Robin Hood
Starring: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, William Hurt, Mark Strong
Director: Ridley Scott
Rating: 4/5
Yes I know that the movie has been out a couple of weeks but I finally got my ass into gear and went to see the latest collaboration between Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott.
Robin Hood chronicles the life of an expert archer, previously interested only in self-preservation, from his service in King Richard's army against the French.
Upon Richard’s death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the spirited widow Lady Marion (Blanchett), a woman sceptical of the identity and motivations of this crusader from the forest.
Hoping to earn the hand of Maid Marion and salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang whose lethal mercenary skills are matched only by its appetite for life. Together, they begin preying on the indulgent upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff.
With their country weakened from decades of war, embattled from the ineffective rule of the new king and vulnerable to insurgencies from within and threats from afar, Robin and his men heed a call to ever greater adventure.
If you haven’t seen a blockbuster movie this summer then Robin Hood really should be the one as Ridley Scott and co turn this familiar legend into a fast paced and exciting epic.
Russell Crowe is absolutely superb as Robin Longstride the common archer who becomes a legend, although his accent can be a little shaky at times.
Forget anything and everything that you think you know about Robin Hood as Scott blows that out of the water, not a pair of tights to be seen, and the performance of Kevin Costner and the action scenes of Prince of Thieves all pale in comparison to this latest interpretation.
It’s also a great turn as Marion, who is far from the damsel in distress that we are so use to seeing. Instead she is a brave and formidable woman who is left to run the home her husband left behind when he went to fight in the crusades.
While the pace is a little uneven the action sequences more than make up for it the final battle is a great set piece as Gladiator meets Kingdom of Heaven.
Scott mixes romance and violence well, without going over the top on either, as he produces a swashbuckling epic that really is great fun.
While Scott focuses on action and adventure he also doesn’t overlook the period as he portrays it as a difficult and trying times as the people of England struggle to make ends meat.
While the director does deliver a multilayered story action is at the heart of this summer blockbuster as Robin Hood delivers in a big way.
Robin Hood is out now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw