Low-budget take on the evergreen tale already feels overshadowed by the grand French retelling due next door
This British stab at the deathless Dumas novel refuses to heed its own running gag: always run in the face of overwhelming odds. In this case it’s the imminent arrival of a star-bejewelled, two-part French adaptation with Vincent Cassel, Eva Green, Romain Duris and Vicky Krieps. Instead, it puts up a valiant stand – led by pretty plush production and costume design for what is presumably a low-budget affair. But finally it waves its colours in surrender, let down by patchy acting and unimaginative direction.
It at least boasts one first: a black D’Artagnan (Malachi Pullar-Latchman). Whatever your stance on “racelifting”, in this instance it works pretty well: emphasising the would-be musketeer’s outsider but upwardly mobile status as he arrives in Paris, and lines up back-to-back duels with Athos (Ben Freeman...
This British stab at the deathless Dumas novel refuses to heed its own running gag: always run in the face of overwhelming odds. In this case it’s the imminent arrival of a star-bejewelled, two-part French adaptation with Vincent Cassel, Eva Green, Romain Duris and Vicky Krieps. Instead, it puts up a valiant stand – led by pretty plush production and costume design for what is presumably a low-budget affair. But finally it waves its colours in surrender, let down by patchy acting and unimaginative direction.
It at least boasts one first: a black D’Artagnan (Malachi Pullar-Latchman). Whatever your stance on “racelifting”, in this instance it works pretty well: emphasising the would-be musketeer’s outsider but upwardly mobile status as he arrives in Paris, and lines up back-to-back duels with Athos (Ben Freeman...
- 3/8/2023
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Stars: Ben Freeman, Brian Blessed, James Oliver Wheatley, Martyn Ford, Gareth David-Lloyd, Kristian Nairn, Charlie Hiett, Phill Martin, Marie Everett, James Groom, Jamie Kenna, James G. Nunn | Written and Directed by Nicholas Winter
After Maid Marian is kidnapped by the Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood must get a band of men together in order to save her. Many are reluctant, given that they are massively outnumbered by the Sheriff’s forces – but those that do join Robin will stop at nothing to defeat the bloodthirsty tyrant. Together, they hatch an audacious plan to penetrate the depths of the Sheriff’s castle and reclaim Robin’s true love.
The first thing that springs to mind, literally, when Robin Hood: The Rebellion starts is do we really need that much on-screen exposition for a film about Robin Hood? After all, we seem to get a new story of this English folklore legend...
After Maid Marian is kidnapped by the Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood must get a band of men together in order to save her. Many are reluctant, given that they are massively outnumbered by the Sheriff’s forces – but those that do join Robin will stop at nothing to defeat the bloodthirsty tyrant. Together, they hatch an audacious plan to penetrate the depths of the Sheriff’s castle and reclaim Robin’s true love.
The first thing that springs to mind, literally, when Robin Hood: The Rebellion starts is do we really need that much on-screen exposition for a film about Robin Hood? After all, we seem to get a new story of this English folklore legend...
- 11/13/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
To celebrate the home entertainment release of Robin Hood: The Rebellion, available on DVD and Digital HD 5th November, we have a copy of the DVD up for grabs, courtesy of Signature Entertainment! Thrilling swordplay, brutal action and gripping intrigue make this fresh take on Robin Hood a must-watch for fans of Game of Thrones and Vikings, as well as those with a taste for action classics like Die Hard and The Raid.
Ben Freeman (a favourite of Emmerdale fans) makes a terrific Robin Hood – a reckless, brave hero going up against insurmountable odds. James Oliver Wheatley, soon be seen in the smash hit TV series Vikings, is a standout as the villainous and eminently hissable Sheriff of Nottingham, while screen legend and star of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Brian Blessed steals the show in the role of Friar Tuck.
Newcomer Marie Everett is a Maid Marian like you’ve never seen,...
Ben Freeman (a favourite of Emmerdale fans) makes a terrific Robin Hood – a reckless, brave hero going up against insurmountable odds. James Oliver Wheatley, soon be seen in the smash hit TV series Vikings, is a standout as the villainous and eminently hissable Sheriff of Nottingham, while screen legend and star of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Brian Blessed steals the show in the role of Friar Tuck.
