Film Review: Kevin Kline in Like Flynn For ‘The Last of Robin Hood’

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CHICAGO – The term “in like Flynn” still gets used, when delusional dudes think they have the score. The saying is a product of former matinee idol Errol Flynn, whose tastes in young girls inspired the saying. Kevin Kline portrays him, and his tastes, in “The Last of Robin Hood.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0

This is a decent character study – written and directed by the tandem of Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland – but has no real dramatic arcs or mysteries solved. However, there is plenty of bizarre 1950s-style tabloid coverage to drink in, and Susan Sarandon is gunning for Meryl Streep’s stranglehold on playing woman character roles of a certain age. Her mother role is delicious, and gives her a chance to be drunk and disorderly. Kline is perfectly suited for the aging Errol Flynn, much as he portrayed the aging Cole Porter and Douglas Fairbanks in previous films. He has the old-timey star look and attitude, and creates a world-weary persona for Flynn that matches his supernova in decline.

The film opens with death of Flynn, at the ripe old age of 50. The press are hounding the woman whose arms Flynn expired in. Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning) is a deer-in-the-headlights girlfriend of the dead star, and her young age and delicate nature is tested by the circumstance. She is estranged from her mother Florence (Sarandon), who doesn’t mind sharing the story of her daughter’s affairs with a reporter.

The tale is of Errol Flynn, long past his film star status, hitting on Beverly while she works as chorus girl at the Warner Bros. Studio. She has a fake birth certificate that says she is 18 years old, when in fact she is 15. This truth does not prevent Flynn from seducing her – his penchant for very young women being documented – and her mother gives the blessing. This bizarre threesome interact over the last two years of Flynn’s life, until he dies in Beverly’s arms.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Last of Robin Hood”

Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning) is ‘In’ with Errol Flynn (Kevin Kline) for ‘The Last of Robin Hood’
Photo credit: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Last of Robin Hood”