The Last of Robin Hood (2013) User Reviews

The odd couple

[tomsview · 8/10 · 11 December 2015]

Anthony Hopkins and Toby Jones did amazing work as Alfred Hitchcock; Meryl Streep was incredible as Margaret Thatcher while Helen Mirren was gobsmacking as the Queen, but Kevin Kline's portrayal of the aging Errol Flynn is positively eerie.

He looks like him, he speaks like him and he has caught the mannerisms. Kline was 15 years older than Flynn, but Errol's hard-living evened things up; its almost as though he has crossed back from the other side.

To modern generations, Errol Flynn, if they have heard of him at all, would have to be of passing interest at best, and this movie about his last love affair with Beverly Aadland must seem an odd little movie. Dakota Fanning may even be of more interest. Possibly they would also be put off by the age difference between Errol and Beverly - he was pushing 50 and she was 15.

However for those of us who were alive when Flynn was still making films, and were interested enough to read any of the books about the guy, this movie is close to fascinating.

With some knowledge of his life, you have to appreciate all the little touches seeded throughout the film. One was the way the relationship with Beverly starts with Flynn trying his well-practiced technique of seducing women by discussing with a co-conspirator in front of them how perfect they would be for a part in an upcoming production.

However, after taking advantage of her in a somewhat disturbing scene, his feelings for her go beyond a quick conquest and they become involved in an oddly-matched and dangerous relationship.

Much of the movie is told from the viewpoint of Beverly's mother, Florence, played by Susan Sarandon, who comes across as the stage mother from hell.

Rather than being overshadowed by Kline, it's Dakota Fanning's movie too. She underplays while projecting naïveté on the one hand, and worldliness beyond her years on the other. The last part of the movie shows the effect her unwanted celebrity has on her stability, while Florence actually revels in it.

The film has been criticised, scathingly by some reviewers, not only for skimpy production values, but also for sanitising the relationship, and for not taking more of a moral stance over the underage aspect. However, I do feel we are made aware of the situation throughout the film, and it doesn't ever really get a seal of approval.

Nevertheless, according to Roland Fisher, Beverly Aadland's husband of 40 years, she admitted to loving Errol Flynn until the day she died (in 2010).

Knowing a fair bit about the subject probably has a lot to do with whether or not you will appreciate this film - I for one found it totally absorbing.

Soft-Peddled Display of Errol Flynn's Final and Respectful Conquest

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 11 May 2015]

Errol Flynn, a "Larger than Life" Movie Star who Shined as Brightly as His On Screen Persona would let Him. An Adventurous and Handsome Man with Agile Abilities and a Killer Smile Who Could and Would Woo Audiences and Young Girls with Equal Ease.

His Self-Destructive Lifestyle is Legendary. In this Movie, Kevin Kline States..."I was told by a Doctor that if I didn't stop drinking and doing drugs I would be dead in six months...that was ten years ago and I have lived every day and night since, as if it would be my last."

He certainly Did. Considered a Rogue, a Womanizer, and Immature (all true), Flynn was a Likable and Fun Guy to be Around by most Accounts.

It seems that Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning) was Smitten and this is Their Story. The Last Two Years of Flynn's Life, totally Dedicated to Beverly, are Seen here as a Romantic Tale of Two People that are Devoted.

Sure, the Age Difference is Extreme and She is Under Age (15 but posses a birth certificate stating she's 18, acquired by her career controlling Mom played by Susan Sarandon). In the Movie Their Illicit Behavior is Shown as Respectful and Not Salacious.

It's a Little Movie about a Big Star and a Chorus Girl, Not an Unfamiliar Situation, and the Film Plays it perfectly Straight and Not Explosive.

The Good Cast is Better than the Soft-Peddled Script and Everything is Underwritten, Underplayed, and Undeserving of "My Wicked Wicked Ways" Author and Beverly Aadland.

Not an Awful Account of what happened, but perhaps Not as Good as it Might Have Been. Fiction is Stranger than Truth. After Viewing this You Might Not Think that Their Relationship was that Strange after all.

Kevin and Susan at Their Best

[aharmas · 9/10 · 13 September 2014]

I knew Flynn was an icon and a superstar in the golden age of Hollywood, a dashing figure who knew how to create controversy, was both loved and despised by many, and sort of remains a legend in the world of cinema. This film explores the last part of his life, as he became involved in another questionable relationship, which allowed to depart in the middle of another sensational moment.

Kevin Kline does a superb job bringing the star to life. He is at the moment when he has started fading because of financial and health problems. He has managed to hide behind his star facade, but if you get close enough, you can see how vulnerable he really is, and it's at this moment that he finds the "last of his loves", a relationship that we never really understand, but that hints at the possibility that both parties might have at least been fond of each other. In order to create that, we are given the character of Flo, a real life mother who has been living her dreams through her daughter's attempts to break into show business.

