Robin Hood parents guide

Robin Hood Parent Guide

Artistically adequate (perhaps a little long, but otherwise reasonably engaging), parents will have to decide if the depictions of violence and King John's promiscuous pastime are appropriate.

Overall C+

The story of Robin Hood comes to the big screen again, this time in a serious and epic adaptation. So don't expect any green tights here! However, you will find Russell Crow playing the legendary crusader for the rights of the poor, Cate Blanchett in the role of the beautiful Maid Marian, and Matthew Macfadyen carrying out the dastardly deeds of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Release date May 14, 2010

Violence C-
Sexual Content C
Profanity B+
Substance Use C

Why is Robin Hood rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Robin Hood PG-13 for violence including intense sequences of warfare, and some sexual content.

Run Time: 148 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Directed by Ridley Scott, who is known for the likes of Gladiator and Hannibal, it should be fairly obvious that this envisioning of the English legend is not going to be family-friendly. Don’t expect any badminton playing chickens or silly snakes in this film. This Robin Hood is for the adult crowd—and perhaps the oldest of teens.

Russell Crowe stars as the outlaw, who is given the "real" name of Robin Longstride in this script. Having done battle against the French in the late King Richard’s army, Robin heads back to Nottingham to fulfill the last request of a dying knight by returning his sword to his family. Arriving in the village, he soon meets the man’s widow, who hasn’t seen her husband for over a decade. But Marion Loxley (Cate Blanchett) is not one to bathe in self-pity or rest on her family’s nobility. Instead she deals with helping her blind father, Sir Walter Loxley (Max von Sydow), maintain their farm while offering charity to the peasants that surround them.

Now King John (Oscar Isaac) is on the throne, and when he’s not enjoying an adulterous relationship (we see a single scene depicting this activity with back and shoulder nudity) he is busy raising taxes. What His Royal Highness doesn’t know is his trusted adviser Godfrey (Mark Strong) is eager to collect extra taxes for more devious purposes. Hoping to fan the northern villages into a fury over the increased assessments, the ruler’s right hand man is banking on a civil war within the country that will allow his ally, the King of France, to walk in and take control.

With arrows flying like rain, parents can expect frequent depictions of men being killed in battle. For the most part, the violence is shown on a large scale, although some close-ups have more detail. Men are shot through the neck, others are crushed by horses, trees and chandeliers. Blood is sometimes included, as in a scene near the water where it begins to tint the ocean. Other sequences have a man impaled and another decapitated—although neither act is shown.

Robin and his men do take some downtime in Nottingham—especially when things are looking up for a day or two—and this provides a respite from the warfare. However when the men aren’t fighting, they seem to have other distractions. Little John (Kevin Durand) and Will Scarlet (Scott Grimes), make merry with some local wenches (again no details are seen) and Friar Tuck (Mark Addy) has a good recipe for turning honey into an intoxicating brew. On the other hand, Marion’s hard working demeanor keeps her busy and she isn’t anxious to begin another relationship with an enlisted man. Although a romance does begin to develop between our hero and heroine, sexual liaisons do not.

Fortunately profanities are nearly extinct in this period film. A single mild expletive and use of Christian deity are all that is heard. However the script manages to include a couple of veiled sexual double entendres, such as one very 21st Century remark comparing Little John’s name to his anatomy.

Focusing on the back-story of how Robin Longstride became Robin the Hood, he is portrayed here as more of a national hero than a man determined to level the social classes of rich and poor. Fighting for liberty and the good of his country, the hero manages to present himself as a man with reasonable ethics and morals. Artistically adequate (perhaps a little long, but otherwise reasonably engaging), parents will have to decide if the depictions of violence and King John’s promiscuous pastime are appropriate for their older teens.

Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Matthew Macfadyen. Running time: 148 minutes. Theatrical release May 14, 2010. Updated

Robin Hood
Rating & Content Info

Why is Robin Hood rated PG-13? Robin Hood is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for violence including intense sequences of warfare, and some sexual content.

Violence with bows and arrows, knives, axes and swords are the primary issue with this film. Battle scenes depict men being shot down with hundreds of arrows. Close-ups show men being drenched with hot liquid, cut down with swords, and hit with knives and axes. Some of these scenes also depict blood, especially one battle on a beach where the ocean begins to take on a red hue. Two other sequences depict an impaling and a decapitation, but neither is shown. A scene with a married man in bed with another woman (he claims his wife is unable to bear a child) includes some activity, along with back and shoulder nudity. A group of men ogle women in a tavern and sexual relations are implied when we see the men and women appear together the next morning. A woman is held captive and about to be raped, but as she lifts her dress she kicks her attacker and gets away. Language is limited to one profanity and one term of Christian deity. A friar brews an alcoholic beverage that many people drink to the point of intoxication.

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Robin Hood Parents' Guide

An opening quote in the film states, "When the law oppresses people, the outlaw takes his place in history." How do you feel about the definition of "outlaw" in this quote? Do you see an outlaw as someone who fights against an oppressive government or as a criminal? How can you know the difference?

Is he fact or fiction? This British website (http://www.robinhood.ltd.uk) fills you in on all the research. And if you have ever wondered what you can do in Nottingham, they have a tourist website that is happy to provide you with ideas: www.nottinghambreaks.co.uk

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Robin Hood movie is September 21, 2010. Here are some details…

Robin Hood releases to DVD and Blu-ray on September 21, 2010. Both formats include:

- A rated and an unrated version of the movie.

- Deleted Scenes (with introduction and commentary by editor Pietro Scalia).

- Featurettes: Rise and Rise Again (the making of Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood), Ballad, Legend & Myth (pre-production), The More The Merrier (production) and No Quarter Given (post production).

Related home video titles:

Disney’s Robin Hood is a family-friendly animation about the legendary hero.

Russell Crow plays an outlaw of the American west in 3:10 to Yuma and Cate Blanchett takes on the role of another royal maiden in Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

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