Robin Hood, a famous tale of a heroic outlaw who has been the close friend of people throughout many generations, is a hot topic in the world of cinema. Countless movies, TV shows, animations, theatre, and other forms of creative works have used the tale of Robin Hood and depictedthe iconic storynumerous times. Thanks to those, there have been many additions as well as variations to the tale — such as new characters, new plot points, and new time settings — with all still with the heroic character at its core.
In the modern world of cinema, where the topic of rebels is rampant, Robin Hood stays true to its origin as the one that starts it all, a character that becomes the symbol of rebels against tyranny and injustice. What he represents has been used in various genres of modern cinema, the popular one being dystopian, such as the Mockingjay against the Capitol, and the Divergents against the overruling Erudite.
The legendary English folklore describes Robin Hood as a highly skilled archer and swordsman known for his noble acts of taking money from the rich to help other less fortunate people. To some degree, he also represents a gray area — where his act of stealing isn’t good behavior, yet the reason he does so is. Robin Hood has been going through so much change and associations since its first known reference in the 14th century, written by William Langland, and the tale still keeps on giving.
There are more than 70 retellings of Robin Hood on screen, and here are 15 of the best ones, ranked.
15Robin of Locksley (1996)
The 1996 adaptation of Robin Hood takes place in a wealthy private school named Locksley Academy, where Robin McAllister (Devin Sawa) attends after he and his family win a lottery. There, he befriends the school’s misfits, Will Scarlett (Billy O’Sullivan), Little John (Tyler Labine), and a girl he eventually falls in love with, Marian (Sarah Chalke). The Robin Hood trope comes through him helping his injured friend, who is desperate for money, by stealing from John Prince Jr. (Joshua Jackson), a wealthy fellow student who is a ruthless bully.
A Modern Approach with Devin Sawa
Directed by Michael Kennedy, the film explores the modern take on Robin Hood while keeping most of the characters’ original roles intact. Instead of the traditional method of stealing, Robin takes advantage of computer crimes rampant in the early 1990s. However, he does so rather sloppily, resulting in him gaining the attention of the FBI, which upped the stakes even more than in the original tale.
One would think the traditional essence of the tale is out the window with the modern setting, but in a way, the film still carries it well — with archery and horses, naughty bullies, crossing the blurry line of stealing to give to the poor. Making Robin a wealthy student is an interesting choice, as it blurs the injustice even more.
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14Robin Hood (2018)
The most recent Robin Hood retelling, directed by Otto Bathurst, follows Robin of Loxley (Taron Egerton), an aristocrat who finds his family estate taken by the notoriously overruling Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Mendelsohn). Sick and tired of the continuous oppression, Robin groups with Friar Tuck (Tim Minchin) and John (Jamie Foxx) to take down the system. Staying true to its origins, Robin, armed with arrows and a bow, leads the rebels to rob the Sheriff, taking his power and ending his rule.
A Tired Blend Between Modern and Old-Fashioned
The film hasn’t received the best reactions, withmany criticizing itfor being boring and poorly written. With a jumpy plot and meaningless action sequences, the film has inevitably failed to deliver the essence of Robin Hood. It also looks like it is between a modern future and an old-fashioned past, which is dragged throughout the film as it fails to state what they’re trying to bring to the table. Despite that, one good thing about the film is its actors’ performances, which make the film worth watching (for the most part). Portraying classic characters is no easy task, and each actor does a good job, which helps with its unstable plot flow.
Robin Hood Origins
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13Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950)
Rogues of Sherwood Foresttells the story of Robin Hood’s son (John Derek), who survives an attack orchestrated by his father’s nemesis, King John (George Macready). The battle between the two continues as King John repeatedly emphasizes his overruling tax collection methods. Robin regroups with Little John (Alan Hale Sr.), using the pigeon trick to get inside King John’s operations and blow it up inside out.
Missing the Backstory
The son, also named Robin Hood, goes on a long journey to regather the group and fight against King John’s tyranny. The director, Gordon Douglas, attempted to shower the film with Robin Hood elements, resulting in several amusing scenes involving the characters’ togetherness and skillful fights. There are also memorable joust scenes, which highlight the honor and bravery each character brings.
Unfortunately, some take the film as the not-so-great goodbye film of Little John’s legendary actor, Alan Hale Sr. Despite its intertwined strings with the original tale, the film doesn’t quite get the familiar punch that Robin Hood brings: otherworldlybrave adventures to fight great injustice.
12Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964)
Also directed by Gordon Douglas, the musical 1964 Robin Hood film takes Robin Hood’s tale and puts it in prohibition-era Chicago, where a shoot-and-kill goes down between a greedy racketeer Guy Gisborne (Peter Falk) and a mob boss Big Jim (Edward G. Robinson). The living victor, Guy Gisborne, demands Robbo (Frank Sinatra) and his friends to pay them to commemorate the town’s new leader. Robbo refuses and fights to keep his area in the north. The city is struggling under Guy Gisborne, and Robbo helps the local community by donating money while trying to take down Guy Gisborne.
An Oscar-Nominated Film
The film brings many hit songs, such as “My Kind of Town” by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, to earn a nomination for an Oscar. Swapping bows and arrows for guns, Robbo’s journey takes a different turn with higher stakes and hypnotizing singing and tap dancing. The Chicago mobster that carries Robin Hood’s spirit brings new and unique elements to the original tale, with contrasting qualities of thekind-hearted yet violence-drivenmobster. The musical is criminally underrated, especially considering its fun factor and the new point of view of Robin Hood.
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11Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)
Sword of Sherwood Forestis like Robin Hood meets Snow White — Robin Hood (Richard Greene) becomes the outlaw told by the Sheriff of Nottingham (Peter Cushing) to kill the Archbishop of Canterbury, Hubert Walter (Jack Gwillim) so that the Sheriff can take Lord of Bawtry’s estate, which the Archbishop stands against. However, knowing the actual purpose of his mission, Robin retreats and warns the Archbishop of the plan.
