The Good

A solid show that takes a darker look at this iconic character.

The Bad

Some of the episodes had a very budget feel to them. Bulky packaging.Robin Hood: Season Three begins things a little differently as the show takes place amidst the shadow that Marian's death has cast over it. With the King waging war in the holy land, Prince John sees this as his opportunity to rule Nottingham with an iron fist. Standing in his way is Robin Hood England for Richard and his followers. With the nation on the brink of a civil war, can a warrior like Robin Hood muster the forces and inner strength he needs to hold this chaotic world together?

Features

Featurettes

The following featurettes are included in this 5 disc box set:

- A Legend Reborn

- A New Look (Costume Featurette)

- Trebuchet: Creating Chaos

- Video Diaries

I decided to group all of these together because they seemed like they could've played well as one long featurette. I particularly liked A Legend Reborn mainly because it talked about how the character of Robin Hood has evolved for this show. While I know that Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe are going to take it to dark territory with their film, I feel that this show plays well as a sort of precursor to all of that.

Character Profiles

Video

16:9 - Aspect Ratio. This movie looked solid on standard definition DVD. A lot of it takes place in forest-type areas that are perfect for the story being told. That said, being in this environment they had to deal with a lot of the elements of nature. All of this worked to the filmmakers advantage as this show has a very lively feel to it. Sadly, one can tell that they were working within a limited budget, and this is most apparent when they try to do FX shots that may or may not have been needed.

Audio

5.1 Surround Sound. Subtitles - English for the deaf and hearing impaired. The audio on this release was solid and well put together. I didn't have any problems following what the characters were saying, I found that I just needed to get up to speed on the story. Afterall, I am coming in on a show that has already been on the air for 3 seasons. The fact that this was the last season didn't help.

Package

The front of this slipcase cover features Robin Hood and the other main characters from this show in what look like basically promo pictures. Behind them is the forest that features so prominently in this show. The back of this slipcase cover gives us a collage of action images, over that is a description of where this show is at for this season, a Special Features listing, and technical specs. All 5 discs are stored in one piece of artwork that pulls out. I think the BBC should have made the packaging more economical and not as bulky, but that is my only real complaint.

Final Word

Robin Hood: Season 3 does its best rise above the usual conventions of this character and television of this nature. It is rich with strong performances, strong effects, and strong storytelling. Good work, BBC!