Yesterday we went to see the new Robin Hood movie.  I didn't like it as much as I was expecting to, but it was still interesting.  It took me most of the movie to realize that what they were doing was essentially making a prequel, an explanation of how he became Robin Hood in the same vein as Batman Begins.  

Watching the movie, I kept wishing I knew more about Medieval history and the story of Robin Hood.  As it is, the only things I had to go on were the Disney version, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and the couple of stories we read in class.  I thought it was an interesting choice to make it so he wasn't originally Robin Loxley, but only pretending to be.  It went along with the whole "Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions" theme.  It makes him a more impressive hero if he started at the bottom and worked his way up than if he were already a lord to begin with. 

I think this is the first movie I've seen where the English fess up to the horrors of the Crusades.  However, I noticed that the French were still made out to be the cruel ones, and unlike the crimes of the English, the crimes of the French were shown.  I think this was a fairly calculated decision.  A flashback to Robin's memories of the Crusade could have been justified, but it might have jeopardized the audience's empathizing with the English in the battle to come.  

The other day I read the story of Maid Marion and Robin.  In the story, he has to leave, and so she dresses as a man and comes looking for him.  I noticed that they included this in the movie, to an extent.  But in the story, Robin, too, is disguised, and the two of them fight for some time before they finally recognize one another.  Both ended with Marion joining Robin's band permanently.  

I'm interested to see what the sequel will be like, as I am sure there will be one.  They've certainly set up the foundation for one.  I hope the Sheriff of Nottingham has a bigger role in the next one; I think they downplayed him too much in this one.