Something Familiar, Something Peculiar

One of the main problems in the script is that it is too dependant on its source material. There are moments that come a little too close for comfort to scenes in Errol Flynn's The Adventures of Robin Hood, the Robin of Sherwood (called just Robin Hood in the US) TV series and Robin Hood -- Prince of Thieves. This is not to say it's wrong to have influences, all the sources I just mentioned borrowed from earlier versions too. But what Flynn's movie and Robin of Sherwood did was to take their sources and create something that rose above them. Robin Hood -- The Legend of Sherwood doesn't really seem to have anything new to say. It just seems like a collection of things that other people have done. It's safe, fun and reliable, but I don't think it takes enough risks to be a truly great addition to the Robin Hood legend.

Another problem is that a lot of the dialogue is clunky and overwritten. For example, two of the Merry Men are killed in an attack and afterwards the Merry Men squabble about unneccesary risks. Robin's often prone to making inspirational speeches in books, films and other plays. But in this scene, Little John, Will Scarlett and Robin all shout speeches at each other. The scene would have been much more effective with some pruning. (Although then it would have resembled an argument in "Robin Hood and The Sorcerer" that much more closely.) Akers and Messer did reveal (through a speech, not dialogue alas) an interesting facet of Little John's personality and history though.