Movie Review: "Robin Hood"

Robin Hood

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Russel Crowe, Cate Blanchette, Max Von Sydow
Rated: PG-13 for violence including some intense sequences of warfare, and some sexual content

Robin Hood, the legendary English outlaw, has gone through many transformations over the years, both in legend and on screen. Men in green tights, Kevin Costner with a mullet, and even an animated fox have all had opportunities at portraying the legend. Ridley Scott’s new adaptation considered a variety of unique versions of the story, one in which Robin would be the villain, another where he would pretend to become the Sheriff of Nottingham. However, Scott eventually settled on the “historical story of Robin” approach, giving us another medieval epic about the man who “robbed from the rich to give to the poor.” At least, that’s what you are led to believe.

While it is interesting to see Robin and company in a more historical context (not wearing green tights, dealing with the Magna Carta), the film goes beyond those simple expectations and deliver a different story than that of the “Gladiator spin-off” most were expecting; it’s lighter and more comical. There are moments where the plot almost feels more like a period dramedy than that of a grand epic. And, while there is an amount of corniness and eye-rolling moments that come with it, Robin Hood is still a fun and exciting movie. The fights are fantastic, the cast (which includes Cate Blanchette, Matthew Macfadyen, and Max Von Sydow) is strong, and the style is authentic and entertaining.

The largest problem with the film is Crowe’s Robin, a relatively dull protagonist whose character development is about as one dimensional as one can get. Crowe, like his character, also feels out of place: he’s too serious to be a “merry man”, too old to be having those “become the man your father raised” moments, and he looked more like a knight than an English outlaw. Despite it’s (and Crowe’s) mistakes, Robin Hood is a fun movie that foreshadows historical events in human liberty and English law. It’s like the 2005 film King Arthur, minus the Bruckheimer feel; don’t take it too serious, and you’ll have a lot of fun, and maybe learn some stuff along the way. And, while it certainly won’t be a classic like Gladiator, it also won’t be a mockery like the Costner version. When it comes to Robin Hood, get the animated fox version for the children, and the Scott version for adults. Both audiences will have a good time.