NOW ON VOD! Kids don’t play outside anymore. It’s too dangerous. Parents are too worried. Social media is everywhere, contributing to short attention spans and indoor life. Phil Hawkins’ Robin and the Hoods harks back to the pre-digital era, before cellphones and consoles replaced backyards and playgrounds. Sure, it’s by-the-numbers fare – one would be hard-pressed to find an original bone in its body – yet it nevertheless charms with its old-school earnestness.
A group of British kids, led by troublemaker Robin (Darcey Ewart), reenact grandiose battle scenes in their local woods. Their imaginations have conjured an entire kingdom, where bikes become horses, and cardboard turns into knight armor. They have their rival gang, which is vying for a highly coveted crown. “We can fight the forces of evil and still be home in time for dinner,” Robin muses in her narration.
When the “neglected land” is threatened by a redevelopment project, led by a woman (Naomie Harris) who appears as Clipboard in Robin’s fantasies, the kids hatch a plan to save their woods. It involves a… certain type of protected bird. With the help of a homeless hippie vegetarian/witch, Aura (Gwendoline Christie), and maybe even the local corrupt mayor (Mark Williams), our heroes realize that often in dire times, it’s the enemy who can truly help.
Robin and the Hoods Gallery
“…conjured an entire kingdom, where bikes become horses, and cardboard turns into knight armor…”
Decent production values (save for some sketchy VFX here and there) and smooth transitions that separate reality and fantasy keep the narrative bouncing along. Hawkins, along with his writers Stuart Benson and Paul Davidson, unabashedly embrace a sincerity that is all too rare in contemporary films. It waves its anti-social-media flag proudly; Aura gasps at the sight of a cellphone: “Get that thing away from me! Don’t you know what they do to your brains?”
The film struggles under scrutiny. The usually reliable Naomie Harris chews scenery like steak, as does the other stalwart here, Ms. Gwendoline Christie. I get that it’s a kids’ movie, but that’s no excuse for all the mugging. If the adults are cringe, the kids fare worse – Darcey Ewart does her best to carry the film on her fragile little shoulders, and the strain shows. The less said about the rest of the middle-school theater-level acting, the better. Children are difficult to direct (hell, even the Harry Potter series struggled with its central character), and it’s painfully obvious here.
If you can get past the notion that none of it is real, that we’re witnessing the imagination of a child, then perhaps you’ll find yourself succumbing to the naivety of it all. Less discerning kids may enjoy Robin and the Hoods… when they’re not deep into their PlayStations and Switches.
"…one would be hard-pressed to find an original bone in its body..."