We learn she has driven her quietly, breaking rules, lying, exposing her to risky situations so she can achieve vicariously what she missed earlier in her youth. She's damaged good both physically and mentally, and later she finds she shares a lot in common with Flynn. It's hard to excuse either, and in the middle is Dakota's Beverly, who is hungry for attention, affection, and maybe fame. The problem is that she lands in the middle of Flynn and Florence, and she is a simple soul, with very little acting or singing talent.

The film takes you back to a time when society might have looked different and might have pretended to be different, but we have predators, victims, dreamers, and plenty of nightmares. Flynn and Florence have alcoholic demons in both their existences. Both lives will end as a result of the damages caused by that drug. It's here where both Kline and Sarandon are able to do their best work by showing as much as possible of what lives inside these people's souls. We can't hate them completely, and they try hard to earn our sympathy, but we could never really go along with it, yet we keep watching until the logical resolution.

The film is not perfect, but it's a good effort that shows the last part of the lives of three flawed individuals and how their interaction became part of a legend's final act.

Time Changes Things

[EdgarST · 8/10 · 30 June 2015]

Not worst than any other biographical motion picture produced by commercial American cinema, and certainly not up to the highest achievements in biographical movies made by this industry. But it is done not only with affection but with respect, even to that "moral majority" that causes so much despair and sadness all over the world, with its stern point of view that changes whenever the wind blows. And above it all the film is graced with very good performances by Kevin Kline as Errol Flynn, Dakota Fanning as Beverly Aadland and especially Susan Sarandon, splendidly restrained as Florence Aadland, a role that Shelley Winters would have turned into a thunderous bitch. I liked it and enjoyed it very much maybe because I like every now and then a bit of television, or maybe because I have always liked Errol Flynn, an actor that was so incredulous of his own talent, when as a matter of fact he was a wonderful performer of action and gallantry expressions.

Better Than I Expected

[larrys3 · 7/10 · 4 March 2015]

After reading the poor reviews of this film I was expecting very little, but ended up surprised that it was better than I expected. I would say that this was mainly due to the superb acting of the 3 stars here, Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, and Dakota Fanning. I also had to take my own personal "moral police meter" and put it aside , to review the movie on its merits and not my moral judgments, something perhaps some viewers will not want to do.

Set in the latter years of the 1950's, the tale focuses on the 2 year relationship between the world famous actor Errol Flynn and the 15 year old Beverly Aadland. Kline is excellent as Flynn, known for his lecherous and playboy ways, and who spots the chorus girl and aspiring actress Aadland on a movie set and immediately takes steps to seduce her.

However, Beverly, also superbly portrayed by Fanning, does not appear to be your typical teen looking to bask in the fame and fortune of Flynn. She actually appears to like him and his company, I guess you could say as much as a 15 year old is able to.

Then there's Florence, Beverly's mother, and Sarandon just "nails it" here with her portrayal of the super ambitious "stage mother", who even has groomed her daughter to look and act older than her years ( having a fake birth certificate handy showing she's 18 years old). Florence seems to be pushing Beverly to succeed because her own career as a dancer was cut short when she lost a leg in an auto accident, and now wears a prosthetic device.

Thus the remainder of the film will focus on the enmeshed lives of the three personalities, and how they will try and hide what's going on from the public and the media. However, there will come a time after the death of Flynn, in 1959, when most serious repercussions will have to be faced.

I read that the filmmakers Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice) tried to focus on the story rather than the morality of it all, and, as mentioned, that's what I tried to do as well. The movie itself I thought was quite absorbing, led by the strong acting of the three leads plus the fine supporting cast, and was enhanced by actual photos, at the end, of the real characters portrayed and some of what happened to them in future years.

The most interesting character, to me, was the stage mother.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 7 September 2020]

"The Last of Robin Hood" is a film about the final year of Errol Flynn's life and his relationship with an under-aged girl (Dakota Fanning). The story, interestingly, is told much from the point of view of the girl's mother Susan Sarandon), a 'stage mother' who did nothing to stop her relationship with Flynn when the girl was only 15! In fact, she tried to capitalize on this as much as she possibly could and the story is about her, in essence, selling her daughter to the dissipated actor.

Errol Flynn was played very well by Kevin Kline. He did a nice job imitating the great actor, though in some ways Kline was too youthful and healthy looking...even though in real life he was 18 years older than Flynn when Flynn died. At 50, Flynn looked awful...much older, puffy and bleary-eyed....and the only way to really achieve this would be to get Kline hooked on drugs and alcohol for many, many years! You certainly can't blame Kline for this!! And, at times, he really had me believing him, playing Flynn very well.

Dakota Fanning was an excellent choice to play the girl, Beverly Aadland. This is because although Fanning was of age, she really looked 15-17 like she was supposed to be in the film. Sarandon was also very, very good...which, considering her other film work isn't much of a surprise.

