Robin Longstride has a lot of arrows, and isn't afraid to use them. Robin Hood is actually the story before the famous legend, which I must admit I didn't realize until the end. It is an entertaining historic tale; one full of men riding horses, burning castles, and paying taxes, but in the end didn't fulfill the high hopes I had for the film.
Russell Crowe as Robin Longstride doesn't play the character to its full potential, creating a one-dimensional man that wins the girl and becomes an outlaw. There are also few memorable performances that surround him, except for the dynamic Cate Blanchett and Max von Sydow.
Blanchett is extraordinary as Marion Loxley, the love interest to Robin Hood and a strong female in her own right. Her expressions, mannerism and movements bring this feminine character to a whole new level, and I hope we see more of her in perhaps future sequels. Max von Sydow similarly steals each scene he is in, and demands attention to the otherwise secondary, Sir Walter Loxley.
Throughout the story, a new villain would show his face at nearly every turn, and eventually I didn't know whom I was supposed to hate more. This, alongside the little time they spent on establishing Robin Longstride as the hero, complicated the plot and made the first part of this two-and-a-half-hour feature rather slow.
It began to pick up around fifteen minutes after the hour mark, when the soldiers of London banded together to fight the French King from descending on their land. While inconsistent, Ridley Scott shot a few sequences in slow motion, really stressing the excitement of archery and adding life to the scenes.
Robin Hood succeeded as a medieval action film, and if you're standing at the movie theater trying to decide what to see, this one isn't a terrible pick. It's a viable date movie, and is certainly better than many of the other movies out right now.
Unfortunately, I was expecting better acting, better battle scenes, better lines, and a better story. Robin Hood didn't live up to my expectations, but was a movie I could, as will others, enjoy at face value.
