meganbmoore (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
meganbmoore) wrote2008-12-01 12:52 pm
meganbmoore) wrote2008-12-01 12:52 pm
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Robin Hood: Season 1, eps 1-5 (current BBC series)
Robin, Earl of Huntington, returns home after 5 years in the crusades to find the evil Sheriff of Nottingham overtaxing his people. Robin becomes the leader of a band of outlaws and tries to woo his childhood love, Marian with his new outlaw status. Or something.
You know the drill.
I’ll state this up front: I don’t like Robin. I think he’s a smug gloryhound and don’t like the way he talks down to Marian. He’s also supposed to be smart, but it comes across as utterly ridiculous when they do that. There’s also his whole “no killing ever” policy. Now, sometimes I like it when characters take that stance. It can be very interesting and provide for good character studies but here it’s ridiculous. I could understand it at first, but by the time the sheriff was cutting off tongues, he should have realized that that stance wouldn’t work. It’s supposed to make him seem noble and heroic, but makes him seem like an idiot.
Let me put this in superhero terms. Between Robin’s acrobatics and the flashes of light to let us know how awesome an archer he is, they’re pretty much writing Robin as a superhero anyway. Robin is Captain America. The Sheriff is his archenemy, Red Skull. Guisbourne is Red Skull’s henchman, Crossbones. When Captain America catches Crossbones robbing a bank and shooting everyone inside, he takes him down and turns him over to the police. It isn’t a permanent solution, but it’s a justice system he has faith in, and he knows there will be legal consequences for Crossbones. In Robin Hood’s case, however, Captain America is giving Crossbones back to Red Skull, knowing perfectly well that there will be no punishment and that Red Skull will send Crossbones to rob another bank the next day. It would be different if Robin didn’t have the opportunity to take care of them permanently, but he does. Constantly. And it’s regularly brought up that he doesn’t to make sure we realize how he’s so noble, and emotionally scarred from the crusades, because doesn’t it make him so much more interesting that way?
I think the actor could be charming and likable, but the script makes Robin act superior, and be way too eager for attention for his likability to really come through for me.
However, I like Robin’s men. Much is an idiot, but supposed to be one. I like the quiet Will (though I keep forgetting that he actually can talk) and how Alan is pretty much a conman, and John as the gruff father figure. I absolutely adore the sheriff as a villain. He’s an absurd scenery-chewer and the actor knows it. I am firmly convinced that the only reason Robin has lasted five minutes again him is because if that happens, the show will end. I love Richard Armitage and think the black leather is quite fetching, but Guisbourne isn’t doing a lot for me. I think some spoilers I know for season 2 are a part of that, though.
As an idea, I am utterly in love with Marian. A heroine who is cold and pragmatic, who thinks idealism and heroism are foolish, and who has to be won over to the idea? A lot of her lines are lifted word-for-word from the Jaded and Battle-Scarred Warrior Handbook, and I love it. There’s also the whole Night Watchman business. It clashes a bit with her stated attitudes on heroism and vigilantes, but it also fits, because she isn’t flashy about it and helps people without directly crossing the sheriff most of the time. While the villagers knew about her, she was low key enough that she didn’t make waves, so people weren’t getting their tongues cut out over it. For some reason, though, she isn’t quite clicking with me. I like her ok, and the actress does a good job, but I look at the elements of the character, and I should be madly in love, but I’m not. I think that part of it is that they’re trying a bit hard with the “feminist heroine” bit in that it is a modern take on it, but I think it’s also because they’re really pushing Robin/Marian very hard, and Robin makes it very difficult for me to buy into that pairing. Considering what a big part of the legend Robin/Marian is, that’s not really a good thing.
D’Jaq only appeared in the last episode I watched. I suspect I’ll like her, but I’m a bit leery of the apparent “tomboy and healer” take on the character. I’m also surprised Will clued the others in on her being a girl so quickly.
The show is enjoyable in a campy way, though you really have to ignore most of the costumes and attitudes. Really, I kind of wish it’d stop trying to be serious, and just be fun. I don’t think it’ll ever be a favorite, but I find it entertaining.
You know the drill.