The film begins with the death of Flynn and then consists of flashbacks going back about a year when he met Aadland. It seems they were both in the same film, "Too Much, Too Soon"...which is pretty ironic, as the film is about the dissipated final days of Flynn's drinking buddy, John Barrymore. Flynn played the severe alcoholic and his own life (with and without Aadland) mirrored that of Barrymore.

In these opening scenes, there is a media circus, with tons of reporters approaching Aadland and her mother for interviews. Beverly, not surprisingly, ignored these vultures. Her mother, ever the stage mother, secretly met with a writer in order to tell her inside story about her daughter and Flynn. The rest of the film is about how the mother allowed her underaged daughter to have a sexual relationship with the actor as well as the aftermath of it all.

This is a really, really good film. Much of it is because the acting was so good. Much of it also is because the film stuck pretty close to the facts...something that cant' be said that often about Hollywood bio-pics! All in all, a fascinating film...one that surprised me and left me with profound respect for those who made this film. With an overall score of 5.7, this film is woefully underrated.

Perfect Casting and not a bad movie

[nicholls_les · 8/10 · 25 July 2016]

Kevin Kline is perfect as Errol Flynn, so much so that I cannot imagine anyone else doing this better.

Not only does he look like Flynn, but he captures his charm and almost childlike attitude to life. OK he was an alcoholic who probably wasted his life and died too early, but those who knew him always say he was a charmer who could light up the room. Mr Kline carries this perfectly.

Much has been made of his attraction to younger women but what so many fail to realise is how common this was back then, and not just in Hollywood. Chaplin to Elvis it was just how things were. Not excusing it in anyway but we cannot re-write history because we find it distasteful.

Many of those chorus girls we see in those old musicals were very young girls and sadly it is the case that most married or had relationships with much older men. Flynn was one of those men but he was not alone by any means.

Back to the movie. Susan Sarandon did a great job as the manipulating mother who wanted fame and fortune for her child regardless of the cost to her emotionally.

Dakota Fanning plays her part brilliantly and seems to have captured this young girl who knew what she wanted even though she also knew how wrong it all was. It does seem she genuinely loved Flynn and him her, but it is hard to know the real truth of their relationship.

I think it is a shame that we didn't see more of Flynn the movie star, but I guess the time line for this film means he was past his best by then? If you like old Hollywood stars or just like good biopics then you should enjoy this movie.

Kevin Kline is "The Pirate King"

[HotToastyRag · 8/10 · 31 May 2020]

The first time I saw Errol Flynn in a movie was The Dawn Patrol. I was blown away by his talent, since I'd expected him to be a swashbuckling stereotype; but, I was also impressed that someone in 1938 could give such a spot-on impression of an actor who hadn't yet been born: Kevin Kline. Once I found out Kevin Kline had made a biopic of Errol Flynn, I rented it as soon as I could.

The Last of Robin Hood is quite sad, as it focuses on the last portion of the great legend's life. I'll never understand why it took Hollywood so long to cast Kevin Kline in this movie, since he made a smash as "The Pirate King" in 1983. Had they cast him in an Errol Flynn biopic in 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, it could have been a different kind of movie. The story could have been more exciting, featuring a star at the beginning of his career, or making a particularly memorable film. This movie shows how the great swashbuckler declined, his dependence on alcohol, his lack of career prospects, and his shocking romance with an underage girl. It's not uplifting, it doesn't honor his legacy, and it doesn't even pay tribute to his great talent. Simply put, it's depressing. If Flynn himself saw this movie, he'd probably be mortified.

Why is this movie worth watching, then? Because Kevin Kline is Errol Flynn. He brings the silver screen heartthrob back to life and puts him in another movie, something we all would love to see. Just as Robert Downey Jr. becomes Charlie Chaplin so completely, you forget it's not a documentary, you'll start to believe there were hidden cameras around Flynn's home that captured him in embarrassing moments. I might not have enjoyed watching this movie, but I was in awe of Kevin Kline's talent-just like I was of Errol Flynn's in The Dawn Patrol.

Muted emotions but still interesting

[Gordon-11 · 17 April 2015]

This film tells the story of an underage girl who has an affair with the established and much older Hollywood actor, Errol Flynn.

I am not familiar with the background stories behind these people portrayed, but I feel that "The Last of Robin Hood" portrays them to be more restrained and muted than what the events really were. Errol Flynn in this film is portrayed to be quite a gentleman, while Beverley is portrayed to be having quiet displays of emotions. For example, after Beverley's first audition in Errol Flynn's home, she was on the brink of tears. I would imagine a teenage girl to have a much stronger emotional reaction than that. The only realistic display of emotions is in Beverley's 17th birthday party, when Beverley's mum argues with Beverley, drawing unwanted attention in the party.

Maybe the idea of this film is to draw moral questions to trading your soul for your career, hence the rather muted emotions in the film. I found it quite plain, but still an interesting film to watch.

