Robin Hood Movies Review, it's just about Russell Crowe
If only the film had a dramatic pulse to complement its superb production values! Sadly, Robin Hood is often stultifyingly boring, particularly in its second half when the focus shifts to Longstride full-time, as he prepares to defend Nottingham against the invading French forces and learns about his own mysterious past in a poorly written subplot that makes little sense. Crowe seems so dour, so disinterested in his own role that one longs for the overly earnest heroics of Kevin Costner. None of his co-stars is able to rouse a single spark of energy from him, not even his supposed love interest Blanchett, who essentially plays Marion as a medieval version of Scarlett O’Hara, all fiery temper and defiant posturing.
Helgeland and Scott’s admirable desire to draw from the historical record also begins to work against them, as they strain to connect the title character to larger events. The movie reaches its nadir when Longstride stands before King John and essentially pitches him the idea for what will become the Magna Carta. This ridiculous sequence is followed by a climactic battle that’s meant to wow, but instead inspires yawns and derisive chuckles. Designed to leave off where the legend begins—with Robin living in Sherwood Forest as an outlaw—Robin Hood’s final moments can’t help but feel anticlimactic. The audience has spent over two hours following this character only to discover that the most interesting part of his story starts after the credits roll.
The difficulty is that this "Robin Hood" has been misconceived twice over. The first misstep, albeit a defensible one, was the decision to make this an origins story, a kind of "Robin Before the Hood." While there is no lack of action and intrigue here, those expecting traditional Robin Hood satisfactions will be left wondering if it'd be asking too much to have the guys kicking back in Sherwood the way we remember them.
Still, origins stories are all the rage these days and with a property like the Robin Hood legends, filmed literally dozens of times with actors such as Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn and Kevin Costner in the title role, doing things differently (as Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn did in "Robin and Marian") is a justifiable way to go.
Director Ridley Scott drains the tale of energy and emotion without offering action thrills that would ingratiate a new generation of viewers. Though hovering on the edge of bawdiness, and despite jabs at the cold-hearted, oppressive church leaders of the period, the movie may be acceptable for some mature teenagers. Much — mostly bloodless — battle violence, a nongraphic sexual situation with fleeting rear nudity, an attempted rape, callous clergy, some innuendo and anatomical references, one instance each of crude and crass language.
Yeah, it's complicated. And the numerous on-screen titles, which identify the ever-shifting locations -- Barnsdale one minute, Berkhamsted Castle the next -- don't really help. There's so much backroom palace intrigue going on that the movie can start to sound like an episode of "The Sopranos" after a while. "He knows too much," says Godfrey at one point. "Get rid of him." Gruesomely disfigured by one of Robin's arrows, and clad all in black, he looms as large as Darth Vader.
Not that the movie is completely without it. Mark Addy makes for a jolly, dipsomaniacal Friar Tuck; Kevin Durand, a goofy and lumbering Little John. And Blanchett's Marion, who takes up arms alongside the best of the men, is a feisty, feminist treat.
But the Robin Hood of myth and moviedom is for the most part AWOL. Why should we have to wait until the last five minutes to see Crowe crack a smile, let alone split an arrow? The film's closing title screen -- which reads "And so the legend begins" -- suggests that if you want to see that movie, you may have to wait for "Robin Hood II."
I bet Russell Crowe's Robin Hood could mop the floor with Kevin Costner's Robin Hood. I wish they would have cast Costner just so I could pay to see that. Or to see Crowe strangle Bryan Adams as he launches into the karaoke and "American Idol" standard "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You." Still, this looks a bit like Gladiator brought into the Middle Ages. Steal from the rich, and give to the poor? I'm thinking Glenn Beck's gonna hate this!
The difficulty is that this "Robin Hood" has been misconceived twice over. The first misstep, albeit a defensible one, was the decision to make this an origins story, a kind of "Robin Before the Hood." While there is no lack of action and intrigue here, those expecting traditional Robin Hood satisfactions will be left wondering if it'd be asking too much to have the guys kicking back in Sherwood the way we remember them.
Still, origins stories are all the rage these days and with a property like the Robin Hood legends, filmed literally dozens of times with actors such as Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn and Kevin Costner in the title role, doing things differently (as Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn did in "Robin and Marian") is a justifiable way to go.
Director Ridley Scott drains the tale of energy and emotion without offering action thrills that would ingratiate a new generation of viewers. Though hovering on the edge of bawdiness, and despite jabs at the cold-hearted, oppressive church leaders of the period, the movie may be acceptable for some mature teenagers. Much — mostly bloodless — battle violence, a nongraphic sexual situation with fleeting rear nudity, an attempted rape, callous clergy, some innuendo and anatomical references, one instance each of crude and crass language.
Yeah, it's complicated. And the numerous on-screen titles, which identify the ever-shifting locations -- Barnsdale one minute, Berkhamsted Castle the next -- don't really help. There's so much backroom palace intrigue going on that the movie can start to sound like an episode of "The Sopranos" after a while. "He knows too much," says Godfrey at one point. "Get rid of him." Gruesomely disfigured by one of Robin's arrows, and clad all in black, he looms as large as Darth Vader.
Not that the movie is completely without it. Mark Addy makes for a jolly, dipsomaniacal Friar Tuck; Kevin Durand, a goofy and lumbering Little John. And Blanchett's Marion, who takes up arms alongside the best of the men, is a feisty, feminist treat.
But the Robin Hood of myth and moviedom is for the most part AWOL. Why should we have to wait until the last five minutes to see Crowe crack a smile, let alone split an arrow? The film's closing title screen -- which reads "And so the legend begins" -- suggests that if you want to see that movie, you may have to wait for "Robin Hood II."
I bet Russell Crowe's Robin Hood could mop the floor with Kevin Costner's Robin Hood. I wish they would have cast Costner just so I could pay to see that. Or to see Crowe strangle Bryan Adams as he launches into the karaoke and "American Idol" standard "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You." Still, this looks a bit like Gladiator brought into the Middle Ages. Steal from the rich, and give to the poor? I'm thinking Glenn Beck's gonna hate this!
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