz Allan, Dominic Minghella

Actors: Jonas Armstrong, Lucy Griffiths, Keith Allen, Richard Armitage, Gordon Kennedy, Sam Troughton, Joe Armstrong, Harry Lloyd, Anjali Jay,

My rating: 20/5!!!! I love this show!

I have watched the show so many times, and am so familiar with it, I feel very comfortable righting a review. I have wanted to right a review of it for some time but I wanted to get to know the show better. I feel better writing a review of something I am more comfortable with. This also might be a long review so stick with me here.

I don't really think I need to tell you the basic story line of Robin Hood. No matter how different a movie/series may try to be it has to stick to the same story line. Robin Hood robs the rich to feed to poor.

I have also included as many pictures as possible! I love reviews that have lots of pictures so I try to do that when I write review for movies.

I have read some Robin Hood stories and have seen a couple of different Robin Hood versions, so far this is the best! They have changed the little details of the story, but not the basic story line. I was glad that they did because if they had done every thing the same I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much as I did. I also think that in the case of Robin Hood there is more room for poetic license, because Robin Hood is more of a legend so the story has changed over the years. Where as a movie that is based on a book there is not quite so much room to change the story. Any way it all comes down to, I am glad that they did something different!

Now the characters. I really like the actor they chose to play Robin. Robin was not the most complicated character in the series but Jonas Armstrong I thing tried to give the character more depth. It is really hard to give a character like Robin depth, but Jonas tried and I applaud him for it. He looks how I would expect Robin to look too. I love the caring spirit that Robin Has for people, and how he gave up his life for them, he would do anything for them. This is what makes his so lovable to the people of Nottingham. He has some weaknesses too which makes him not perfect, I love that! I really don't like perfect heroes in stories, they annoy me. Robin is a little to close to perfect some times, but he is other wise fine. I really like this Robin. I think it has to do with the fact that characters that are perfect don't have a lot of depth, and I love characters that have lots of depth! I still feel that Robin's character was flat though.

Marian was just what I always thought her to be, lady like, but not afraid to give a fight and stand up for what she thinks is right. I really like her in season 1. There were a few things that I was not thrilled with, there was a scene where this guy is about to shoot her I don't like her facial expression in this part because is does not I think express what her words say. She just did not express on her face what I think a person about to be shot and killed would. But I learned she was only 19 or 20 when the show started so I thing for getting such a big part at such a young age she did really really well over all.

I love the gang they are all so great, and Allan a Dale (Jo Armstrong) was always good for a laugh. Little John(Gordon Kennedy) was great he was a big guy with a big heart. Much(Sam Troughton) was funny too, he was one of the more comical character on the show, he had some depth of character that I thought was interesting, but I feel it was not as developed as it could be.

Keith Allan did a brilliant job with the sheriff! He was a power hungry guy who would stop at nothing to get what he wants and does not care about any one around him. He is so crazy that you cannon help but laugh at him at the same time as being upset at how evil he is! I must say that he is probably one of my favorite characters because of how wonderful a job Keith Allan did with him.

Now I come to my favorite character. :) Sir Guy of Gisborne. I love how much depth was put into his character by Richard Armitage, and I am sure the writers helped but Richard Armitage is brilliant at giving all his characters amazing depth! Guy of Gisborne is the perfect bad guy. He is evil and you get that but you cannot help but like him. He has something about him that tells you he really does not want to be bad he would be good, but he wants power; and the only way that he sees to get power is by being the evil. He also is not as easy about the crimes he has done as the Sheriff is. He seems to me to pretend that everything is okay, but really it is not. I think I find his character more easy to relate to because I think that is how most people feel. I have not done the same things he has but I still feel the same kind of remorse. I would love to keep analyzing his character, his being the most interesting in the series, but I will save that for another separate post. :)

I loved Will Scarlet(Harry Lloyd)! I loved his character he is kind, just, talented with wood, and just sweet and kind of innocent character. I totally love him, he was one of my favorite characters! Djaq was one of the characters that I love, she was a tom boy and I am a girly girl but I love her different perspective being a Muslim and the others European Christians. I didn't like though some of the 'white man is evil' hints that are there sometimes. I know white people have been bad, but other nationalities have not exactly been perfect either. I am not racist I love people and different cultures! I am just tired of history and movies telling me that I am bad because I am white. *jumps of soap box*

There is plenty of humor, mostly provided my Allan, Much, and the Sheriff, but other characters have some humorous lines too. Here are some my my favorite quotes!

"Taxes we do not like!" -Little John

Allan:"My cousin definitely saw someone turn into a frog!"

Will: "Didn't you say your cousin was always drunk"

Allan: "He was!" (I think there might have been more to the quote but I don't remember it all:( )

Allan: "we are the poor now!"

"I'm not being funny or anything.." -Allan's favorite way to start a sentence. :)

"A clue no."- the sheriffs favorite phrase.

"Still peddling the same old dribble." -Marian

There are tons more, and my sisters and I are always quoting them!

Probably the only thing I really really don't like about this series is the costumes, actually that is not true. I love the costumes!! I just don't think they are very Medieval. They all have a way to modern look to them, especially Marian's costumes. I like them they just don't fit with the time period! They fit her character, but they need to be more Medieval! *sigh*

I think it is safe for the family too. There is no blood or gore. I was glad about that, but I did find that absolutely not blood was a little annoying some people would be completely run through or something like that and there was not even a drop. I don't want it to be gory of anything, but i find it find it funny

I know my little sister, who is about six mentally, watched it and loves it! There is fighting and what not but other wise it really is family safe, at least by my families standards. I mean nothing can be as kid safe as Disney's animated one with the foxes as Robin and Maid Marian. LOL :) I enjoy that one as well.

The one thing that is funny is that in the first episode the people who are hanging should be dead by the time Robin saves them. I find this funny.

The first episode is very slow, and and may seem cheesy at first, but is gets better! The second episode too can be slow, but these episodes are setting up for all that is to come latter. Here is a link to a trailer for season one. Click here!

Overall I love Robin and his gang. Marian is great, and Guy of Gisborne is amazing!!! :) :) This series is fun and tells a great story! I will say that is is my favorite Robin Hood so far!

Let me know what you think of my review! I love it when I get lots of comments! :)

Blessings

~Elizabeth

PS. This is probably the funnest review I have ever done!! :)