Faithful if lack lustre biopic

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 6/10 · 17 January 2016]

I am a big fan of the Golden age of Hollywood and Errol Flynn will always hold a soft spot in my heart. This tells the story of how the aging and ill Flynn met his last wife. She was a mere 15 years old – one Beverley Aadland (Dakota Fanning). This was a spirited girl who was being driven to be an actress by her alcoholic mothers own ambitions. This is Florence Aadland played brilliantly by Susan Sarandon.

From what I know of this part of Flynn's life the film is fairly faithful to the facts. Kevin Kline as the ageing Lothario is actually excellent – he plays the part with enough of the rogue to be believable but with the right level of empathy to make the man live. They also recreate some of the last filmatic roles and that part of the film is very enjoyable.

The problem is it does not go anywhere too exciting in the 94 minute run time and so has been criticised for that. That said I really enjoyed it. I think you will get a lot more out of this if you are interested in Flynn and enjoy a good performance or two and this certainly has that.

Who knew Errol Flynn was so attracted to Lolita types?

[TxMike · 13 January 2016]

The title of this movie derives from the fact that so many of us associate Errol Flynn, the actor, with his swashbuckling role in "Robin Hood." In fact I have the restored DVD of that movie and I've never taken the time to see it all the way through. Now I need to do that!

Kevin Kline has always been one of my favorite actors and here he is very appropriate as Errol Flynn, and especially considering the physical resemblance. This is not a biography of the actor, in fact it covers only the last two years of his life, 1957 through 1959.

I never knew this about the man but he had a long history of affairs with underage girls, and was even prosecuted for statutory rape. In his later life represented by this movie he didn't seem to have any guilt about it and assumed those around him knew what was going on.

His last "love" was 15 when they met, Dakota Fanning in a very appropriate role as Beverly Aadland, with ambitions as a singer, dancer, and actress. Flynn met her quite by accident and he was immediately smitten. He invited her out "to discuss her career" but ended up seducing her, much to her surprise. In time it seems she actually learned to love this guy who was 33 years older than she.

Enter the mother, Susan Sarandon in a good performance as Florence Aadland. She was quite stricken with the idea that Flynn would befriend her little girl and help her career, and only when the three traveled to New York together, and she learned that Flynn and her daughter would be sharing a hotel room, and bed, did she realize what was going on.

Flynn was not healthy and at one point he mentions that 10 years earlier a doctor told him that with his lifestyle he had maybe 6 months left to live, so he made the best of it and he is still around. But in 1959, at the age of 50, he died of a heart attack in Canada where he had gone to sell his yacht, he needed money.

While they were shooting a movie out of the country Flynn dictated a revision to his will, to give Beverly 1/3 of his estate, but it was never signed and witnessed so it was invalid. Beverly went on to a quiet life and her mother was convicted and jailed for a time for child neglect.

Good movie to illuminate part of the life history of Errol Flynn. DVD from my public library.

Fine acting but a problematic script

[richard-1787 · 6/10 · 3 March 2015]

Kevin Kline and Susan Sarandon give fine performances in this movie, as they so often have done. That doesn't make this movie better, however. The script has lots of holes, unfortunately.

The clearest, best-developed character is the mother, a sad version of Mama Rose from Gypsy. She had dreamed of being a dancer, but when that was denied her by an accident, she undertook to raise her daughter to be in show business, and thus to live through her. That explains most of her actions in the movie.

Flynn's character is less well-developed. Why his fascination with this particular young girl? Why does he become involved with heroin? Kline makes him a fascinating, charismatic character, as Flynn evidently was in life even to the end, but the script never lets us really see behind the charming facade.

The daughter, Beverly, remains the most enigmatic. Does she really want a career in show business? What does she see in Flynn? She is the last person we see in the movie, but we never really see inside her.

Once Flynn dies, the other two characters aren't interesting enough to hold our attention for the last 15-20 minutes of the movie.

It's worth watching once for Kline as Flynn, but I wouldn't watch it again.

---------------------------

After seeing this movie I happened to catch *My Favorite Year* on TCM. It's an infinitely better movie, because it approaches Erol Flynn in his last years in a different way. Rather than attempting to be a docudrama, *My Favorite Year* is a fantasy on how Flynn might have been in his last years. The script is not shackled to history. Rather, it is free to soar. And soar it does. Peter O'Toole creates a bigger-than-life Flynn, not tied down by any effort to be faithful to reality. Nor does he try to imitate Flynn. Rather, he creates a character who faces the issue that *The Last of Robin Hood* never really confronts: the conflict Flynn must have felt between the image of him that the studio created, largely through his adventure films, and the real Erol Flynn.

The whole movie is wonderful, but the greatest moment comes at the end, during the crazy live TV show, when O'Toole's character gets caught up in his own legend and becomes the swash-buckler he had played so many times on screen. It's magic, a magic we never see, alas, in *The Last of Robin Hood.*

If you're a fan of Kevin Kline, a great actor, see *The Last of Robin Hood* once to see his fine performance as Flynn. But if you're a fan of Erol Flynn, pass on *The Last of Robin Hood* and see *My Favorite Year.* You will love it.

