Robin Hood a fading figure?

From the Houston Chronicle blog MeMo:

But I have it on very limited anecdotal evidence (my favorite kind) that the under-18 crowd is pretty puzzled by the movie, because they have barely heard of Robin Hood and the very limited geopolitics involved (the Crusades, mostly) are beyond their ken.

This is kind of sad. I'm crazy old fogey enough to believe that legends and mythologies and rhymes that have stood up century after century have some kind of right to exist...

And

The Crowe-Scott movie seems vaguely Tea Party-ish -- maybe decaffeinated Tea Party -- with a moment that comes uncomfortably close to making Robin responsible for the Magna Carta, and lots of talk about the importance of fending for oneself.

More here.

Call me crazy, but it seems to me that undercutting the entire concept on which the Robin Hood legend is based by infusing it with pro-capitalist messages of self-reliance and competition has far more to do with possible teen ambivalence about the film than do the old standby whipping boys of youthful narcissism or bad education. That is, the whole point to Robin Hood is that he's the guy who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Inherent in that concept is the notion that it is evil and wrong for a few to live in opulence while the rest live in squalor. That's an idea that just doesn't mix well with capitalist pop philosophy--remember, if you're poor, it's because you're too fucking lazy to get a job, and whatever ills befall you are your own fault.

In other words, if you mix capitalism with stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, you're creating an incomprehensible monstrosity that pisses off both capitalist and communist alike, and simply confuses everybody else. No wonder teens don't get it.

On the other hand, I'm probably reading too much into this blogger's observations. And, because I have absolutely no plans to see what, from all appearances, looks to be yet another piece of expensive Hollywood shit, I'll probably never know for sure that ideological incoherence is this film's fatal flaw. But I do know that most of these craptacular blockbusters make little sense, anyway, generally tending to value explosions, bad actors with scowling faces, and car crashes over tight storytelling with interesting ideas. If teens are giving this new Robin Hood a big thumbs down, it's probably because the movie sucks.

On the third hand, Ridley Scott, who directed both Alien and Blade Runner, is a good director. Maybe I should check this thing out. You never know.

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