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When Russell Crowe teamed up with director Ridley Scott in 2000, few could’ve known they’d give birth to a film now cited as one of the greatest of the decade. Somehow Gladiator’s sheer corniness was overlooked in favour of its spectacle to become a huge hit and a runaway bestseller in the early DVD market. As you would imagine given those involved, ‘Robin Hood’ is epic in every sense- sweeping landscapes, rousing score and a bum-numbing 2 hour 20 minute running time. There are things that stop it from being a true classic- it can be slow in places, and it’s more than slightly inspired by ‘Braveheart’ and the ‘other’ Scott/Crowe epic. However, for everything that makes you roll your eyes there’s another that makes you go ‘wow’. The look is fantastic, and although there are long breaks between battle scenes they are definitely worth the wait, especially the awesome climax on the beach. Credit also to the writers for not making this a typical story of the outlaw, more an origin piece dealing with his time in the army and the aftermath of King John’s ascension. The film takes you back to the 12th Century and follows Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) on a journey to return the sword of dying knight Robert Loxley to his father, Sir Walter Loxley in Nottingham. Russell Crowe plays a more rugged Robin than we have seen before, but unfortunately his accent seems as confused as his character’s history. He is joined on the journey back from France by Little John (Kevin Durand), Will Scarlet (Scott Grimes) and Allan A’Dayle (Alan Doyle), a comedic trio, portrayed as a Welsh man, English man and Irish man, bringing humour to their journey. Cate Blanchett played a strong willed Marion Loxley, shrugging off the damsel in distress stereotype, making Robin work to win her love in a different adaptation of the romantic side of the story. Overall, the film was entertaining but didn’t quite match up to the hype. It was however, a completely new, grittier take on the Robin Hood legend compared to the ‘camp’ efforts of the past. It was missing much of the robbing the rich to feed the poor that might be expected, but this was clearly a ‘beginning’ film setting out how Robin Longstride became Robin Hood. There’s flaws, certainly, but there’s also a lot to like about this film. Reliable leads, a decent script and a cracking final sequence means that while you may not be quoting it for years to come, it will certainly give you a memorable evening. Movie Review: Robin Hood is a post from: Daily World Buzz Continue reading →