Ridley Scott, director of such historical films as Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven, has decided to dust off the old bow and arrow to bring the legend of Robin Hood back to life.
Or so it would seem.
For those unfamiliar of the character of English folklore, Robin Hood is the story of an outlaw of Sherwood Forest who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. He is accompanied by his band of Merry Men and his lover, Maid Marian, who stand against the forces of the tyrannical Sheriff of Nottingham and the cunning Prince John.
Yet for this adaptation of the legend, the actual stories are brushed off to the side for the film to serve much more as an origin story. The film’s flaw is that it narrowly advertised as such. If by watching the trailer you think you know what kind of movie you’ll be seeing, think again.
Instead Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood is a story of how the legend would have taken place. Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) returns home from the Crusades to see John of England (Oscar Isaac) take power after the death of his brother, King Richard. Meanwhile, one of John’s highest soldiers Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong) is involved in a conspiracy with enemy forces to try and see the country turn to ruin.
Describing this plot is more like describing two different films. Robin is hardly connected to the other side of the movie until the end of the second act, and the conspiracy plot leaves far too much to swallow. It almost feels as though in order to describe how the movie actually is, this review is forced to include spoilers. But that would only be because the film includes so much that you would not have foreseen from a first glimpse.
The cast performances are carried well, but it’s only by the end of the film that you feel that Crowe has earned the name of the character, even in personality. Selfless deeds are performed, his passion for liberty is certain, but at the beginning of his story arc, he seems no different than a regular con artist.
It’s Lady Marian (Cate Blanchett) who offers a necessary edge to her character. In some ways, her presence is even stronger than that of Robin’s himself.
What Robin Hood did deliver as expected was glorious action scenes, with several of them leaning over the line of realistic and extraordinary. The musical score is also orchestrated marvelously, which gave some of the fight scenes more spice. Its sets and costume design were also crafted with great detail and historical research, but this reviewer is only going by what he has seen in high school history textbooks.
As previously said, don’t trust the marketing of the movie to be a vision of the future, because to compare the trailer for Robin Hood to the actual film is just two different assortments to the same puzzle pieces. Instead, go by instinct and see how well your accuracy proves.
- Braydon K.
Or so it would seem.
For those unfamiliar of the character of English folklore, Robin Hood is the story of an outlaw of Sherwood Forest who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. He is accompanied by his band of Merry Men and his lover, Maid Marian, who stand against the forces of the tyrannical Sheriff of Nottingham and the cunning Prince John.
Yet for this adaptation of the legend, the actual stories are brushed off to the side for the film to serve much more as an origin story. The film’s flaw is that it narrowly advertised as such. If by watching the trailer you think you know what kind of movie you’ll be seeing, think again.
Instead Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood is a story of how the legend would have taken place. Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) returns home from the Crusades to see John of England (Oscar Isaac) take power after the death of his brother, King Richard. Meanwhile, one of John’s highest soldiers Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong) is involved in a conspiracy with enemy forces to try and see the country turn to ruin.
Describing this plot is more like describing two different films. Robin is hardly connected to the other side of the movie until the end of the second act, and the conspiracy plot leaves far too much to swallow. It almost feels as though in order to describe how the movie actually is, this review is forced to include spoilers. But that would only be because the film includes so much that you would not have foreseen from a first glimpse.
The cast performances are carried well, but it’s only by the end of the film that you feel that Crowe has earned the name of the character, even in personality. Selfless deeds are performed, his passion for liberty is certain, but at the beginning of his story arc, he seems no different than a regular con artist.
It’s Lady Marian (Cate Blanchett) who offers a necessary edge to her character. In some ways, her presence is even stronger than that of Robin’s himself.
What Robin Hood did deliver as expected was glorious action scenes, with several of them leaning over the line of realistic and extraordinary. The musical score is also orchestrated marvelously, which gave some of the fight scenes more spice. Its sets and costume design were also crafted with great detail and historical research, but this reviewer is only going by what he has seen in high school history textbooks.As previously said, don’t trust the marketing of the movie to be a vision of the future, because to compare the trailer for Robin Hood to the actual film is just two different assortments to the same puzzle pieces. Instead, go by instinct and see how well your accuracy proves.
- Braydon K.
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