Robin Hood

Now here’s some heavy hitters. Ridley Scott as director, Brian Helgeland on (re-writing) script duties and Russell Crowe as the lead. One problem though. Is there really a clamour to see another film about Robin Hood? Scott and Helgeland perhaps sensed this early on as much like Batman Begins and Casino Royale, Robin Hood goes back to the start to give us a story concerning the origins of the Hood myth (though it appears commercial measures still dictate, as the original title of Nottingham fell by the wayside). So, was it a wise decision? Overall you would say yes, though the film isn’t quite the sum of its parts. Scott directs with (what else?) an assured hand and neatly moves the story along just at the right moments before navel gazing sets in. Though there is some dodgy editing at times suggesting that a version with more grue was also filmed and I’d expect to see that surface on DVD. Crowe is solid as Robin of Longstaff and there is strong support from the rest of the cast, including Oscar Isaac as a delightfully slimy Prince John. However, the purposely sidelined Sheriff of Nottingham is a waste of Matthew Macfayden. Cate Blanchett brings the required gravitas to Marion Loxley that the screenplay gives her but the romantic plot line between her and Crowe is below par and they rack up zero chemistry together on the screen. Of course, much has been made about Crowe’s accent. It’s definitely not that great and I can only assume the close relationship between Scott and Crowe prevented Scott from pointing out it needed brushing up somewhat. Having said that, to me, it sounded a bit Irish at the start but then seemed to disappear totally for the rest of the film. Negative points aside though, this is still enjoyable stuff which, though I’m sure Scott wouldn’t like it, comes across more like a fantasy adventure (swords, sandals, girls) than any sort of serious historical comment. The climactic battle at the end doesn’t quite hit home as it should, especially after the decent build up Scott gives it, and it’s not helped by Blanchett's and the (soon to be?) merry men arriving in a somewhat underwhelming fashion. Overall, this probably won’t live too long in the memory, and I doubt they’ll be a follow up, but Scott directs well (including some stunning sweeping camera shots of the green and pleasant land), the actors all seem to be enjoying themselves and the screenplay is nicely polished.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
The heavy hitters land their punches, but none of them are knock out blows. Rating: 7/10.