Robin Hood Season 1 Part 2 - DVD

Content: After Jonas Armstrong's recent convincing debut as Robin Hood (<link cinema s film robin-hood-season-1-part-1-dvd-great-united-kingdom-2006.html _blank>Background and info on the first DVD box set can be found HERE), the second part of season 1 is now on sale. Although the series tries in terms of content and visuals to combine classic adventure with elements of contemporary TV entertainment and thus appeal to a younger target audience, the final seven episodes of the first season offer some very dark and exciting moments, through which this version of the classic saga of the hero of Sherwood Forrest just does not degenerate into pure children's stuff, but is well worth watching even for older viewers.

So Robin, shocked by the news that Marian (Lucy Griffiths) has agreed to marry Guy of Gisborne (Richard Armitage), discovers that Gisborne is the assassin who tried to kill the king in the Holy Land. However, with not only Marian but the rest of the Outlaws convinced that pure jealousy is speaking from Robin and that Gisborne cannot be the assassin, a confrontation ensues that could spell the end of the brave troupe. The stalwart Much (Sam Troughton) also faces a very special adventure when he tries to get himself arrested in Nottingham so he can help Robin with an important task. But to his great astonishment, he is not thrown in jail, but promoted by the Sheriff of Nottingham (Keith Allen). Much realizes almost too late that this is just a trap. And the fact that he falls in love with the beautiful Eve (Kelly Adams), of all people, who has been set up as a decoy for him, doesn't make the whole thing any easier.

Little John (Gordon Kennedy), meanwhile, meets his young son John, who believes his father is dead. When Little John, his son and his son's mother are arrested and made an example of at the Festival of Pain, Robin must once again use his ingenuity to get his trusty sidekick out of this predicament. And Djag (Anjali Jay) also falls into the hands of the enemy, who, to make matters worse, finds out that the supposed young man is actually a combative woman.

The Outlaws' battle against the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisborne may come to a swift end as the King's arrival in Nottingham looms. However, this also means that Marian will now actually become the wife of Gisborne. And this throws Robin so off course that he questions his entire actions.

The good impression built up over the course of the first episodes is reinforced by the seven new episodes. While there are still a few clichés and some scenes that seem a bit forced, overall the series offers exciting and humorous adventure entertainment. The actors seem to be getting more and more into their roles. Jonas Armstrong, who made a rather unusual impression as Robin Hood in the first episodes, shows in the more dramatic scenes that he wasn't a bad choice after all. But the best impression is still left by Keith Allen as the Sheriff of Nottingham. During his festival of pain, the sheriff first shows his particularly terrifying side, only to provide a delightfully comic moment a little later during an altercation with Little John.

This BBC variation on Robin Hood may not be the best interpretation of the popular material. But a good adventure series and entertaining entertainment for young and older viewers alike is this excursion into Sherwood Forrest all the same. And therefore also applies to this second box: worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: At the implementation of the seven episodes lying on a good TV level, nothing has changed compared to the first box. The clean picture pleases with its good, with the backgrounds only looking a little washed out now and then. In the darker sequences, slight blurring and noticeable image noise can also be made out. The colouring, on the other hand, comes across as very warm and engaging. The sound, available in Dolby Digital 5.1, can also convince with some good surround effects in the new episodes, but is overall dominated by the dialogue and music. Good.

Extras: Unlike the first box, the second part of the first season has plenty of bonus material worth watching. In addition to two unfortunately not subtitled audio commentaries, there is an interesting making of (approx. 30 min.), a featurette about the training of the actors on the weapons or even in archery (approx. 15 min.), as well as other short documentaries about the design (approx. 11 min.) and the costumes (approx. 16 min.) to see on the third DVD. In addition, the most important characters are introduced in more detail in nine portraits (approx. 47 min.). For fans of the series, these mixes of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage are absolutely worth watching!

Conclusion: Also the second part of the first season of Robin Hood offers good entertainment and exciting stories from Sherwood Forrest. In addition to some humor and romance, the episodes also have some very dark and dramatic moments to offer, which makes this rather tailored to a younger target audience (from 14 years) adventure series overall very worth watching. Technically, the individual episodes are well implemented and in addition, this second box has a lot of worth seeing extras on board. Therefore, again: thoroughly recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp