Product Details

• Actors: Jonas Armstrong, Richard Armitage, Lucy Griffiths, Keith Allen, Sam Troughton
• Directors: Alex Pillai, Ciaran Donnelly, Declan O'Dwyer
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Widescreen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 15
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Worldwide
• DVD Release Date: September 14, 2010
• Run Time: 1736 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B003TY2SUO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,013 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Robin Hood: The Complete Series" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

The complete series of the fantasy smash hit Robin Hood--now in one gift set! The popular retelling of the Robin Hood legend is back with a hot young cast, and breathtaking archery, incredible swordplay, energy, humor, brute force, and the raw determination to right wrongs. Robin of Locksley returns from serving King Richard in the Crusades to find his home under the oppression of the sadistic Sheriff of Nottingham, and the Sheriff’s right hand man Guy of Gisborne has his eye on Robin’s childhood sweetheart Marian. Will Robin be able to save his people? Or will in justice overcome everything he stands for?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Modern "Hood"--This BBC Tale Starts With A Laugh But Builds Drama Over 3 Seasons, September 17, 2010

By 

K. Harris "Film aficionado" (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Robin Hood: The Complete Series (DVD)

On preparing to sit through 3 seasons of BBC's "Robin Hood," it's best to know what to anticipate. If you're expecting any sort of historical insight or don't want anyone tampering with the "classic" tale of Mr. Hood--then I'd advise you to take a pass. Do I even need to say what "Robin Hood" is about? Robin is a former noble who becomes an outlaw and forms a posse to (duh!) rob from the establishment and aid the poor. This version casts attractive actors, employs anachronistic language, and is firmly rooted in modern (and politically correct) sensibilities. The production is slick, stunts and camerawork exemplary--this is a well crafted entertainment. Most episodes move at a brisk and amusing pace, and even when things seem to lack real danger--the series more than compensates with humor. The plots aren't particularly revelatory, but any lack of originality is likely to be forgiven due to the energetic and likable performances.

And the success of this "Robin Hood" rest squarely on Jonas Armstrong's shoulders. Armstrong is a star! Perhaps a bit slight for a true action hero, Armstrong is wildly appealing and has great comic timing. His need to be loved by the people is a running gag and one that works exceedingly well--but, then again, who wouldn't love this Robin? Keith Allen is a stellar Sheriff of Nottingham, this is comic villainy at its finest. Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisborne is the show's real menace and does a nice job with a somewhat underwritten part (he isn't fully fleshed out until season 2). Lucy Griffiths plays an earnest Marion--updated to hero status herself just to be fair. At first, the show had trouble incorporating Marion into the main action and her tone was always more somber--but a balance is reached as the show progresses. The secondary players are a bit more sketchy, but are employed to good effect when necessary.

If this version of "Robin Hood" is guilty of anything, it might be a "too cool for school" mentality. It is so intent on being clever with ironic humor and modern attitudes that the sheer adventure is sometimes secondary. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this updating--it just tries so hard to be "hip." From the whimsical episode titles through to the inevitable laugh that ends just about every episode, "Robin Hood" almost defies you to take it seriously--and yet, its ultimate success depends on you doing so. Season One is lightweight. Season Two ups the stakes dramatically with a killer, but controversial, finale. Season Three is more uneven in tone and disliked by many fans--but it also gives Armstrong as well as Armitage their strongest dramatic work. Initially fun, frothy and not particularly filling--this series isn't afraid to ratchet up the seriousness and danger as it progresses. While this may not have been appreciated by all--I felt this unexpectedly hard edge made the show far less predictable and of more emotional consequence. KGHarris, 09/10.

109 of 120 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Promising Start, Excellent Middle, Divisive Finish..., September 27, 2010

By 

R. M. Fisher "Raye" (New Zealand = Middle Earth!) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Robin Hood: The Complete Series (DVD)

The latest television incarnation of the Robin Hood story (following on from the 1950's The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Richard Greene, the 1980's cult classic Robin of Sherwood and - if you insist - the ludicrous 1990's New Adventures Of Robin Hood) ran from 2006 to 2009, consisting of 39 episodes and spanning three seasons in total. It ran the gamut from poignant, joyful, suspenseful television to ...well, complete nonsense at times, but when the show was at its peak, it was a wonderful character-driven drama that showcased the remarkable talent of its ensemble cast and tapped into our lasting fascination with the legends of Robin Hood.

Robin of Locksley and his faithful manservant Much return home from five years fighting the Third Crusade (yes, *five* years, that's your first clue that the writers never bothered with silly things like research and accuracy) only to find that the England has changed in their absence. Nottingham is ruled by the tyrannical and slightly unhinged Sheriff Vaizey, and Locksley's lands and estates have been seized by the deep-voiced, dark-stubbled, leather-clad Guy of Gisborne.

Neither is there a warm welcome waiting in the arms of Lady Marian. Robin's childhood sweetheart is severely unimpressed by his reappearance - at least, that's what she wants him to think. When the injustice and barbarism becomes too much for Robin to bear, he openly defies the Sheriff and goes into hiding in Sherwood Forest, collecting a ragtag bunch of outlaws on the way. Embracing the familiar "rob from the rich to give to the poor" mantra whilst simultaneously trying to woo back his beloved Marian, Robin Hood begins his personal crusade against the regime.

The first season was written, filmed and produced by Tiger Aspect for the BBC on very short notice, commissioned to fill in the Saturday night slot whilst Doctor Who was on hiatus, and which faced an extra setback when several of the tapes were stolen on location in Hungary. The speed with which the project went into development is apparent throughout its first season, what with some unevenness in tone and pacing, dialogue dubbed over footage, and episodes written largely as stand-alone stories with little sense of continuity from week to week.

Eyebrows were certainly raised at certain creative decisions: the colour-blind casting, the odd blend of contemporary and period costumes, the outrageous anachronisms (which over the course of the show included modern slang, Tai Chi, cargo pants, casinos, ninja-stars, mousetraps, hang-gliding, knowledge of CPR, and facial prosthetics - and that's just scratching the surface) and the infusion of the medieval setting with rather clumsy attempts to be both politically correct *and* politically relevant. This involved commentary on terrorism, religious intolerance, eastern warfare, and a pacifist-preaching, Koran-reading, scimitar-wielding version of the English hero. Historians howled in disbelief; even the casual viewer may have winced a couple of times; but on the whole, one very clear message was being broadcast: don't take this too seriously.

And yet one couldn't deny that there were moments of true innovation amidst both the predictability and the general insanity. For the first time in any portrayal, Guy of Gisborne showed that there might be more to him than just a hulking lackey of the Sheriff. Marian had better things to do than spy for Robin or fend off Guy's advances: her alter-ego was the masked and cloaked Night Watchman, a vigilante who provided food and medicine to the poor long before Robin jumped on the band-wagon. Much was not a half-witted peasant, but rather a highly-trained-and-trusted servant to Robin. Allan-a-Dale didn't strum a lute; he was a fast-talking con-artist and thief. Will Scarlett was neither cheerful nor psychotic; he was an introspective teenager in which still waters ran deep. Our Saracen character was a woman; an educated physician called Djaq who was brought to England as a slave but who stayed to help out the heathens. And the Sheriff gave Alan Rickman a run for his money as the completely over-the-top tyrant who is brutally effective, ridiculously hammy, and terrifyingly conscienceless.

There was potential here, potential that was largely utilized in the ensuing season, which had a much better understanding of what worked and what didn't. Which is to say: the writers realized that show's strength lay in its characters, and each one gets development across the course of season two.

Season two raises the stakes, what with Robin and Marian's love affair taking place against a backdrop of increased danger. After a jilted Gisborne destroys Marian's home and forces her and her father to take up residence in the castle, Marian decides to make the most of her punishment by spying upon the Sheriff and Gisborne, and passing information onto Robin.

Robin has plenty of problems of his own, what with the accumulation of treacherous Black Knights in Nottingham and the existence of a traitor within his own camp. (Minor season two spoilers ahead...) Unbeknownst to his comrades, Allan-a-Dale has been coerced into servitude by Gisborne, forcing him to walk a tightrope as he tries to placate his temperamental new boss whilst secretly protecting his former friends. Between Guy, Marian, Robin, Allan and the Sheriff there's a fascinating dynamic, both in the power they wield over each other and the relationships they forge despite it, and it makes for riveting television: suspenseful, morally complex, and brilliantly acted.

Though slightly more low-key than the main players, there's also plenty for the remaining outlaws to do. In the wake of Allan's absence (who was the third point of the show's secondary and far more subtle love triangle) Will Scarlett and Djaq drift closer together, whilst Much feels threatened by the growing presence of Marian in Robin's life. Little John still mourns the loss of his family whilst acting as a pseudo-father figure to the younger outlaws, and Sir Edward (Marian's father) finally grows a backbone after a season-and-a-half of casting disapproving glares at his daughter's antics.

The characterization was strong and the storylines tightly plotted, with plenty of foreshadowing that hinted at Prince John's plans to usurp the throne and attempts by King Richard to return to England. Robin and Marian get secretly engaged amidst the increasing turmoil going on in the forest and castle, and with a range of interesting guest stars and intriguing plots, season two was heading toward an exciting climax.

And then... it happened. Spoilers ahead.

By this stage, it should be common knowledge that season two ends with the death of Marian at the hands of Gisborne. After she partakes in a succession of contrived and completely out-of-character activities (including the attempted murder of another character), the episode accumulates in a ridiculously overwrought and eroticized death scene in which our heroine is brutally impaled on Gisborne's sword before managing to coherently exchange lengthy wedding vows with Robin despite a fatal stomach wound which nonetheless shows no signs of any bleeding. As deaths scenes go, it's a horrific way to say goodbye to such a beloved and iconic figure.

Perhaps we'll never know the whys or wherefores of this creative decision, as reports on what exactly was happening in the writers' studio are varied and conflicting. The BBC seemed eager to foist the blame onto Lucy Griffiths, citing Marian's death as a necessary development after the actress declared her intention to "seek opportunities in Hollywood" (despite there being no evidence that Lucy went anywhere except back to England after the season wrapped up). The episode writer Dominic Minghella cites shock value on the DVD commentaries as his reason for killing Marian, and the thousands of outraged fans who wrote in to the BBC received an automated email from Commissioning Editor Sandra Brandist who stated: "We felt that Robin Hood mattered most to our audience, and what mattered most to Robin was Marian, and therein lay the most compelling and dramatic climax to the end of Series 2. Robin Hood is a returning drama series that we hope will be entertaining families for years to come. In order to achieve this we need to make difficult decisions to ensure the series survives, and that there's room to introduce new characters and new storylines."

The cast itself was rather suspiciously closed-mouthed about the whole affair, save for Richard Armitage who made it very clear in several interviews that it was a) the writers' decision, and that b) he was NOT happy about it. Finally, co-creator Foz Allen, who remained a producer even after his partner Minghella left the show under the cloud of all this controversy, claimed: "What does Robin cherish most? Marian. So, what happens when you take Marian from Robin? What happens to him?" (As it turns out, the third season's answer to this question was no more profound than: "He gets over it.")

Whatever happened, happened. Marian was gone, as were Will Scarlett and Djaq, who do not die, but apparently cease to exist, considering they are never again seen, heard from, or even mentioned in passing throughout the entirety of season three. Marian's death deprived the show of its emotional centre, but losing two popular characters like Will and Djaq only worsened the situation. Even Carter, a favourite guest star,... Read more ›

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome, February 6, 2011

By 

csmith - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Robin Hood: The Complete Series (DVD)

I haven't seen other versions of Robin Hood besides the one with Russel Crowe (which I thought was rather average) and the one with Kevin Costner (which is your typical knight-in-shining armor & damsel-in-distress sort of film), so when I came across this series I was pleasantly surprised. Seasons 1 & 2 maintain a good balance of comedy & action while driving the storyline along.

I now have the opinion that Jonas Armstrong is the only one who can truly play Robin Hood, but I also found myself loving Keith Allen's portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham. When the bad guys are on screen without the accompanying hero, my eyes are still glued to the screen.

If you haven't seen the show though, you should be forewarned about season(series) 3. (I'll try to keep this vague enough so I don't give anything away, but be forewarned if you don't want anything given away). I could deal with the way they ended season 2, but everything seems to fall apart in season 3, so expect a lot of variations in the final season. Not only do a lot of the former characters get shoved to the background, but the new characters they introduce come nowhere close to filling that void. Prince John is the only character, in my opinion, that comes close to the former characters that mixed comedy/action. And, there were a few episodes I thought were a complete waste of time as they had nothing to do really with Robin Hood protecting the people of Nottingham, and instead seemed to try and set up characters for another season after Jonas Armstrong's departure. If you prepare yourself for a letdown after two great seasons of show though, then you should be able to sit back and watch without too much angst.

If you loved the show and can forgive the faults in season 3, then get the whole series. It's well worth it. In my opinion, the performances by some of the actors like Keith Allen, Richard Armitage, and Jonas Armstrong make it worth buying the pathetically disappointing 3rd season. I looked around quite a bit before buying the complete series, and amazon had the cheapest price I could find. Even with the way things fall apart at the end, I'm still glad this one is on my shelf.