Well-Choreographed and Engaging
The film is outstanding for its excellent writing, performances, and beautiful setting. The adventure film directed by Terence Fisher nails the fearlessness and fun aspects of Robin Hood’s character and adventure in facing his enemies. The conspiracy plot that takes a different turn than intended really drives Robin Hood to the edge, and it’s nicely rewarded with a good amount of romance and friendship that the characters share. On top of that, the action scenes are well-choreographed with an engaging style that actually plays a part in driving the plot.
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10Robin Hood (2010)
A noble and skilled archer, Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe), finds himself in Nottingham, which is filled with suffering villagers thanks to the overruling sheriff who forces them to pay crazy amounts in taxes. During his time there, he meets and falls in love with Marion (Cate Blanchett), who doesn’t (or hasn’t) reciprocate his feelings. Robin then creates a group to fight alongside him against the authoritative sheriff while hoping by the end of it, his feelings will be reciprocated by Marion.
Ridley Scott’s Take
Director Ridley Scott’s rendition of Robin Hood shifts his objective a little towards his romance, where he tries to both save his crippled community and gain the trust of his lover. The moment he arrives in Nottingham, he is ready to fight, which is very apparent in his jump-to-action manner. Shifting, or rather dividing, his focus into two, unfortunately, he loses the original fight within Robin Hood instead of awakening a new side of Hood. This makes his character appear to be more bloodthirsty than he needs to be, which, in a way, actually adds tension to his well-shot fight scenes.
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9Ivanhoe (1952)
The stakes are increasingly high in this adventure film. Wilfred of Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor), a British knight, is sent on a mission to free Richard the Lionheart (Norman Wooland), the King of England, who has been kidnapped. Soon, Ivanhoe stands between the King and his kidnapper, Prince John (Guy Rolfe), and a bloodthirsty warrior, Brian de Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders). It seems to be not exciting enough for Ivanhoe, though, as he is also set in a romantic battle between two beautiful women, Rowena (Joan Fontaine) and Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor).
A Best Picture Nominee
The film, directed by Richard Thorpe, received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture in 1952, and deservedly so. The cinematography, performances, plot, costumes, and music scores, among others, complement each other to truly bring the Robin Hood spirit to the screen. The story itself is complex yet perfectly laid out without leaving too little or too many details. The characters are well-rounded, with excellent character development, especially Prince John. The film is an outstanding balance of fun adventure, high stakes, and heart-fluttering romance.
8Robin Hood (1991)
One of the two Robin Hood films from 1991, this one directed by John Irvin, tells the dramatic story of Robert Hode (Patrick Bergin), who fights the oppressive leadership of Sir Miles Folcanet (Jürgen Prochnow) and ends up being punished for his aggressive acts. Just before that, Hode escapes to the Sherwood Forest, calling for a search party for the rebel. To lure him out, they take Hode’s beloved woman, Mariane (Uma Thurman), and promise her to his enemy. Hode, or now Robin Hood, has to come out of his hiding to save her.
An Entertaining Competitor
The Robin Hood portrayed in this dramatic film is more human than other depictions. His weaknesses are crystal clear, and his nemesis makes excellent use of them by tormenting his pride. It’s an extraordinary tale of bravery and sacrifices, accompanied by matching settings and costumes to set the mood appropriately. Each actor serves their character’s purpose well, and some excellent characterizations are visible as the plot grows. Though heavily outshone by the other (and more successful) Robin Hood movie from 1991, this one is just as entertaining.
7The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
This film is Disney’s retelling of the famous tale — where Robin Hood (Richard Todd) wins an archery contest against the Sheriff of Nottingham (Peter Finch), who abuses his power to teach Robin Hood a lesson. Soon, Robin Hood’s father is killed under Prince John’s (Hubert Gregg) orders, which becomes his turning point. Robin Hood becomes an outlaw, where he meets and gathers fellow rebels to fight against the oppressive leadership, demanding accountability for the high taxes taken by the Sheriff of Nottingham. There’s also kidnapping and ransom involved, which complicates his journey as his lover, Maid Marian (Joan Rice), is also kidnapped.
Disney’s First Attempt
Ken Annakin’s retelling of Robin Hood is known to be a good live-action version of Robin Hood. It nails the setting of the period, backed up with excellent performances from great, prominent-name actors. Though the characters are already familiar, the characterization in this movie takes some of them to a new depth, mainly focusing more on teamwork and sacrifices and less on greed (while it’s still a solid key element to the story). It’s about balancing the two sides, and the film delivers. Each character is perfectly cast, which helps a lot in making the film more alive and just looks right.
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6Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood (1922)
The earliest Robin Hood film on this list, directed by Allan Dean, isa silent filmtelling the story of a power-thirsty Prince John (Sam De Grasse) who takes his brother’s, King Richard the Lion-hearted (Wallace Beery), throne as he is away fighting the Crusades. Upon hearing this, The Earl of Huntingdon (Douglas Fairbanks) adopts the name Robin Hood and gathers a group to kick Prince John off the throne because the people are suffering due to Prince John’s tyranny and exploitation.
A Tale of Sacrifice
The film makes the audience wonder when and how the truth will come out, especially after seeing the tragedy Robin Hood’s sacrifice and bravery bring to his family and friends. It’s brave, true to its roots, and very merry. The tale of sacrifices and consequences leaves a deep, bitter-sweet mark after its last minute, painful yet beautifully true. The film shows both sides of the coin — one’s bravery and fear, especially when many lives are at stake. Even the legendary and brave Robin Hood can be pushed to the edge, too.
