I went into Ridley Scott’s new Robin Hood expecting a modern rehashing of the classic legend. What I received was definitely a modern retelling, but it was more of a prequel to the legend we all know and love. In fact it’s not until the last ten minutes of the movie that Robin actually becomes known as Robin the Hood and moves into Sherwood Forest.
The movie pulls from some of the earliest legends in casting Robin not as the noble son of Loxley but as a commoner. He is Robin Longstride, an archer in the army of King Richard the Lionheart, on his way back from the crusades. Of course later in the film he does in fact pose as the son of Sir Walter Loxley and falls for the widows wife of the true Robert of Loxley, the lovely Maid Marion. The movie takes Robin on a rather winding and sometimes disjointed path from simple solider to folk legend. Though rather well written in the whole the story relies far too much on coincident to tie the characters and events together and the story seems a bit weak because of it.
The film has an all star cast befitting its budget. Russell Crowe is in excellent form as Robin, though he does come off as a much older and grizzled version compared to his pretty boy predecessors. There has been much talk of Crowe, at 45, being the oldest actor to try on the tights, though I believe that honor still belongs to Mr. Sean Connery for his role in “Robin and Marion”, another alternative take on the legend and one from which Mr. Scott himself seemed to have cribbed a few ideas for this film, especially its opening. Cate Blanchett as always comes across very regal, she’s a beautiful Marion and adds a feisty side to this classic heroine. The cowardly villain Prince John is played to perfection by Oscar Issac and Mark Strong, who played such a delicious villain in Sherlock Holmes earlier this year, plays the pieces ultimate villain in the sinister Sir Godfrey. Unfortunately many of the other major players of the legends, the Sheriff and Robin’s men, are stuck on the sidelines with mere bit parts in this film. They are more often played for comedic effect and add little to the narrative.
The movie looks incredible, thanks in part to the English country side it was filmed in. I leave questions on the accuracy of the films sets to historians, but the world had the gritty look and feel that invoked that medieval time well enough, a glamorized version to be sure but much less so then in films past. The fight scenes were all expertly choreographed. Not many of the classic Robin Hood duels of yesteryear , but Ridley Scotts skill at staging large scale battles came.
Overall I enjoyed the movie, the film gives a rather different take on Robin’s origins and it’s a excellent action film at the very least. However It was obvious that the movie was written in such a way as to lead into a sequel, but I’ll admit I really don’t have a desire to see it. I definitely recommend a viewing, if possible in the theater as the battle scenes were excellent, and perhaps repeated viewings when it hits Blu-ray will change my mind towards a follow-up.