Movie Review: Robin Hood

My obsession with film is not a mystery. When I was very young my dad bought a 16mm movie projector and I spent endless hours in the basement of our house watching old movies. One of my dad’s favorites (and so one of my favorites) was The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) with Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone and Claude Raines. I’ve seen it countless times (more than I’ve seen that other movie) and the image of Robin (Flynn) smashing through the door of the palace with a buck wrapped around his neck and throwing it on the table in front of Prince John (Raines) is indelibly burned in my mind. What Robin Hood remake could top that? The director, Kevin Reynolds’s 1991, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves? It’s almost a comedy although entertaining and it did satisfy all of my rescue fantasies. Alan Rickman; how fabulous was he as the Sheriff of Nottingham. And Geraldine McEwan as Mortianna, his sorceress mother, was a nice touch. Let’s not mention Costner. Accents are not his strong suit. Ugh. It was okay but doesn’t hold a candle to the Flynn version. And director Ridley Scotts’ 2 ½ hour, 230 million dollar production is simply not what it should be and the question I’m asking myself is “why was this movie made”? Is there anyone out there dying to know why Robin Hood became Robin Hood? Maybe there is but I for one am more interested in his archery skills and watching him do his swashbuckling thing in Sherwood Forest.

Russell Crowe is, of course, in the title role. Scott wouldn’t have it any other way. They have made many movies together (Gladiator, Body of Lies, American Gangster, A Good Year) and are friends in real life. Crowe can do accents so we can’t fault him on that front. BUT come on, Robin Hood is a fun guy and Crowe’s Robin is not having any fun and that is part of the problem. The movie is long, plodding and humorless. Robin’s adversary is a character named Godfrey played by Mark Strong (the bad guy in Sherlock Holmes). He always makes a good villain but the two are never on screen together (except for the end) and that was probably a mistake. Cate Blanchett, who is plenty beautiful and plenty talented, is not showing signs of either in this film.

The good news: The opening scene is intriguing and got my hopes up. Ridley Scott does good fight scenes (think Gladiator). The last fight scene is great as well (although much too reminiscent of storming the beaches of Normandy in Saving Private Ryan). Danny Houston (son of John and half sister to Angelika) is excellent as King Richard The Lionheart but he gets knocked off very early in the movie. The costumes are fantastic.

You can safely miss this movie or at the very least, wait for it to come out On Demand.