Wow! Excellent Film!

[shominy-491-652355 · 10/10 · 7 May 2015]

We rented this DVD yesterday and enjoyed it thoroughly, thanks to the amazing cast, director, writers, editors, and everyone involved in recreating the awesome 1950s retro "look" of the film (super-cool furniture, cars, wardrobe, make-up, etc.) We love truthful biopics on Hollywood's greatest actors and this film stayed true to the real story, which was absolutely fascinating. The movie moves so quickly that there is not one boring second in the entire film! Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, Dakota Fanning should all get Oscars for their amazing performances. (Would love to see Susan Sarandon play Bette Davis in a biopic.) I think the real Beverly Aadland would be proud to see how her story was presented on film (she stayed dedicated and completely in love with Errol Flynn through her whole life). Highly recommend this film to anyone who loves the actors from The Golden Age of Hollywood. "The Last of Robin Hood" deserves way more than 10 stars! We need more amazing films like this!

Bravo, Kevin Kline & Susan Sarandon

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 14 November 2021]

When I was looking through Amazon Prime to find something to watch, I stumbled over this film. My first reaction was, "Kevin Kline as Errol Flynn? Can't imagine that turning out well". I was very wrong. I though Kline had Flynn down pretty darned well, both in terms of looks (although at this stage in his life, Flynn had a fatter face) and speech.

The second surprise was Susan Sarandon, an actress I've never particularly cared for...although lately I've been rethinking my reaction to her. She's excellent here as the stage mother so wrapped up in her daughter's possible career that she excuses the inexcusable. I was very impressed.

And I have long thought Dakota Fanning to be an excellent actress...although she didn't knock my socks of here. Good, but not great.

Additionally, from what I can tell, the script was pretty faithful to reality.

If Flynn were alive today and cavorting as he did back then, he would have at least been banished from the film industry, if not in jail and/or the target of countless lawsuits. Even back then it's hard to understand how he got away with all that he did. It's almost too bad that he was such a good actor.

Recommended.

R.I.P.: Movie and Man

[JohnDeSando · 5 September 2014]

"In like Flynn," a colloquial expression based on the dissolute life of Errol Flynn.

Because Kevin Kline looks like an aging Errol Flynn (he died at 50), it's easy to believe Kline's depiction of the swashbuckling roué from early 20th Century American film in The Last of Robin Hood. Yet, if you want really to experience the bad boy who gave Robin life, read his autobiography, My Wicked, Wicked Ways. Sadly this film is a dull, soporific take on the last years of Flynn.

Not that Kevin Kline doesn't have the ability to be roguish like Flynn, it's just that he appears to have been directed to underplay the famous rake, a letdown for those of us hoping to experience the wild wicked one. Instead, this Flynn is pursuing a much younger woman, Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning), with a feeling of entitlement and an ennui-subtle sense of "been there."

More interesting than the moribund Flynn is Beverly's mom, Florence (Susan Sarandon) -- a stage mom if there ever was one. Her machinations to get her daughter into films are almost unbelievable. When she realizes her underage daughter is sleeping with Flynn, the other side of her ambition, the love of a mother, rings true as a contrast. However, she allows the affair. To their credit, Fanning and Kline seem to care about each other to the extent that any moral outrage about statutory rape is slightly mitigated.

Although the script doesn't allow for the dramatic energy that should accompany his shenanigans, brightening the dim movie is Sarandon's ambitious mom with dorky glasses and fat—she steals whatever show there is to take.

So if you want to witness the quiet decline of a glamorous pedophile, the coda to Flynn's checkered life is gently carried out by Kevin Kline as if in hospice. It's the last of an outrageous actor. R.I.P.

Twilight of the Gods : The last days of Errol Flynn.

[feakes · 29 January 2017]

the last of Robin Hood. It's a heartfelt look back at the dying days of the Golden age of Hollywood. And of Hollywood's greatest swashbuckler and legendary hellraiser Errol Flynn. but its more then that. It's a tender love story about Errol Flynn and his last great love Beverly Aadland . Flynn met Beverly in the summer of 1957 he was a faded movie star she was a 15 year old would be actress. Sparks flew between them and that led to a serious relationship that was problematic at best illegal at worse. And Flynn wily old Flynn countered it by befriending Beverly's mother Florence. She becomes so smitten with Flynn and with the Hollywood scene she lets Flynn do anything he wants to with her daughter. The Tragic end that Errol Flynn suffered didn't end any of the messes he made . In fact he complicated Beverly's life worse in death then he did in life. In life towards the End Errol Flynn struggled to make Beverly a Movie star making the Cuban Rebel Girls a film so bad it will go down in immortality as Errol Flynn's last movie.

But Kevin Kline portrays Errol Flynn with Flynn's trade marked devil may care attitude He flows with confidence and he is damn near Perfect as Errol Flynn ! Dakota Fanning does a remarkable job as Beverly Aadland and there is real chemistry between the two leads. Susan Sarandon steals the movie as Beverly's mom Florence.

