Robin Hood Review: 2 Ups & 7 Downs
5. The Awful Action Sequences
As made obvious by the trailers, the action in this movie is bad. Like, really, really bad. For some reason Lionsgate trusted TV director Otto Bathurst with this monstrously-budgeted tentpole, and unsurprisingly he's evidently in way over his head.
Bar a few practical moments that nail an acceptable level of excitement, the busy, annoying set-pieces feel pulled right out of the mid-2000s, with Bathurst overdosing on speed-ramping visuals and needlessly frantic editing.
As a result, almost none of the action lands with the required impact - that is, any at all - and the film feels positively dated right out of the gate.
Ultimately grounding the action in a greater sense of realism might've served Bathurst better, because he clearly isn't ready to tackle this brand of high-concept chaos.