Newcomer Marie Everett is a Maid Marian like you’ve never seen,...
- 11/2/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Ali Bastian, Guy Faulkner, Charlie Wernham, James Tratas, Ben Freeman, Denis Khoroshko, Ryan Winsley, Cheryl Burniston, Kate Parnell, Oleg Hill, Michael Elkin, Kevin Mathurin, Taryn Bishop | Written and Directed by Nicholas Winter
France 2016 the European Cup. A group of English football hooligans are chased down and cornered by their vicious Russian rivals in a local cafe. A violent fight ensures between the two groups, which ends up with one of the Russians being killed after he is stabbed.
Russia 2018 the World Cup. The group are embroiled in trouble again and find themselves locked up in a Russian cell. Frustrated at first because they are missing the football, but they soon learn that things are about to get worse and they are going to stay here for long. After being recognised be a corrupt prison guard, they are gassed, kidnapped and taken to a secure derelict warehouse, where is seems...
France 2016 the European Cup. A group of English football hooligans are chased down and cornered by their vicious Russian rivals in a local cafe. A violent fight ensures between the two groups, which ends up with one of the Russians being killed after he is stabbed.
Russia 2018 the World Cup. The group are embroiled in trouble again and find themselves locked up in a Russian cell. Frustrated at first because they are missing the football, but they soon learn that things are about to get worse and they are going to stay here for long. After being recognised be a corrupt prison guard, they are gassed, kidnapped and taken to a secure derelict warehouse, where is seems...
- 5/14/2018
- by Philip Rogers
- Nerdly
Britain's Got Talent continued its exciting semi-final week tonight (May 26) as Old Men Grooving and Jules O'Dwyer and her performing dog Matisse advanced.
The best news came for Jules and her dancing pooch as they actually earned an automatic advancement by topping the public vote, while Old Men Grooving beat Revelation Avenue in a second-place battle.
Dance troupe Groove Thing, contortionist Bonetics, illusionist Michael Late and singer Alison Jiear were given less encouraging news, as they won't be moving on.
We gather reactions to tonight's Britain's Got Talent episode below:
1. The surviving acts have their supporters – and their very famous detractors!
Old men all the way #Bgt
— Josh Taylor (@asjoshtaylor) May 26, 2015
Revelation avenue are off. And the revelation is that too much fried chicken is bad for you #Bgt
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) May 26, 2015
I fear Britains running out of talent #Bgt
— Chris Stark (@Chris_Stark) May 26, 2015
@alisonjiear it should be rebranded '@Bgt.
The best news came for Jules and her dancing pooch as they actually earned an automatic advancement by topping the public vote, while Old Men Grooving beat Revelation Avenue in a second-place battle.
Dance troupe Groove Thing, contortionist Bonetics, illusionist Michael Late and singer Alison Jiear were given less encouraging news, as they won't be moving on.
We gather reactions to tonight's Britain's Got Talent episode below:
1. The surviving acts have their supporters – and their very famous detractors!
Old men all the way #Bgt
— Josh Taylor (@asjoshtaylor) May 26, 2015
Revelation avenue are off. And the revelation is that too much fried chicken is bad for you #Bgt
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) May 26, 2015
I fear Britains running out of talent #Bgt
— Chris Stark (@Chris_Stark) May 26, 2015
@alisonjiear it should be rebranded '@Bgt.
- 5/26/2015
- Digital Spy
Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
The Doctor Who crew are filming in Tenerife this week, and an interesting tweet from on-location work looks to reveal an alien from the opening Series 9 two-parter, The Magician’s Apprentice/ The Witch’s Familiar. Actress, Gina Beck revealed her jealousy of her friend, Ben Freeman, accompanied by a photo of Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Freeman, and a...
