The relevance of ‘Alyas Robin Hood’

CEBU, Philippines - Despite all the modern screen heroes, sagas or trends popping up from just about every corner of the new age, it seems that the heart almost always comes back to well-known tales that are as old as time.

GMA-7 wears these legends well as they take their place among primetime royalty with their currently airing series, “Alyas Robin Hood”—starring Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes.

The show is a modern spin on the tale of Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. It recently made Nielsen’s TV Audience Measurement list as one of the top rating shows in National Urban Philippines.

Despite the celebratory mood, however, the conversation led to the show’s uncanny resemblance to American television show “Arrow” by The CW the moment its teasers hit social media. The “Alyas Robin Hood” and “Arrow” lead characters are both vigilantes with green threads. They also have the same specialty weapon which is the bow and arrow.

The issue caught so much attention that even Stephen Amell who plays the Green Arrow in the foreign series reacted via a social media post. A lot of netizens then created memes and jokes, as well as took the opportunity to rip the Kapuso network and “Alyas Robin Hood” to shreds before it even began airing for its so-called lack of originality and supposed blatant copy-pasting.

Dingdong spoke out and said that the likeness of the shows stops at the clothes and vigilante element.

“I would say that it was somehow positive publicity because what actually came out wasn’t what they expected it to be,” Dingdong said during a recent interview with the Cebu press, adding that the cast and crew were in the throes of filming when they heard about the online flogging, thus they were focused on finishing their pilot episode.

The actor said that there shouldn’t be a monopoly when it comes to ideas and concepts—especially that the familiar tale of Robin Hood has been around for ages insofar as becoming a bedtime story. He cited as an example the iconic James Bond character known for his trademark tux: “Should James Bond be the only screen character allowed to sport  a tux?,” Dingdong asked.

“For me, our stories are original, it’s derived from an ancient legend so we were confident that we didn’t have to explain ourselves. Our intentions are pure, and we also wanted the product to speak for itself. For us, that was more important than worrying about something that was just pure speculation. What came out were premature statements, and the show wasn’t even airing yet for people to judge.”

Indeed, “Alyas Robin Hood” and “Arrow have different storylines. The Filipino series follows Pepe de Jesus’ quest for justice and finds absolution in his service for the community when he solves one problem after the other, while the American series “Arrow” is about playboy billionaire Oliver Queen, who became a vigilante upon his return to the city from a shipwreck.

“Alyas Robin Hood” tackles issues like crime, drugs, extrajudicial killings and corruption, and instills the belief that we can be heroes ourselves in our own ways. The show is a mix of action, drama, adventure, and comedy with a flavor of hyperrealism.

“We show how injustice works in society, why abuse of power happens, how law enforcement agents tackle a situation, or how we should respect our leaders or interact with our friends in school or in the barangay. It tackles so many things which mirror society today,” said Dingdong, who was joined by co-star Andrea Torres for a recent Kapuso Mall show at the Gaisano Grand Fiestamall Tabunok in Talisay City.

“And that’s where the character of Robin Hood comes in. He doesn’t really solve the problem but he becomes a catalyst to help citizens with their problems.”

Dingdong further revealed that he is much more cautious now that he has a little girl (his baby Zia with wife Marian Rivera) waiting for him at home.

“I would say I’ve become less of a daredevil, yes,” he said. “I used to do whatever it is that my role required as an actor even if it means jumping off a bridge but, I have to be more careful now.”

Despite having Best Actor trophies on his shelf, Dingdong said he was humbled by the star-studded cast and shared that he has learned a lot from Jaclyn Jose who won Best Actress in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, as well as from other acclaimed co-stars like Sid Lucero, Cherie Gil and Christopher De Leon, among others.

On the big screen, Dingdong’s latest Star Cinema film “The Unmarried Wife” with Angelica Panganiban and Paulo Avelino will hit theaters this November. (FREEMAN)