I’ll state this up front: I don’t like Robin. I think he’s a smug gloryhound and don’t like the way he talks down to Marian. He’s also supposed to be smart, but it comes across as utterly ridiculous when they do that. There’s also his whole “no killing ever” policy. Now, sometimes I like it when characters take that stance. It can be very interesting and provide for good character studies but here it’s ridiculous. I could understand it at first, but by the time the sheriff was cutting off tongues, he should have realized that that stance wouldn’t work. It’s supposed to make him seem noble and heroic, but makes him seem like an idiot.
Let me put this in superhero terms. Between Robin’s acrobatics and the flashes of light to let us know how awesome an archer he is, they’re pretty much writing Robin as a superhero anyway. Robin is Captain America. The Sheriff is his archenemy, Red Skull. Guisbourne is Red Skull’s henchman, Crossbones. When Captain America catches Crossbones robbing a bank and shooting everyone inside, he takes him down and turns him over to the police. It isn’t a permanent solution, but it’s a justice system he has faith in, and he knows there will be legal consequences for Crossbones. In Robin Hood’s case, however, Captain America is giving Crossbones back to Red Skull, knowing perfectly well that there will be no punishment and that Red Skull will send Crossbones to rob another bank the next day. It would be different if Robin didn’t have the opportunity to take care of them permanently, but he does. Constantly. And it’s regularly brought up that he doesn’t to make sure we realize how he’s so noble, and emotionally scarred from the crusades, because doesn’t it make him so much more interesting that way?
I think the actor could be charming and likable, but the script makes Robin act superior, and be way too eager for attention for his likability to really come through for me.
However, I like Robin’s men. Much is an idiot, but supposed to be one. I like the quiet Will (though I keep forgetting that he actually can talk) and how Alan is pretty much a conman, and John as the gruff father figure. I absolutely adore the sheriff as a villain. He’s an absurd scenery-chewer and the actor knows it. I am firmly convinced that the only reason Robin has lasted five minutes again him is because if that happens, the show will end. I love Richard Armitage and think the black leather is quite fetching, but Guisbourne isn’t doing a lot for me. I think some spoilers I know for season 2 are a part of that, though.
As an idea, I am utterly in love with Marian. A heroine who is cold and pragmatic, who thinks idealism and heroism are foolish, and who has to be won over to the idea? A lot of her lines are lifted word-for-word from the Jaded and Battle-Scarred Warrior Handbook, and I love it. There’s also the whole Night Watchman business. It clashes a bit with her stated attitudes on heroism and vigilantes, but it also fits, because she isn’t flashy about it and helps people without directly crossing the sheriff most of the time. While the villagers knew about her, she was low key enough that she didn’t make waves, so people weren’t getting their tongues cut out over it. For some reason, though, she isn’t quite clicking with me. I like her ok, and the actress does a good job, but I look at the elements of the character, and I should be madly in love, but I’m not. I think that part of it is that they’re trying a bit hard with the “feminist heroine” bit in that it is a modern take on it, but I think it’s also because they’re really pushing Robin/Marian very hard, and Robin makes it very difficult for me to buy into that pairing. Considering what a big part of the legend Robin/Marian is, that’s not really a good thing.
D’Jaq only appeared in the last episode I watched. I suspect I’ll like her, but I’m a bit leery of the apparent “tomboy and healer” take on the character. I’m also surprised Will clued the others in on her being a girl so quickly.
The show is enjoyable in a campy way, though you really have to ignore most of the costumes and attitudes. Really, I kind of wish it’d stop trying to be serious, and just be fun. I don’t think it’ll ever be a favorite, but I find it entertaining.
no subject
Best modern version was Robin of Sherwood, with Michael Praed. Jason Connery was never as good. I know the magic side of it was totally wrong, but they made it work and at least they never made Robin an annoying, self-obsessed loser. Also, there was a very hot Saracen.
Basically, I wish people would stop making it if they can't get it right. This is a national legend of great importance and they are turning it into rubbish.
My feelings on bad Robin Hood remakes are second only to my feelings when someone twists the legend of Arthur (and Marion Zimmer Bradley had also better avoid dark cellars).
no subject
Marion Zimmer Bradley...I read one of her Avalon books and despised it so much I essentially vowed to never touch her books again. It dealt with Guenevere, Morgan and Arthur being reincarnated over and ever, and for about 500 pages, said that the Morgan character was awesome in every incarnation and the Guenevere character pathetic because, with the religions of their best known incarnations, how could they be otherwise?