Rating of
4/4
An Outlaw Declared, A Hero Born.
DivineTragedy92 - wrote on 06/01/10
Directed by Ridley Scott
Starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Kevin Durand, Matthew Macfadyen, William Hurt, Oscar Isaac, Mark Strong, Danny Huston, Mark Addy, Lea Seydoux, and Max Von Sydow
This film is the origin story of the legendary folk hero Robin Hood, an outlaw who steals from the rich and provides for the poor. This is an entirely different Robin Hood story since it is about how the character became the legend and I think the filmmakers did a wonderful job with telling their own story of this lovely character. This film is directed by Ridley Scott, who is a legend himself, and stars a variety of colorful actors who portray their roles wonderfully.
Robin Hood tells the story of an archer named Robin Longstride who fights beside King Richard the Lionheart. After King Richard's death in France, Robin and a select group travel to England where they encounter a dying man named Robert of Locksley, who asks Robin to deliver his sword to his father in Nottingham. Once in Nottingham, Robert's father Walter convinces Robin to impersonate his fallen son in order to hide his death. Robin finds himself charmed by Robert's wife Marian, but he also finds himself in the middle of a war after the naive King John is fooled by a treacherous spy named Godfrey, who convinved King John that he was an englishman and eventually leads the French into an attempt to invade England. Robin and his merry men are forced to fight back and save the land from French rule. Russell Crowe portrays the title character and does so quite well however it is not his best performance. Crowe is always a compelling actor, even if he seems to play the same character in his movies. Cate Blanchett as Lady Marian is a delight. She is one of the greatest actresses of all time and does not disappoint in this film. Oscar Isaac is the standout of this film as the naive and wicked King John, who is both amusing and slightly despicable. Mark Strong is one of the most captivating actors I have ever seen and he is always amazing as the villain. Danny Huston is great as King Richard the Lionheart. He has just the right attitude and personality to play such a character. The many supporting players of this film are all wonderful. Matthew Macfadyen is another standout of this film as the Sheriff of Nottingham. He is dark, cold, calculating, and flat out wild looking. Kevin Durand is phenomenal as Little John, one of Robin's merry men. William Hurt, Lea Seydoux, and Max Von Sydow are all superb here as well. Ridley Scott is a director who has become a legend in cinema and for good reason. His films have a unique visual style that is incredible to behold and he always brings out the best in his actors. Ridley's films are classics.
Robin Hood is a masterpiece. It's fun and highly entertaining. It has just about everything you can want in an adventure movie. I have heard many negative things about this film and even though I understand what these individuals are complaining about, I completely disagree with them. I found this film to be one of the better films of the last few years. It's a memorable cinematic experience and I just had a lot of fun with it. I enjoyed the characters and I was engaged in the story, which is important and also a very rare thing to feel while watching a movie these days. Robin Hood is a classic adventure film and one of my favorite films...
