Robin Hood Review – Ridley Scott & Russell Crowe’s Latest Collaboration

Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood is the origin myth of the heroic outlaw we all know and love, it pretty much functions as a prequel to the Robin Hood stories we have grown up on, this makes a more human and gritty Robin Hood than we’ve seen on screen before, especially compared to the sh*tty Kevin Costner version. Robin Hood serves as Director Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe’s fifth collaboration, and Ridley Scott’s third sword and sandal epic alongside the brilliant Kingdom Of Heaven and the EVEN more brilliant Gladiator. Although a sufficient addition to their fine collaborations, I left the screening with mixed feelings.

Parts of Robin Hood were a complete triumph, particularly the visuals, there is no doubt Ridley Scott is one of the finest film makers when it comes to making you believe you are in the world he’s created, so many period drama’s look like CGI’fests, this film feels one hundred percent organic. Yet the score slightly took away from that, it had no heart at all, I was fully aware which points of the film I was ‘supposed’ to feel a certain way by a few plodding strings, this took a lot away from an emotional point of view, it didn’t mix well for me, visually I felt engrossed in the period, yet due to the music I kept remembering I was watching a film, which in cinema is a crime.

Another issue I had mixed feelings about was that I felt the film’s basic principles have been covered by Ridley Scott before in both Gladiator and Kingdom Of Heaven, particularly corruptive power, courage, humanity and the distortion of religion for profit, I’m not completely mad at that though, it is still a problem our current world faces, and it gives the film purpose, I just wished the script approached it a little more creatively. I think because it wasn’t dealt with originally I wasn’t as emotionally invested in the film as I was in his previous works, I wasn’t anywhere near as moved as I was in Gladiator, even though the film was thrilling and a lot of fun I always felt like I knew what will happen and that everything will be fine in the end.

Russell Crowe exudes the intense courage and humanity a figure like Robin Hood warrants, yet I was surprised by how little he was used, he doesn’t really say that much, and what he does say he mumbles, there was only one exceptionally stirring bit of dialogue I can recall – when he promotes the charter of liberties, which compared to ‘ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED‘ and ‘My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.‘ it’s not exactly wet your pants in excitement material! The film is crammed with great performances in general though, Mark Strong the current ‘rent a villian’ is great as the villainous Godfrey, and in fact every cast member pretty much cements their place as their particular character in the Robin Hood story.

Overall Robin Hood is a mixed bag, I would definitely recommend it, I just wouldn’t call it one of Ridley Scott or Russell Crowe’s better movies. If you enjoy great visuals, mixed with muddy action, heroism and great performances it’s a must. Robin Hood is in cinemas now.

7.5/10