After the death of Richard the Lion-Hearted, a skilled archer named Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) travels to Nottingham, where villagers suffer under a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation. He meets and falls in love with a spirited widow, Marion (Cate Blanchett), although she is skeptical of his motives. Hoping to win her heart and save the village, Robin gathers a band of warriors to fight corruption in Nottingham, little knowing they will soon be fighting to save England itself. (1)
Review
Hello, Movie Buffs!
Directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator and Alien Covenant) and written by Brian Helgeland (42), Ethan Reiff (Knightfall TV show), and Cyrus Voris (Knightfall TV show), Robin Hood (2010) is an intense and exhilarating film about one of the most well-known and yet mysterious legends of all time, Robin Hood. And when it comes to making epic period films, director Scott is one of the few who possesses the ability to succeed in such a venture.
The story is exciting and it is not the story you grew up with. Of course, there are some flaws and clichés, and while Robin Hood is not as accomplished as Gladiator, the same areas that made Gladiator (2000) such a strong film were done well in this one. Like Gladiator, director Scott takes an existing story and it into a message that can easily be relatable to today’s events. He has such amazing attention to detail through the extravagant set pieces and gorgeous cinematography to create an immersive and believable 13th century England . There is a continual feeling of an old English atmosphere that is also fast-paced and filled with frenzied action sequences. The story also includes one of the most defining events of its century, a document whose goals alludes to, without ever mentioning, the Magna Carta2.
Current historians are not 100% sure if Robin Hood was a real person but they do have some theories of the type of person he was. They believe that if Robin Hood (Russell Crowe – The Mummy) was real than he was likely a yeoman1 – a man holding and cultivating a small landed estate; a freeholder – rather than a dispossessed feudal lord, and this is true in the film. King Richard the Lionheart (Danny Huston– Wonder Woman; Yellowstone) and Prince John Lackland (Oscar Issac – Life Itself and Operation Finale) are also presented with historical accuracy. Richard is a glory-seeking and perpetual warrior whose campaigns bled England dry, while John is the needy and playboy younger brother who is utterly incompetent. Will Scarlet (Scott Grimes – The Orville), Little John (Kevin Durand – The Strain), Marion Loxely (Cate Blanchett – Ocean’s 8), Godfrey (Mark Strong – Shazam!), and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Matthew Macfadyen – The Nutcracker and the Four Realms) are also included but in a more realistic and intricate way.
Overall, Robin Hood (2010) is an entertaining film with beautiful cinematography, exciting action sequences, a plot that doesn’t quit, and a cast that is realistic and has great chemistry throughout. This is an entirely different look at the legendary and classic character, so don’t expect it to be exactly like the story you grew up with. Director Scott has given this story a new perspective that gives it a special depth and meaning that has yet to be encountered before. The story is more like the prequel to the legend, while ending leaves room for a potential sequel should someone decide to move forward with the rest of the story. If you are a fan of epic period films like Troy , Kingdom of Heaven
"Greenwood became the outlaw's friend, orphan boys welcome, there was no tax, no tides, no rich, no poor, fair trades at the table, many wrongs to be righted in the country of King John, watch over us Walter."
- Marion Loxley [last lines]
Final Vote
Worth Seeing: 8 of 10 star
Worth Buying: 8 of 10 stars
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