Robin Hood

This is Ridley Scott in less showy mode. Style yields to story: this is of a most masculine variety of hollywood blockbuster, with no time to lament in slow motion mid-battle. There is a dignified and heroic performance from Russell Crowe which reminded me of a good, old fashioned, Clint Eastwood. This is how men should be. Lesser men are either French, liars or effeminate weaklings. 


Scott makes directing a film of this scale look breathlessly easy. The two hours soar by, and its only in the last half hour you realise that it becomes a more traditional Robin Hood film. Co-incidentally, it is the poorest section of the film - where a strong Maid Marian takes feminism and realism for a ride and crashes into historical common sense. It has a 21st century sensibility, with nods to contemporary events such as a war in the east (Robin openly criticises the massacre of muslims in the crusades) and a bankrupt country. 


There is no doubt this was made as a prequel with an eye to a lucrative franchise. However, some bold decisions were made (such as the casting of relatively old leading actors in Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe) that makes this forgivable. I'm even looking forward to the next one, so we'll see how much money it makes to ensure the sequel. Presumably directed by Michael Bay and starring a Megan Fox as Maid Marian.