DVD Review: The New Adventures of Robin Hood, Season One - Page 2

On the four DVDs included in the Season One collection, you get all 13 episodes chock full of adventure, bad puns, and more. Though there are no extras, every show pits Robin and the gang against Prince John and other bullies and monsters in the forest. Presented in full-screen format I had to wonder if there were parts of scenes that may have benefited from a wide-screen approach.

Though the special effects and fight choreography aren't the best, I felt that in most cases, the core set of characters - Robin, Marion, Little John, and the Friar - really hold each episode together. Watching with my two daughters, we especially loved Ashton as Little John. Though the character is a bit dim at times, his good-natured approach to life shows in every scene and lightens the mood when necessary.

That said, I'm guessing that the budget for the series was pretty low. If you watch several episodes back to back you'll notice many shots are reused again and again. For example, a scene showing Prince John's men crossing over a river is used multiple times in multiple episodes.

And the "magic" used throughout the series, from magic arrows and armor to illusions of dragons, is of quite low quality. I couldn't tell if it was an early use of computer-generated graphics or not, but it looks quite outdated now. You can see an example of this from the episode "Robin and the Golden Arrow".

I did find it odd that though the first season cast had Anna Galvin as Marion, the image on the cover of the DVD features the cast from season two, which had Barbara Griffin in the role. The lack of extras on the DVDs was a bit disappointing as well. I was hoping to see some of the behind-the-scenes action between the cast and crew more along the lines of the Hercules series on DVD (the first time), which included at least a few features.

I have to admit we had a good time watching Robin and his merry men. If you're looking for another take on the Robin Hood legend, be sure to check out The New Adventures of Robin Hood at the WB shop.

Article Author: Fitz

Brian Fitzpatrick (aka "Fitz") is a software engineer and writer living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, a cat, and two rats (new for Xmas 2010!) -- trying desperately to survive the chaos!

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