The post Series 9 Filming Spoilers: New Alien Revealed? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
The Doctor Who crew are filming in Tenerife this week, and an interesting tweet from on-location work looks to reveal an alien from the opening Series 9 two-parter, The Magician’s Apprentice/ The Witch’s Familiar. Actress, Gina Beck revealed her jealousy of her friend, Ben Freeman, accompanied by a photo of Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Freeman, and a...
The post Series 9 Filming Spoilers: New Alien Revealed? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 2/26/2015
- by Philip Bates
- Kasterborous.com
Gok Wan and former X Factor stars Kye Sones and Melanie Masson were among the guests at Wicked's media night last night (December 20). The hit musical celebrated its brand new London cast at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, with former Emmerdale star Ben Freeman taking on the role of Fiyero.
Strictly Come Dancing professionals Kristina Rihanoff and Robin Windsor, Merlin's Bradley James and MTV star Laura Whitmore (more)...
Strictly Come Dancing professionals Kristina Rihanoff and Robin Windsor, Merlin's Bradley James and MTV star Laura Whitmore (more)...
- 12/21/2012
- by By Lewis Corner
- Digital Spy
Coronation Street bosses are celebrating after the soap's Rosie Webster spinoff attracted an audience of over 200,000 online. Show producers recently launched internet special Just Rosie, which follows Helen Flanagan's feisty character as she attempts to make it big in the modelling world. New Media Age now reports that the Just Rosie website has had over 260,000 unique visitors since launch, while 203,351 people have watched the special online episodes and bonus clips. In total, the site has received 1.6m page views. Just Rosie was also recently broadcast on ITV2 in response to the success of the internet airings. Ben Freeman, ITV's head of soap and drama, commented: "We know (more)...
- 10/28/2011
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
ITV has announced that a series of new Primeval webisodes will be released exclusively online. Consisting of five 5-minute episodes, the series will launch on the ITV Primeval website on December 22. Set in the period between the third and fourth series, the webisodes will introduce new characters Philip Burton (Alexander Siddig), Matt (Ciaran McMenamin) and Jess (Ruth Kearney), while giving fans their first glimpse at the new Arc facility. Ben Freeman, senior editor for soaps and drama at ITV.com, said: "We are delighted to be working with Impossible Pictures to offer fans of (more)...
- 12/15/2010
- by By Morgan Jeffery
- Digital Spy
Ex-soap stars Ben Freeman and Jennifer Biddall have married. The former Emmerdale actor and Hollyoaks actress, who became engaged in December, tied the knot on Friday in an outdoor ceremony in Wiltshire. It is unknown if any of the couple's celebrity friends and former co-stars were in attendance, with the exception of Biddall's Hollyoaks colleague Zoe Lister, who served as a bridesmaid. "I've not been het up about the minor details," Biddall told This Is Staffordshire ahead of the big day. "Organising it has been quite stress-free. "We're very lucky that we enjoy (more)...
- 9/11/2010
- by By Daniel Sperling
- Digital Spy
Emmerdale producer Gavin Blyth has not ruled out the possibility of bringing back certain characters. In a webchat with viewers, Blyth was asked about roles including Jasmine Thomas and Scott and Kelly Windsor. Ben Freeman (Scott Windsor) was dropped by the ITV soap in 2007 and has since said that he no longer wishes to come back. On a potential return for Scott and his sister Kelly (Adele Silva), Blyth said that it is "an option". "A show like Emmerdale (more)...
- 7/8/2010
- by By Ryan Love
- Digital Spy
Ben Freeman and Jennifer Biddall have reportedly become engaged. The former Emmerdale star started dating Biddall eight months ago after he was cleared of a 2006 rape charge in Barbados. Freeman, 29, was dropped from the ITV soap due to uncertainty about his future availability following the allegation and was only cleared last Decemeber. A friend told The People that Biddall, 29, who left her part as Jessica (more)...
- 12/6/2009
- by By Sarah Rollo
- Digital Spy
Ben Freeman has revealed that his main priority was to get his career back after being cleared of rape allegations. The actor, who is now starring in West End musical Dreamboats And Petticoats, saw his 10-year job on Emmerdale as mechanic Scott Windsor come to an end following the rape accusations. He told Ok!: "I am still the same person as I was, but my life changed in an instant. My career took a nosedive and my aim was to get that back. I wasn't angry and I'm still not angry. I had different priorities. (more)...
