Robin Hood

This movie is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I skipped over it when released because of what appeared to be a major miscasting of the parts. Russell Crow -a fantastic actor- simply is not Robin Hood. Wrong body type, wrong acting background, just wrong for the part. The Robin Hood we've come to know since Douglas Fairbanks portrayed him in 1922 is not the angry looking grimacing warrior as portrayed in the image on the jacket.That's the way I felt anyway, but lately I've been on a Robin Hood binge, and it seemed this film should be examined regardless. After viewing it, although my feelings about the miscasting stand, and now extend to the Marion part (it's traditionally been spelled in the feminine form as 'Marian' by the way), and to the King Richard part as well, this production has redeeming values. The middle of the film is really quite riveting... something fine is being woven together. There is this slow, gentle thawing between Robin and Marion, the plot is taking some interesting twists and turns... hope is sparked. But then the movie kind of goes downhill. Why?- The challenge with Crow in the part is that you don't want to end up with the actor simply doing a modified version of his role in Gladiator. That was an iconic role, and the character Maximus is given some iconic moments. Like being passed a sword through mid air while on horseback and catching it perfectly. So, no matter what don't have Crow do that in this Robin Hood production because it will look like the story lacks originality. So, of course they do it. Twice! ("Hey Beavis, Russell can catch a weapon in mid air you know!" "He he. Yeah. Let's make him do it here too. That'll be cool. He he." -Beavis and Butt-Head directing a film)- Marion of course must be updated to fit the modern woman, who is a natural warrior, innately knows karate, and can defeat any man. And that's exactly the trap they fall into. Somehow 125 lb Kate Blanchett can stride up to a soldier wearing body armor, who makes no attempt to attack her or even defend himself, and with one swing of her sword cut through the chain mail and bring the man down. Ok!- King Richard, played by Danny Huston, is not a believable character because Huston has a very distinctive voice, and is apparently unable to alter it for a role. So instead of getting King Richard you are pulled out of the film whenever Huston opens his mouth.- One of the reasons the movie falls apart at the end -other than Marion showing up at the head of her orphan army wearing custom fitted armor- is that the third act of the film is mostly two big fight scenes. And the fight scenes are built around quick-cuts, which is basically a cheat that does not in any way portray an actual battle. Once you've been spoiled by a properly staged medieval battle from the likes of a director like Kurosawa, these modern quick-cut based battles come off as amateur night.- Then to top it all off there is a scene where Robin Hood is parting with Marion for a time, and Crow is given the line "I love you". Oh, puleeze. I mean if anything, it was her line to be delivered to him because she had been the reticent holdout. It would have been the sign he had fully won her over. But noooo. Really though, they would have been better off to skip the line entirely and not interfere with the lovely organic love story that had been simmering. We KNOW they love each other at this point!Other than that the movie was great!!

Robin Hood takes place in 12th Century England. It’s portrayed as a country full of poverty. The king is dead, his brother Prince John has assumed power only to abuse it, and the King of France is planning to invade. Into the middle of this comes Robin who gave a promise to return to a knight’s home in Nottingham. He becomes the town’s protector against the greed of the time and is elevated to the savior of England by the end.The movie actually doesn’t emphasize the traditional story of Robin stealing from the rich, although there is one scene where he does rob the church of seeds. What it does instead is show how humble Robin was compared to the king who was loud and boisterous. It also revealed that Robin’s father wanted a bill of rights for England. That’s hinting at the Magna Carta which was signed in the 13th Century. In so doing the story becomes about English nationalism against the French and the lords against the king. History books would call the Magna Carta and the lords rising up the start of democracy even though it was the landed aristocracy wanting their say in government over an autocrat with the common people still being excluded.C

This is my new favorite movie. The grown up legend of Robin Hood not the wimpy Hollywood version. It ties together actual English historical events and characters within a couple hundred years of believable artistic license. Russell Crowe, Kate Blanchett and a marvelous cast directed by Ridley Scott. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with every man's home his castle! It took an outlaw, King John would not allow his power to be limited, after all John did not make himself King, God did, he was divine. History.

Had to have it in my collection! The main reason for the star subtraction is for Amazon not the movie!!!I just wish that Amazine would let me custom arrange my Video Library instead of only offering by date purchased or alphabetical order. I would prefer to arrange by genre, episode, number in franchise so that I could group my movies together instead of having a hodge podge to sort through!

My opinion, certainly, but I'm a fan . . .I'd placed Scott's 'Robin Hood' into the second tier of his films; fine films, well crafted, but flawed and not the classics that many of his films are. Only saw it on pay-per-view twice back in the day, never bothered to purchase it. So, I was looking through the cheap list one day for a few decent but cheap fantasy dvd's . . . picked up some garbage, and then I spotted this!The directors cut makes a film that I once considered a 7 into a 9. What did Ridley Scott do with the additional 15 minutes? He added scenes that gave a depth to Marion, explained some of the gaps that bothered me from the first film and improved the film immensely. Does it fix the mistake of placing Russell Crowe in the role of Robin? No . . . Crowe was not the actor I'd have picked; he dis a good job but he was not inspiring. Did it make up for mistakes in the climactic battle scene? No. However, it is so much improved over the theatrical release that I will fudge it up to a 9 rating. Still not quite the stuff of Alien, Black Hawk Down, etc., but a lovely, easy to enjoy film and a fine addition to my Robin Hood collection.

I have seen a lot of Robin Hood movies over the years with many being glamorized. This one is quite different and takes place with what leads to Robin Hood becoming an outlaw decreed by King John. It is entwined with the history of the time though some is not accurate but I watched it for the enjoyment of the story. I felt it was extremely well done and wish they had done a follow up movie about Robin Hood's life as an outlaw since he was declared an outlaw by King John occurred towards the end of the movie. Russell Crowe surprisingly was a great Robin Hood.

I watched a version of this film on Netflix and was baffled by the role of the 'feral teenagers' seen raiding Marian Loxley's grain store at the beginning of the film with her cursing them. Towards the end she is seen riding onto the beach with them to help repulse the raiding French, with nothing linking these events.I bought the 'director's cut' Blu-ray to find that all the scenes of Marian and the impostor Robin's involvement with these feral teenagers had been restored. This explained their arrival on the beach and made made this film complete. I then cancelled my Netflix membership because I could not know how many other films I had watched had been butchered in this way.This is a wonderful film by Ridley Scott. The acting by the leads and the supporting cast is excellent as is the cinematography.

Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood is a great film, even though it wasn’t historically strictly accurate in places. The candle lighting and country scenes were well done in the film producing a real authentic feel. Irrespective of the American critics giving it negative reviews, it was better and far superior than Hollywood’s bombastic versions of the historical story. Russell Crow’s somewhat laidback portrayal of Robin fitted well in the film. However, I missed the deeper historical legend of the character of Robin Hood. It’s not too late for Ridley Scott to make a sequel.

Great film which is why five stars which I have had of for a long time, I had to sent this one back as I wanted Robin Hood Prince of Thieves the Kevin Costner film, I ordered this one the Russell Crowe film by mistake, theres a first time for everything, oops again

This version of Robin takes me back to my school days when I read a robin hood book which was very like this story.More believable than some of the more romanticised versions of the tale.Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett are really a great match.Highly recommended.

I bought this as a Christmas present, and it was well received.Books you might like to read Cold Steel on the Rocks We Are Cold Steel Kalter Stahl auf den FelsenCold Steel on the RocksWe Are Cold SteelKalter Stahl auf den Felsen