A well done movie about a sad time in Hollywood. When Robin Hood grew sick and old. and Captain Blood died penniless. But loved and he died still admired by his legions of fans. and most importantly. He died in the arms of the woman he loved. not even Hollywood could dream of a ending that wonderful for a man who was a legendary bad boy. Errol Flynn knew he was dying. and as he said in My wicked Wicked ways he had no regrets. he did it his way. And in the end he died happy.

A movie that should have won Oscars Galore and had a longer run in theaters. But it didn't and somehow that's fitting, And Somewhere Errol Flynn is raising a glass every time someone sees this movie and smiles and laughs. and says. "Did you really think they could get rid of Robin Hood that easy I'm still here old Chum"!

And we are grateful for this movie in reminding us that Errol Flynn was a legend every bit as a legend as say Robin Hood. And Legends don't die.

They just get bigger.

Footnote-affair in the life of movie star Errol Flynn...

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 28 June 2017]

Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland co-wrote and co-directed this exceedingly thin dramatization of the last two years of Errol Flynn's life, from 1957 to 1959. Flynn, notorious ladies' man and faded matinée idol, picks up a pretty chorus girl on the movie lot under the pretense that she audition for him privately--unaware that she is just 15. The girl's mother is skeptical of their ensuing relationship, but eventually consents under the promise that Flynn use his connections to help further her daughter's show business career. As the underage Beverly Aadland, baby-faced Dakota Fanning doesn't have the knowing sexuality needed for the role; however, Kevin Kline, though essentially too old to play Flynn (who died at the age of 50), is marvelous. Kline jumps into the role with verve; he has Flynn's gentlemanly cadence down and he's in terrific shape. Susan Sarandon as Beverly's mother (and the twosome's 'chaperone' in public) is also fine, though she doesn't have much to work with. At 90mns, the film feels lengthy, with a colorless epilogue after Flynn has died and a final coda which isn't as heart-rending as the filmmakers probably intended. ** from ****

Disappointing

[drjgardner · 2/10 · 13 September 2014]

Errol Flynn was one of my favorite actors and one of the most popular actors from the mid 30s through the 50s. Even today, "Robin Hood" (1938), "Light Brigade" (1936), "Dawn Patrol"(1938), "Sea Hawk" (1940), "They Died with their Boots On" (1941), and "Roots of Heaven" (1958) – to name just a few - stand the test of time. How disappointing then such a bland film as "Last of Robin Hood" seeks to capture his final years. I kept hoping that this film would do for Flynn what "Chaplin" (1992) did for Chaplin (curiously enough Kevin Kline gives excellent performances in both: he played Douglas Fairbanks in the Chaplain biopic).

Putting aside Kline's strong performance and his ability to look like Flynn, the rest of the film is torturous, more like a docudrama than a biography. The film fails to capture the 50s in spirit, despite the extensive use of 50s cars. And the references to Hollywood insiders like Melvin Belli will be lost on almost everyone.

If you're a big Errol Flynn fan you want to give this one a miss.

SHE IS GOOD AT LOOKING OLDER

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 16 June 2019]

The film is based on a true story about the romance of the famous Errol Flynn (Kevin Kline) and an obscure "actress" Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning). The film starts after his death so it can utilize narration of the mother Florence Aadland (Susan Sarandon). The flashbacks start when Flynn sees her as a background dance for Gene Kelly' "Marjorie Morningstar" released in 1958. Flynn was apparently unaware or didn't care that she was a minor at the onset. Mom, a former dancer, eventually encourages the relationship.

This was a major tabloid event. Monica Lewinsky was not the first young woman to be "misunderstood" and have her name dragged in the mud. Beverly Aadland is seen as being less talented than Kristen Stewart, if possible. I thought the female acting was good. Kline as Flynn was boring. I was excited as I love films of the era, "My Week with Marilyn" or 'Hitchcock" just to name two. This one didn't seem to measure up. Where was the climax scene? There were no great scenes and there were slow scenes. 3 Stars.

Guide: Brief sex scene. Kline nearly naked except for a hat. IMDB claims 2 F-bombs that I missed although I caught the "C" word and an SOB.

"The Last of Robin Hood"

[lorrenie1 · 10/10 · 16 May 2014]

It is Friday 13, 2013 the world premier at the Toronto International Film Festival – TIFF.

A great movie and very tastefully done and the actors are really well chosen! Kevin Kline portrays Errol Flynn extremely well. What a great actor to duplicate Errol Flynn so well, which is a most difficult task indeed! Kevin Kline has his gestures, how he applied his charm in various situations and or how he bewilders Florence, his haughtiness or flamboyancy at times or his fun loving nature, Kevin Kline shows it all and so very well. The make-up artists did a great job as he looked quite a lot like Errol Flynn. What a superb acting in the malaria attack and in particular the dying scene, just gripping, totally outstanding.

