Robin and Marian Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Robin and Marian Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 30, 2018

Legends may never die, but they certainly do age. And if they're portrayed by Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn, they age very gracefully. Director Richard Lester's (The Three Musketeers, Superman II) 1976 film Robin and Marian returns to the world of post-Crusades Europe and the area around Nottingham in particular to further explore and develop the relationship between the two title characters, two decades removed from their most famous exploits. Robin the warrior is recently returned home following years of service under the king, Richard the Lionheart, while Marian has turned to the cloth to find purpose in her life. The film is an agreeable regurgitation of classic Robin Hood plot points and motifs, presented from a new perspective with time not on the characters' side but rather decades of experience and longing that offer a new, more powerful, and more deeply heartfelt connection between the characters and a heightened urgency in the world in which they live, love, and fight.

The Crusades have come to an end and Robin Hood (Connery) has fought bravely, and loyally, for his king, Richard the Lionheart (Richard Harris). But the king has grown difficult with age and insists that Robin and his friend Little John (Nicol Williamson) lay siege to a castle that the king believes is holding a great treasure. Robin quickly realizes the treasure is a worthless rock, that the castle is defended only by an elderly one-eyed man, and inside are otherwise defenseless women and children. Robin and John refuse their orders, leaving them imprisoned and the castle, and its inhabitants (minus the old man), slaughtered at the hands of the king's more "trusted" soldiers. When the king dies, he frees Robin, who remains deferential to him to the end. He and John return to Nottingham to find things have not changed, including his feelings for Marian (Hepburn), who is now the abbess at a local nunnery. The two rekindle a long-dormant romance but matters are complicated when Robin and his men, which now also include Will Scarlet (Denholm Elliott) and Friar Tuck (Ronnie Barker), rescue Marian and her fellow nuns from imprisonment under the ruthless Sheriff of Nottingham (Robert Shaw), once again pitting Robin against his old rival.

Robin and Marian may be a continuation of a classic tale, but it's essentially the same story as other accounts featuring a younger collection of characters. Here, as with other interpretations, Robin romances Marian, but the love story is complicated by dormant feelings and Marian's transition into the church. Robin and his men again battle the Sheriff of Nottingham, complicated now by age and a lack of finesse but not a lack of determination or inherent skill. Robin may no longer be the supremely agile bowman of his younger days but he has gracefully grown into old age and uses his more vast arsenal of knowledge of himself, his friends, his enemies, and his world as his strengths. But the picture doesn't make action its focal point. The romance drives the movie, rightly considering the characters' more advanced ages, but the film does make sure to interconnect the love story with the conflict to ensure a flowing, tightly interwoven dramatic arc that carries the characters beyond the externality of age that initially drives the plot but doesn't wind up defining it.

The film is certainly better for casting a number of top-rate actors in lead and secondary roles, with Connery and Hepburn a dream pairing for any project. The two share a chemistry-laden screen presence that defines the romance well beyond any limitation of script. There's a tangible sense of longing and loving that builds throughout the film, as they reconnect after two decades apart, each claiming that the other has not been top of mind for those years. Their bond does not simply reconnect but rather strengthens through sincere, and sometimes funny, exchanges and passionate moments of heartfelt intimacy that both actors explore with a striking personal depth that comes from the bottom of their hearts, not off the page of a script. Supporting cast is terrific, including Richard Harris as the aging Richard the Lionheart, Denholm Elliott as Will Scarlet (who would work with Connery years later in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), Robert Shaw as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Ian Holm and King John.

Robin and Marian Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Robin and Marian's 1080p transfer is a delight. Literally from the opening shot of a piece of fruit the transfer's credentials are apparent. The image proves immediately and fully filmic, maintaining a consistent, light, and complimentary grain field. Textures are rich, plentiful, and complex. Old stonework is a highlight in the early prison scene. Leaves, tree trunks, and terrain appear effortlessly detailed and sharp while facial close-ups are a pleasure, revealing pores and Connery's dense facial hair with striking definition. The image's coloring thrives on rich natural greenery and, later, reveals some resplendent blues at King John's camp in chapter eight. Additional color splashes, such as various red worn by some soldiers, are a nice standout against the otherwise more earthy, blandly colored environments within castle walls. Black levels never veer too far into crush during nighttime scenes and flesh tones appear spot-on. The image is practically pristine, with no obvious signs of print damage or encode artifacts. There are a few softer shots that look mildly processed, but for about 99% of its runtime Robin and Marian delivers a flat gorgeous Blu-ray presentation.

Robin and Marian Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Robin and Marian features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The two channel configuration is perfectly acceptable in shaping the film's modest sound requirements. There's a limitation to its ability to immerse listeners in various environments, obviously, particularly woodland locales where chirping birds and rustling leaves may have presented with more stage filling realism in a multichannel and/or more newly designed soundtrack, but within the modest constraints atmospheric effects are very pleasing. Action scenes likewise play well enough under the configuration, with fairly good front side stretch and commendable clarity to everything from whooshing arrows to more heavy thumps and thuds. Dialogue images perfectly well to the center. Clarity and prioritization are unproblematic.

Robin and Marian Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Robin and Marian's Blu-ray release contains only the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 3:10). No DVD or digital copies are included. The release does not ship with a slipcover.

Robin and Marian Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Robin and Marian is a fine picture that advances a classic tale but essentially remains the same: Robin and Marian rekindle their love and Robin again finds himself pitted against the Sheriff of Nottingham. Some things never change, including Sony's ability to produce a top quality Blu-ray product. While the disc is unfortunately next to barren in terms of supplemental content, the presentation does deliver a healthy, highly enjoyable, and cinematic 1080p transfer as well as a capable two-channel lossless soundtrack. Highly recommended.