Russell Crowe and Kevin Durand in Robin Hood, directed by Ridley Scott. Watch the preview: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/robin-hood/33539/main
I doubt there is anyone who doesn't like the 1938 version of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn & Olivia de Havilland looking their best filmed in glorious Technicolor. How could you not enjoy hissing at the nasty villains Basil Rathbone & Claude Rains? And lets not forget those spectacular fights and acrobatics aided by a stirring music score. All other versions of the Robin Hood myth pale in comparison. So now we have director Ridley Scott's big blockbuster and it doesn't disappoint.
>>Scott is known for his visual strength with classics like the first Alien and look how Blade Runner has influenced the production design of many futuristic sci-fi films. Scott's Kingdom of Heaven about the Crusades was good but not a big hit but making it gave him the experience for directing another medieval story that involves the same time period.
>>So how does his Robin Hood differ from the rest? Actually it's more a prequel to the familiar myth we know by heart. Here a band of Crusaders lead by an archer named Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) pose as messengers returning to England with the crown of the dead King Richard the Lionhearted. Robin steals the sword of the dead Sir Robert of Loxley and passes himself off as the late knight. Loxley's widow Marion played by a feisty Cate Blanchette allows him and his friends to keep up the pretense since there never was any real love between her and her husband and she needs their help running the estate. She's good in these strong lonely women roles; catch her in a similar role in the underrated western The Missing with Tommy Jones. Watch for the wonderful Eileen Atkins as the crafty Eleanor of Aquitaine, the mother of both kings and a real scene stealer without chewing up the scenery and her fellow actors. Kevin Durand as Little John and Scott Grimes of TV's ER as Will Scarlet offer comic relief as some of the later named Merry Men.
>>Meanwhile the new vain King John (Oscar Isaac) raise taxes and squeezes his subjects since the Crusades have bankrupted the country. There's also treachery as the heavy Sir Godfrey sides with the King of France to invade the weakened country. Godfrey is played with high caliber scowling evil by Mark Strong who easily filled these roles in Sherlock Holmes, Stardust, and to a lesser degree in Young Victoria. It's up to Robin to save to the country and Cate's estate from the tax collectors. Crowe's performance never overshadows the scope of the film or his fellow actors in a scene. Obvious comparisons will be made to Gladiator but that's not a bad thing...
>>There's plenty of action and big battle scenes that need to be seen on the big screen as well as the period sets and costumes. The story unfolds slowly over two hours as takes its time for us to savor the visual details. We weren't bored and don't let some negative reviews hamper your enjoyment. This film is really about how Robin Hood became the legend and cries out for a sequel. Because of the under whelming box office return for a picture that cost almost $200 million to make (and yes the money is up there on the screen), it will probably break even due to worldwide sales. I don't expect to see a sequel soon..... if ever.
>>Scott is known for his visual strength with classics like the first Alien and look how Blade Runner has influenced the production design of many futuristic sci-fi films. Scott's Kingdom of Heaven about the Crusades was good but not a big hit but making it gave him the experience for directing another medieval story that involves the same time period.
>>So how does his Robin Hood differ from the rest? Actually it's more a prequel to the familiar myth we know by heart. Here a band of Crusaders lead by an archer named Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) pose as messengers returning to England with the crown of the dead King Richard the Lionhearted. Robin steals the sword of the dead Sir Robert of Loxley and passes himself off as the late knight. Loxley's widow Marion played by a feisty Cate Blanchette allows him and his friends to keep up the pretense since there never was any real love between her and her husband and she needs their help running the estate. She's good in these strong lonely women roles; catch her in a similar role in the underrated western The Missing with Tommy Jones. Watch for the wonderful Eileen Atkins as the crafty Eleanor of Aquitaine, the mother of both kings and a real scene stealer without chewing up the scenery and her fellow actors. Kevin Durand as Little John and Scott Grimes of TV's ER as Will Scarlet offer comic relief as some of the later named Merry Men.
>>Meanwhile the new vain King John (Oscar Isaac) raise taxes and squeezes his subjects since the Crusades have bankrupted the country. There's also treachery as the heavy Sir Godfrey sides with the King of France to invade the weakened country. Godfrey is played with high caliber scowling evil by Mark Strong who easily filled these roles in Sherlock Holmes, Stardust, and to a lesser degree in Young Victoria. It's up to Robin to save to the country and Cate's estate from the tax collectors. Crowe's performance never overshadows the scope of the film or his fellow actors in a scene. Obvious comparisons will be made to Gladiator but that's not a bad thing...
>>There's plenty of action and big battle scenes that need to be seen on the big screen as well as the period sets and costumes. The story unfolds slowly over two hours as takes its time for us to savor the visual details. We weren't bored and don't let some negative reviews hamper your enjoyment. This film is really about how Robin Hood became the legend and cries out for a sequel. Because of the under whelming box office return for a picture that cost almost $200 million to make (and yes the money is up there on the screen), it will probably break even due to worldwide sales. I don't expect to see a sequel soon..... if ever.
