Why Robin Hood Just Flopped So Hard

2. There Are Vastly Better Alternatives

When you're making a movie from a story this well-known (even while you consciously sign-post how different it's going to be), you always have to achieve one thing and one thing alone: it has to be better than all of the other movies telling the same story.

Unfortunately for Robin Hood, it's nowhere near the best movie about Robin Of Loxley. The Disney animated version is better. The spoof, Men In Tights, is better. The 2010 Russell Crowe version is better. Prince Of Thieves - a beloved film that most will use as the standard-bearer for Robin Hood is far better (and it's not even all that good itself).

Fundamentally, when faced with a poor critical response on the back of an obvious lack of buzz, fans know they already have dependable, probably superior alternatives to fall back on. And when one of them includes such a memeable performance as Alan Rickman's Sheriff Of Nottingham, there's just no competition.