Robin Hood - The one with Russell Crowe

[Emperor]

Early screening review...

 

SPOILERS

 

Hey just got back from the "Robin Hood" screening here in Las Vegas.

 

The most surprising thing about “Robin Hood” isn't really so surprising at all: Ridley Scott has made a variation on “Gladiator” that switches out swords and sandals for bows and arrows. Russell Crowe is back in fighting form (looks like he lost an entire person since “State of Play”) and takes his place where he belongs, playing a hero square in the middle of a big period action epic, bellowing orders, galloping on horseback and just generally kicking ass.

 

Forget the green tights, pulling on the sheriff version of “Robin Hood.” This is a dirty, brutal, muscular, serious origin story that introduces the characters we've seen in movies and read in books that only meets up with the familiar story literally in the last scene.

 

The story here is about an archer from the Crusades who assumes the identity of a fellow soldier who died on the field. Robin returns home to England and discovers a secret he never knew about his past which puts him on a path to help his country from a despotic king (btw, don’t know who plays King John but he’s awesome). The first two-thirds of the movie are about Robin figuring out his destiny and rallying the people together against King John’s thugs and the usual cast of characters starts to come together: the Merry Men, a tough Maid Marian (I don’t understand how Sienna Miller was ever supposed to play this role), the Sheriff of Nottingham, Friar Tuck.

 

The last third is an extended action sequence set at the edge of the sea as Robin and his countrymen face off against the invading French navy attempting to land and take over Britain. This is pure “Gladiator”/”Kingdom of Heaven” Ridley Scott with a lot of hand-to-hand combat. There’s another nice surprise: there doesn’t seem to be much of a reliance on computer imagery outside of that French navy. This is action on a huge scale made the old-fashioned way: armies of thousands, swords clanging off each other, arrows shooting through bodies, ships crashing on shore all staged right there on the beach, not in a computer.

[Haxorsist]

There is only one Robin Hood; Kevin Costner. And he has Bryan Adams singing I Do It For You in the background. Sorry Russel Crowe, you can't beat that.

[Emperor]

I actually liked that robin hood to.  The sherrif was awesome.

[Krakalakachkn]

I am Super Duper excited for this

[Daetirion]

One of my friends is doing his dissertation on Gladiator.

 

Needless to say his enthusiasm for this film is frankly sickening... and apparently contagious. Similarly looking forward to it

[Imperium]

Heard about this during the Ashes in the summer when they had Russell Crowe commentate for a while.

 

Yeh Alan Rickman was amazing as Sheriff. I like the spoof film as well Men in Tights.

[Krakalakachkn]

Looks like there's already talk of a sequel.

 

It's not even out yet, but if successful then Ridley Scott's upcoming "Robin Hood" at Universal Pictures could get the sequel treatment.

 

Scott tells The Times Online that as this is essentially an origin movie, we really don't see Robin in full flight until the last act. Scott says the film "is the beginnings of how the man becomes known as Robin the Hood. You don’t really get that until the last few minutes. When you realise that ‘Ah, this is who he is’. Let’s say we might presume there’s a sequel."

 

So if one were to be made, what would it be about? “Honestly, I thought why not have the potential for a sequel, particularly if it is a genre that you absolutely love and has never been fully explored? If there were to be a sequel to Robin Hood, you would have a constant enemy throughout, King John, and you would follow his reign of 17 years, and the signing of Magna Carta could be Robin’s final act” says Scott.

 

Also, I was not a fan of Kevin Costner' Robin Hood.  I actually thought it was pretty bad and a boring 3 hours.  Alan Rickman was the only redeeming part.

[Red2111]

Robin hood: prince of Theives was actualy one of my fav movies growing up.  it still is :)

 

i'm really excited abotu this new version, especailly sicne it comes from a different perspective than all the other ones.  i'm goign to see it for my b-day since it comes out around then :)

[Krakalakachkn]

I'm wondering if the reason I don't like Prince of Thieves is because the first time I ever saw it was a month ago.  I'm wondering if nostalgia is influencing your love for it?  It's not a 'classic' for me.

[Silver]

Men In Tights was better!

[Red2111]

^ meh.  thats because dude from Princess Bride was in it ;)   for humor it was good, but i perfer the drama version of the story.

 

though Disney's version isn't too shabby at all *grins*

 

 

well you have a cast of great actors in it.

 

Morgan Freeman

Alan Rickman

Kevin Costner

Christian Slater

 

and no, nostalgia is not influencing my love for it, no more than my love of Top Gun as a kid influeced my believing its one of THE best films of all times ;)

 

its actually a rather good film, it gets the myth of Robin Hood right.  it maynot be a classic, but there were worst films out in 91

[Krakalakachkn]

Disney's Robin Hood is one of my favorite disney movies ever!  Second only after Emperor's New Groove.

[Red2111]

Lilo & Stitch is the best disney movie aside from Fantasia

[Krakalakachkn]

I did like Lilo & Stitch a lot, but it's definitely not my favorite.

[Kaznen]

The <em>Merry Adventures of Robin Hood</em> is the best Robin Hood movie.

 

I hope Russel Crowe is "in like Flinn."

 

When critics start saying that next month I can sue them for copywrite infringement.  ;D

[Krakalakachkn]

I will have your back on that one

[Kati]

I cannot wait for it! I love Russ (He owns my Football Team!)

 

But the best Robin Hood movie has to be Men in Tights!

[Rufae]

Just wanted to say that Friend of Dragonmount, author David B. Coe, is the one who did the book adaption of this movie. Check it out on bookshelves April 24th. It's better than the movie.  ;)  ;D