The Disney+ Historical Action Thriller Brings Legendary Hero To Life
There have been many iterations of Robin Hood in Hollywood, with varying levels of quality. Some would say Disney’s animated anthropomorphic animal version is the best, while others enjoy Kevin Costner’s take on the character. However, it’s safe to say that no one would consider Lionsgate’s 2018 iteration their favorite, but you can decide yourself by streaming it on the Hulu section of Disney+.
The Cast Of Robin Hood
2018’s Robin Hood is a bit of a unique take on the classic character, as it retells the legend with some twists. It stars Taron Egerton in the titular role, who is an aristocrat named Robin of Loxley who returns to England to find that the Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Mendelsohn) has seized his family estate in his absence. This leads Robin to join forces with Friar Tuck (Tim Minchin) and Little John (Jamie Foxx) to lead a band of rebels to take power back from the Sheriff.
A Box Office Flop
So all of the usual trappings of the Robin Hood legend are in the film, but just with a fresh coat of pain. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty thin coat of paint, and the movie was not very well-received. The movie was an absolute box office bomb, grossing $86 million against a production budget of $100 million. Reportedly, the film lost the studio around $83 million after factoring in expenses.
It probably didn’t help that Robin Hood had terrible release timing. The film was released the same weekend as Creed II and Ralph Breaks the Internet, which were both highly-anticipated sequels to critically acclaimed films. Not only that, but the film Green Book got a wide release after getting critical acclaim.
Robin Hood Recieved Scathing Reviews
Not only did Robin Hood fail to make money, but it was also a critical flop. The movie was almost universally panned by critics and even got nominated for three Razzies at the Razzie Awards that year for Worst Remake, Worst Supporting Actor, and Worst Picture. Fortunately for Robin Hood, it was released the same year as Holmes & Watson, which swept all these categories.
Robin Hood’s unfortunate release timing, coupled with its plethora of terrible reviews, meant that it never really stood a chance at the box office. The reviews aren’t really wrong either, as the film doesn’t do much to justify its existence. It’s a pretty by-the-book action film with the benefit of having a legacy IP attached to the title.
Didn’t Hurt The Stars’ Careers
Fortunately, Robin Hood didn’t derail the careers of co-leads Taron Egerton or Jamie Foxx. Egerton went on to give one of his best performances as Elton John in Rocketman the following year and recently got acclaim for his work in the TV series Blackbird. Jamie Foxx went on to reprise his role as Electro in Spider-Man: No Way Home, aka one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, and got critical acclaim for last year’s They Cloned Tyrone.
Where To Stream Robin Hood
Still, it’s probably safe to say that no one involved in Robin Hood would consider it a high point of their careers. But, if you’re someone who likes watching movies like that, then Robin Hood is waiting for you. Just head over to the Hulu section of Disney+.