Susan Sarandon plays Florence very well. Of course, not knowing Florence it is hard to tell how authentic Susan Sarandon was – but she made me believe – yes – this most likely was Florence. As a matter of fact one could feel how disappointed Florence was with her life and her dreams not materializing and as she tries to live her life through her daughter by trying to make her a star. Susan Sarandon reveals in her portrayal, right or wrong, that she tried her best to make a dream come true, if not for herself at least for Beverly. Florence not a well educated woman and therefore thought that Errol Flynn is the answer to her prayers. Susan Sarandon's performance is so genuine of a stage struck mother who would walk on hot coals to get to what she wants.

Dakota Fanning plays a very lovely Beverly Aadland and again as Beverly is not known to us the judgement of performance how the real Beverly was is very hard. In the movie she plays an obedient daughter and lives her mother's dream until she meets Errol. She then is much more interested in Errol Flynn than in a stage carrier. At least that's how it comes across in the movie. She plays a passive very nice Beverly not at all like described in Earl Conrad's "A Memoir". As a matter of fact, I did not really believe Earl Conrad's description of Beverly as coarse, ill-mouthed teenager. Maybe he was out for sensational writing to sell his book. It is very sad that in our society writings have to have tainted, grimy and/or scandalous content in order to appeal to the public. And of course anybody who was in the writing business took advantage of Errol Flynn making his escapades 10 times worse than they really were. When ever there was a possibility they were over him like vultures.

Dakota Fanning fits the role very well. She gives Beverly warmth and sensitivity. She had to have some of these qualities as Errol Flynn himself was always very well mannered. He would have not put up with bad, ill mannered and swearing behavior. Dakota Fanning is a very good actress and gives a great performance in portraying Beverly Aadland!

The Film shows that they had a very nice believable relationship. We must here consider what is written by authors that Errol Flynn never outlived his youth, judging by his often immature mischievous behavior. Maybe Beverly gave him a kind of reliving youth or fulfilled a yearning of his soul; we don't know – only Errol Flynn and Beverly know what was what! I think their love for each other was genuine.

A very nice touch at the end was that they showed a picture of Errol and another one from Beverly. I think it is a very good movie and everybody should see it.

Excellent film; Kevin Kline is great

[ppilf · 9/10 · 25 July 2015]

I eagerly awaited the release of this movie. And it met my expectations well, which is unusual because most movies that I highly anticipate end up disappointing me due to my built-up expectations. This one didn't. It is very well made from beginning to end. All three main actors did a great job portraying their characters; true professionals. Kevin Kline's depiction of Errol Flynn was amazing. His was the most demanding role because the whole world knows Errol Flynn.

I love historical reality dramas like this when produced properly by professionals. Films like this not only require highly experienced and talented people, but require a great deal of research and preproduction. To me these movies come the closest to reverse time travel. This movie did a very good job of transporting me back to 1950s Hollywood, to the streets and sound stages of Warner studios, and witnessing the last private two years of the aging bigger-than-life star Errol Flynn. As every movie critic knows, the quintessential trait of a good movie is the ability to make the viewer forget he/she is watching a movie. Reality and accuracy are important to me. I'm a fan of the reality film noir genre. I don't like the older "big production" historical or biopic movies that put on airs and over-glamorize like a 17th century opera. I truly think people who gave this movie a bad review simply aren't qualified to critique biographical films, or appreciate the art and science of film production. I think they might also have a preconceived notion of what Errol Flynn's life should have been like, which is narrow-minded. These people probably have a taste for the old phony fantasy biopics that I dislike so much, such as "Night and Day"(1946), a badly embellished film about composer Cole Porter. Errol Flynn was certainly a megastar who led a life of fame and fortune, but it wasn't all as grandiose and wonderful as some people might think, especially due to Flynn's lifelong health problems. I will agree that perhaps it would have been nice if this movie had some scenes aboard Flynn's famous yacht Zaca, and scenes of the lavish trips and gala Hollywood elite events that Flynn and Aadland attended. Unfortunately, historical biopics like this just don't draw the huge young and dumb movie crowd that action-hero, sci-fi, and space thrillers do. And I just don't feel right taking points off my rank of a biographical film only because it lacked money in its budget.

I'm always thankful for talented film producers, directors, actors, and crews who provide their valuable time and talents making wonderful biopics like this. There aren't many people in the general movie-going public who appreciate these rare productions. My DVD of this movie is one of my highly valued film art possessions.

