If you were expecting a prissy nancy boy prancing around in chartreuse tights like some demented elf, dangling from vines like an over stimulated chimpanzee, and spouting supercilious aphorisms like a drunken stand up comic, this is not your movie. Ridley Scott has re-imagined Robin Hood as, of all things, an action hero. Actually, it seems that whenever Ridley Scott thinks of an action hero, he thinks of his Oscar® winning muse, Russell Crowe, and, as director-actor pairings go, that's a good thing.
It is ironic that Crowe, the oldest actor ever to play Robin Hood on the big screen, finds himself portraying the character in what is essentially a prequel to the story most people remember. This is, again, a good thing. To counter the objections to Crowe as Robin, he trimmed down for the role and, as can be seen in what I will refer to as "the chain mail scene", it worked beautifully.
The back story of Robin Hood overlaps with one of the most storied periods in English history, and the appearance of characters like Eleanor of Aquitaine recalls the epic history of Henry II and the rest of the Plantagenet clan, giving the story sweep and arc, rather than allowing it to be subsumed in another campy remake of an already overly campy and worn out story.
Crowe transforms Robin Hood into a smoldering warrior, but then, recall that his testosterone infused turn as Dr. John Nash made even a math geek macho. He also benefits, as he did in A Beautiful Mind, from a strong female lead, in this case Oscar® winner Cate Blanchett as Marion; clearly NOT a "maid" in this case, as a defiantly independent widow. Blanchett's Marion is a warrior in her own right, and she stands by her Robin in battle heroically.
The merry men are all here, though, like Crowe as Robin, they are less absurdly merry than you might expect. The one exception is Mark Addy as the dipsomaniacal Friar Tuck. As for the rest of the merry men, they seem to have focused more on "men" and less on "merry", yet another good thing.
This incarnation of the Robin Hood legend was a hotly sought after property. Every major role, including the leads and director, went through numerous changes or considered alternatives before being finalized and, while it's possible to envision a few other permutations, this one works just great. Brian Helgeland's story and script are superb, as one would expect. Co-writers Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris have collaborated successfully in the past, and the team seems to have worked well again.
The most striking aspect of the movie, again as one would expect, is Ridley Scott's unmistakable direction. All the usual elements are here; rapid cut action shots, painterly compositions and dramatic lighting. But more than that, Scott's sense of the epic and heroic lift an otherwise tired story into a new and exciting realm.
Most of the negative reviews I've read seem focused on the fact that this is not some tragic remake of a Douglas Fairbanks or Errol Flynn farce. I think this is its best point. This is not the best work of either Ridley Scott or Russell Crowe, but it is the best Robin Hood ever.
It is ironic that Crowe, the oldest actor ever to play Robin Hood on the big screen, finds himself portraying the character in what is essentially a prequel to the story most people remember. This is, again, a good thing. To counter the objections to Crowe as Robin, he trimmed down for the role and, as can be seen in what I will refer to as "the chain mail scene", it worked beautifully.
The back story of Robin Hood overlaps with one of the most storied periods in English history, and the appearance of characters like Eleanor of Aquitaine recalls the epic history of Henry II and the rest of the Plantagenet clan, giving the story sweep and arc, rather than allowing it to be subsumed in another campy remake of an already overly campy and worn out story.
Crowe transforms Robin Hood into a smoldering warrior, but then, recall that his testosterone infused turn as Dr. John Nash made even a math geek macho. He also benefits, as he did in A Beautiful Mind, from a strong female lead, in this case Oscar® winner Cate Blanchett as Marion; clearly NOT a "maid" in this case, as a defiantly independent widow. Blanchett's Marion is a warrior in her own right, and she stands by her Robin in battle heroically.
The merry men are all here, though, like Crowe as Robin, they are less absurdly merry than you might expect. The one exception is Mark Addy as the dipsomaniacal Friar Tuck. As for the rest of the merry men, they seem to have focused more on "men" and less on "merry", yet another good thing.
This incarnation of the Robin Hood legend was a hotly sought after property. Every major role, including the leads and director, went through numerous changes or considered alternatives before being finalized and, while it's possible to envision a few other permutations, this one works just great. Brian Helgeland's story and script are superb, as one would expect. Co-writers Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris have collaborated successfully in the past, and the team seems to have worked well again.
The most striking aspect of the movie, again as one would expect, is Ridley Scott's unmistakable direction. All the usual elements are here; rapid cut action shots, painterly compositions and dramatic lighting. But more than that, Scott's sense of the epic and heroic lift an otherwise tired story into a new and exciting realm.
Most of the negative reviews I've read seem focused on the fact that this is not some tragic remake of a Douglas Fairbanks or Errol Flynn farce. I think this is its best point. This is not the best work of either Ridley Scott or Russell Crowe, but it is the best Robin Hood ever.