Product Description

The contemporary retelling of the popular legend is back for a second series with more breathtaking archery, incredible swordplay, lots of humour, fun and energy, a smattering of brute force, and the raw determination to right wrongs. The Sheriff is in the final stages of a plot to kill King Richard upon his return from the Holy Land. The Sheriff also wants Robin Hood dead and with his devastating sister Davina, sets about catching him once and for all. It seems only a matter of time until Marian escapes to the forest and she and Robin can be together. Until that is, Gisborne turns up at Knighton Hall and razes it to the ground, seizing Marian and Edward and placing them under house arrest in the castle. Marian and Robin now separate for the good of England, Marian as the castle spy, and Robin leading his gang in the forest and villages of Nottingham...

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Featurette

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2237 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2008-07-29
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Color, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 5
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 578 minutes

Features

• The contemporary retelling of the popular legend is back for a second series with more breathtaking archery, incredible swordplay, lots of humour, fun and energy, a smattering of brute force, and the raw determination to right wrongs. The Sheriff is in the final stages of a plot to kill King Richard upon his return from the Holy Land. The Sheriff also wants Robin Hood dead and with his devastating

Amazon.com
The Sheriff (Keith Allen) puts Operation Shah Mat (translation: Kill the King) into action. He assembles a garrison of hundreds of men, the dread Black Knights. He commissions the development of indestructible armor that will turn his army into Iron Men. To fund his plans, he plots to cheat a high-rolling Bavarian aristocrat, while Robin (Jonas Armstrong) and company try to pull an Ocean’s 11 and rob his impenetrable Strong Room. But big picture: The Sheriff is determined to intercept King Richard upon his return to England and kill him. Robin receives the clandestine help of Marian (Lucy Griffiths), who, with her ailing father, is being held under house arrest in the castle. After the mostly rollicking romp that was Series One, Series Two of this royally entertaining BBC series takes a decidedly darker, Empire Strikes Back turn (let's just hope that next time around, Robin and his men don't find Ewoks in Sherwood Forrest). Along with the daring rescues, swashbuckling fights, and anachronistic dialogue ("Get with the program, Gisborne") that are this series' stock in trade, Robin’s tireless campaign against the Sheriff gets very personal. In the first episode, the Sheriff's snake-fancying sister is killed while trying to administer "death by fanging" to Robin, and Gisborne (Richard Armitage), still smarting from being jilted at the author, burns Marian's home to the ground. Later, Robin discovers that one of his men, not so merry, is a Gisborne spy. And there is a shocking death in the finale that will rock the series to its core. Despite several cheeky episode titles ("Booby and the Beast," "Show Me the Money"), Series Two mostly keeps a straight face. Purists may blanche at the liberties taken with this centuries-old legend, (Marian, moonlighting as the vigilante Nightwatchman, demonstrates some wicked martial arts moves). But for anyone who, like the kids in the exciting episode, "Child Hood," spent childhood afternoons dashing about the forest pretending to be the outlaw folk hero, then the Sheriff's departing words in the season finale will make you quiver with anticipation: "This isn't over, Hood." --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews

Another thrill ride (with heart) that surpasses season one
Robin and the gang are back, giving us a second season packed with action, intrigue, humor, and even more of those wonderful little character moments that made the first season such a joy. It is evident even from the first episode that the overall tone of the show is much darker this time around, as each our heroes must contend not only with the Sheriff's evildoings, but also with their own personal tragedies. This darker tone goes hand-in-hand with a bit more violence, though it is no more graphic than what was presented in the first season. This gives the show an intensity that had been missing before, and the opportunity to present some jaw-dropping action sequences (Robin vs the Black Knights is not to be missed!).

It was always the characters that made the show appealing to me, and on that score S2 delivers in spades. There are many lovely Robin/Marian moments, and some surprising new alliances (of friends and enemies) are formed as well. One of my favorite scenes of the entire series is a beautifully-written character exposition sequence in the episode "A Good Day To Die" where, in the classic death-at-sunrise scenario, each member of the gang spends their potentially last-night-on-earth revealing their inner secrets. It's an extremely emotional scene, and a powerful one, that brings up insecurities and issues that have been building since the very beginning of the series.

Of course, the series wouldn't be Robin Hood if there wasn't also plenty of fun to be had along the way. The Sheriff is still as hilarious as he is evil, and it's a blast watching Robin and Co. get the best of him time and again. Keith Allen does an especially great job with the Sherrif's gloating/crying in "Get Carter", an episode which also introduces one of the most enjoyable recurring characters to come to Nottingham in quite awhile.

Season 2 has more of a cohesive story arc than season one, and as such, there are plot twists galore (most notably the 2-part finale) that impact future episodes and draw on events of those past. I'd recommend staying spoiler-free until you've seen them. That being said, get a box of tissues handy and be prepared to pick your jaw up off the floor by the time you finish the last episode. It's a doozy.

Rumor has it, there will be a S3, although the BBC is a being a bit cagey as to the details. In the meantime, settle down with season two and enjoy the ride!

More Fun with Jonas Armstrong and Richard Armitage
This second installment of the popular BBC series will take you on a serious ride. You will laugh and by the end you will most likely cry. Both Jonas (Robin) and Richard (Guy) are serious talents and they are really comfortable with their roles. Lucy Griffith's (Marion) shines this year as she serves as Robin spy in the castle. This Robin Hood series takes a serious turn as Robin begins to kill and as he fights for England, but he still possesses his cheekiness. Love this series and ABSOLUTELY LOVE JONAS AND RICHARD. I also recommend North and South for the hopeless romantics.

A great show gets even better
I was amused by and had lots of fun with the first season of this modernized version of Robin Hood but it always felt pretty lightweight, insubstantive. The second series changed that. I came to really care about the characters and their plights, getting drawn into the story arcs and character conflicts that ramped up from season beginning to end. There is treachery and deceit from unlikely places and the danger level is at a higher notch (despite the fact that you don't see any bloodshed ... this is a family show, after all.)
If you have not seen this season be sure to avoid reading *anything* about the show online to avoid being spoiled for the finale!
I look forward to this release and a 3rd run of the show this fall on BBC!