If you are looking for a modern retelling of the traditional Robin Hood, this Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe hype is not it. Indeed, it avoids the whole usual story by placing it before the legend even begins. And far from Robin being the wisecracking friend of the poor in their battles with the rich, Crowe is his usual surly, introspective self who eventually sides with what is meant to his enemy. After that, who cares much what Rusty’s accent sounded like, to me it seemed very authentic Russell Crowe.

Cate Blanchett does well as Maid Marion as does Mark Strong as the evil Godfrey and Max von Sydow stars as Sir Walter Loxley. The battle scenes are fair with the film bookended with the major battles, the former better than the latter which seemed a 12th century homage to Saving Private Ryan. However, the direction based on a string of one second snippets of guys copping it is as boring as it is visually hard to follow.

As for the story, well at least it got marks for content if not twists and turns. However, Robin’s form reversal from peasant to statesman and the amazing time it took to get from Nottingham to Dover as the French crossed the channel only served to undermine the credibility that such a Robin Hood persona no doubt was trying to create.

In the same vein as Sherlock Holmes over Christmas, recreating characters is fine but when it all seems at its end to be for the purpose of creating new sequel possibilities perhaps directors like Scott are selling his audiences short.

Kryztoff Rating – 3K