Deep drama but Dakota doesn't show any emotion! 4/10

[leonblackwood · 4/10 · 20 December 2015]

Review: I quite enjoyed this movie because it delves into a world of the unknown, when Errol Flynn's popularity was on a decline because of the various rumours that surrounded this flamboyant actor. The only problem that I found with the film was Dakota Fanning, who didn't seem to show any emotion from the beginning to end. Susan Sarandon and Kevin Kline were great but the script was quite glum and one toned. The movie is based on the relationship between Errol Flynn (Kevin Kline) and Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning), who meet at Warner Brothers studios while Beverly is auditioning for a role in a film. Beverly, whose only 15 but uses fake documents to say that she is 17, is swept of her feet by the dashing Errol Flynn and they soon begin a relationship and fall deeply in love with each other. When Errol finds out about her age from his driver, who went to the same school as Beverly, he strikes a deal with her mum Florence Aadland (Susan Sarandon) by promising her a career in Hollywood if she stays by Beverly's side, we're ever they go. Because Beverly is a minor, Florence isn't too happy when she finds out about there sexual relationship but she's adamant about her daughter making it in Hollywood after her dancing career is cut short because of a car accident which took her leg. When Errol Flynn's health starts to decline after years of drug and alcohol abuse, he dictates a will to Beverly which guarantees her wealth when Flynn passes away but as there isn't a signature on the will, it becomes void and Beverly and Florence are left with nothing. As Beverly lied about her age, she is put in a institute, away from her mother because she helped her with faking her age. After spending some time in jail, Florence writes a book which explains what happened between Errol Flynn and her daughter but Beverly isn't interested in fame and money anymore and she is drove to the edge of insanity because of the media attention which tarnishes her name. I found the story quite interesting and I liked Kevin Kline as Errol Flynn, which he played in Chaplin with Robert Downey Jr. but the storyline was just about a brief period in Flynn's life and I was left feeling that I wanted to know more about the man who lived life on the edge. Susan Sarandon was obviously living her life through her daughter and she even sacrificed her marriage to be with Beverly while she travelling with Flynn, which proved that she was craving the fame that she thought was taken from her due to the car accident. The chemistry between Florence and Flynn was great but Beverly just seemed to be following Flynn's lead most of the time. Anyway, it's a watchable movie, mainly because of Flynn and Florence but it lacked true emotion from Dakota, who played a major role in this project. Watchable!

Round-Up: Kevin Kline, 68, is known for picking his roles with much thought and he's always been highly rated since his first role in Sophie's Choice and the Big Chill, which I thought was a great film with some top actors. He then became a household name with films like Silverado, Cry Freedom, A Fish Called Wanda, January Man, I Love You To Death, Grand Canyon, Soapdish, Chaplin, Consenting Adults, Dave, French Kiss, In & Out, Fierce Creatures, the terrible Wild Wild West, Orange County, The Pink Panther and the Conspirator starring James McCavoy. He recently starred in Darling Companion with Diane Keaton, Last Vegas, My Old Lady and the upcoming Ricki and the Flash with Meryl Streep and he won an academy award for his outrageous role in A Fish Called Wanda in 1989. I've always thought that he was an under rated actor who has always put in top performances and is able to cover many genres. His performance in this movie was brilliant but the script was a bit bland and unemotional in parts. This movie was directed by Richard Glatzer, 63, who brought you the highly acclaimed, Still Alice with Julianne Moore and a few small movies called Grief, the Fluffer and Echo Park L.A. He sadly passed away, March of this year, due to complications of als so Still Alice was his last movie in the directing chair, which he also wrote. Julianne Moore won an Oscar for her role in Still Alice along with a Golden Globe and a BAFTA so she owes a lot to Richard, who didn't receive any awards for the movie before he passed away. Anyway, I personally thought that this movie could have done with another actress in the lead alongside Kline and it needed to be a bit longer so the audience could get some depth about the characters. 

I recommend this movie to people who are into their drama/biography/romance movies starring Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, Dakota Fanning, Ric Reitz and Matt Kane. 4/10

About love

[andrewjoy-75878 · 10/10 · 8 March 2020]

Seeing Dakota fanning humped by an old man was erotically charged

Wonderfully sad account of his last days

[david_w_gibson · 8/10 · 20 November 2023]

I've always been a huge fan of Errol Flynn's, especially after reading his wonderful autobiography "My Wicked, Wicked Ways", one of the best I've ever read. Most of this movie stays true to what little of his later life is in that. It so sad that his final wishes weren't followed, likely due to his last wife, Patrice Wymore,from whom he was separated who caused problems after finding out about Woodsey. I've also read Woodsey's 1980's interview with People magazine and this movie follows her own account. Although I read another review saying this movie was lackluster, it was exactly what I expected in the winding down of a great actor's career and him finding a last love along the way. It is a biography after all that we already know the ending before we start, that's the thing about watching biographical movies, the ending is never a surprise. You have to accept that before watching or just don't watch. I think most women to Flynn were play things, but all I've read about this last love of his, sounds like it was also his best love, a great way to go out, although very sad for Woodsey.

Kline didn't "de-Kline" this one, however...

[merglehaggard · 2/10 · 3 November 2017]

...a great screenplay and cast's efforts were shredded by Susan Sarandon's pathetic portrayal of Beverly's mother. Sarandon just "phoned" this one in and simply recited the lines.

Kevin Kline, on the other hand, was marvelous. He recreated the "In Like Flynn" image to a tee.

Too bad.