Ridley Scott takes on the task of making yet another rendition of the timeless story of Robin Hood. He has chosen to tell the pendant to "Batman Begins", and focus on a story before he was outlawed. It is actually incredible that Robin Hood has been told that many times, not only in movies but also as TV series and even animation. So i guess thats why they deem it necessary to focus on something new. This may sound good on paper, but what is there on film, pales into a lame slaughterfest and cliché after cliché, and not traditional Robin Hood ones mind you, but average mainstream action movie clichés. This nearly kills it for me.
Now, i was never a big fan of Russell Crowe. He seems only able to play one role, at least when it comes to action movies. Furthermore the Hood character has almost been put aside, to make room for other ones, like the grasswidowed, masculine Marion (Blanchett), with daddy issues, who needs to treat Robin like a jerk to sell the idea of the independant woman who can shoot a bow and rescue a ram from a puddle of mudd. When he shows interest in her she ignores him, but then when he rescues the ram first and then her, she is passive aggressive in the "Oh , so now you have time for me?" way. Hood is supposed to take her old husbands place, because he is dead. And she is a single mother (she cares for the child outlaws in the wood i suppose). So basically she represents the "modern" frustrated, and sexually confused, single mother, who needs a betamale to provide for her and show her endless affection, despite the amount of bullshit she tosses his way.
This feels very much like a clone of Kingdom of Heaven, which was a clone of Gladiator ... in a general sense. Scott has a problem with epic scale movies. I am not sure what it is, but they are not engaging. The supporting characters, except maybe Blanchett, are weak and really oldschool clichés of stupid, brawns who can only think of killing, drinking and fucking. They are there because the original story says they have to, so they come up with new stupid stories about how they meet, completely different from the original story i read as a boy.
To put it simply, this movie is nice to look at but boring as hell. You feel like you have seen it all before, and the big name actors do not look like they are enjoying being a part of this project. And another thing is that moviegoers who love the real Robin Hood story do not even get a take on that.
And of course Marion has to sneak into the final battle to prove that she is equal to men, as the politically correct, gender equality illusion requires. But then she screws up and Hood have to save her instead of leading the army. How stupid. And of course, in the end the newly made outlaws, starts out in Sherwood, as happily domesticated, betamale providers kissing babies and playing fiddle for the women. How pathetic.
Rating: 4/10