- 8/31/2009
- by By Anisa Kadri
- Digital Spy
Former Emmerdale star Ben Freeman has announced that he no longer wishes to return to the soap. The actor was axed from his long-running role as Scott Windsor on the ITV1 show in December 2007 after being charged with rape in Barbados. Freeman was finally cleared of any wrongdoing after facing trial in October last year. He later entered talks for a possible Emmerdale comeback, but the discussions failed to come to fruition. The 29-year-old, who previously appeared in the BBC's Grange Hill, has since landed a role in the musical Dreamboats And Petticoats and hopes to continue with theatre after his contract expires in July. Speaking to the Liverpool Daily Post, he admitted: (more)...
- 6/13/2009
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
Former Emmerdale star Ben Freeman is still hoping to make a return to the soap, he has confirmed. The 29-year-old actor was dropped by the ITV1 show in December 2007 after being charged with rape in Barbados. He was eventually cleared after facing trial in October last year. Despite initial speculation that his alter-ego Scott Windsor could return to the programme following the trial outcome, producers have insisted that there are "no current plans" for a comeback. Discussing his future in an interview with Click Liverpool, Freeman explained: "Emmerdale is an absolutely massive part of my life, (more)...
- 4/26/2009
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
A tabloid newspaper today claimed that Emmerdale producers have no plans to invite Ben Freeman back to the soap. The actor, who played mechanic Scott Windsor for nine years, was dropped from the ITV1 show in 2007 after being charged with rape in Barbados. He was finally cleared of any wrongdoing after facing trial in October last year. In an interview this week, Freeman claimed that he was likely to make a comeback to the programme. However, an insider told the Sunday Mirror: "Storylines are already in place until the summer and there is no mention of Scott Windsor. If I was a betting man I would not put money on the (more)...
- 2/15/2009
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
Former Emmerdale actor Ben Freeman could still make a return to the Yorkshire soap, despite a recent tabloid report. The 28-year-old, who played mechanic Scott Windsor for nine years, was axed from the ITV1 show in 2007 after being charged with rape in Barbados. He was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing after facing trial in October last year. At the end of last year, Freeman met with soap chiefs to discuss a possible return, but a weekend tabloid claimed that producers (more)...
- 2/2/2009
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
Ben Freeman has met with Emmerdale producers to discuss a possible return to the soap, according to a report. The actor played mechanic Scott Windsor on the ITV1 show from 1998 but he was axed in 2007 after being charged with rape in Barbados. At the time, producers announced that they had made the decision because they could not be certain of the star's future availability for work. Freeman, 28, was eventually cleared after facing trial last month. Speaking later, the former soap star said that he felt grateful after being "vindicated" by the jury. The People claims (more)...
- 11/9/2008
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
Ben Freeman made "bad choices" that led to him being accused of raping a girl, the actor has conceded. The 28-year-old's trial in Barbados concluded with a 'not guilty' verdict on Friday. Freeman had been accused of forcing himself onto a 16-year-old British girl at a holiday resort in the country in 2006. Speaking to This Morning, Freeman admitted that he regretted his actions (more)...
- 10/20/2008
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
Former Emmerdale actor Ben Freeman has denied raping a 16-year-old girl he met on holiday two years ago. According to The Mirror, Freeman, currently standing trial in Barbados, broke down in court after admitting that he slept with the girl. Freeman told the High Court how the girl's step-mother introduced the pair and "offered the information" that she was 16. "She seemed (more)...
- 10/16/2008
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
Ben Freeman has appeared in court in Barbados after being accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. The former Emmerdale star is alleged to have forced the girl to have sex with him against her will by a hotel pool in November 2006. Director of Public Prosecutions Charles Leacock outlined to the jury what he believes took place. "They were in the smaller pool swimming when the complainant says the accused made advances by kissing her on the lips," (more)...
- 10/10/2008
- by By Michael Thornton
- Digital Spy
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