Robin Hood

Here we are again with another remake of one of our most loved legends, Robin Hood, as we know him, champion of the downtrodden and lovable rouge sticking one in the eye of a corrupt government (King John) who is leeching the people through very high and increasingly unpopular taxes. Wait a minute! 12th century England and 21st century England what has changed? Not much it would seem except remove King whatever and replace with whichever politicians’ name/s you choose. But I digress, this film is not about the Robin Hood we all know and love from the forever retelling of this beloved legend. This is the telling of the story of how Robin of the Hood (Russell Crowe) achieved his vaulted status of outlaw.

It is 12th century England and Robin Longstride aka Robin Hood returns to England via The Holy Land after the failed 3rd Crusade, stopping in France for a little bit of French bashing and a few rounds of general looting (as you do in the 12th century) in the army of Richard the Lionheart. King Richard (Danny Huston) seemingly dies on the battlefield at their last town burning before leaving for good old blighty, just his luck! Ten years on the road fighting Holy Wars and not a scratch and he gets one in the neck in a minor skirmish a few days from home in France of all places!

Robin and his soon to be Merry Men decide to hotfoot it back to England and run into the men who just massacred the Kings Knights carrying the crown back to England in an ambush organised by the king of France and Godfrey (Mark Strong) thinking the king would be with them. They manage to kill all but Godfrey and his aide and come across a dying Knight called Robin of Loxley who tasks Robin Longstrider to take his sword back to his father in Nottingham.

They take the crown back to Prince John (Oscar Isaac) who is crowned King and immediately decides to squeeze the already broken people with even higher taxes to refill the empty coffers of a bankrupt England (sounds familiar). Robin Longstrider completes his mission by taking back the Knights sword to his blind father Sir Walter Loxley (Max Von Sydow). Sir Walter realises that now that his son and only heir is dead that Lady Marion Loxley (Kate Blanchet) his beloved daughter-in-law will lose everything when he dies. In desperation he asks Robin to pretend to be his son to secure Lady Marion’s inheritance, his payment, the very sword he just delivered and a promise to tell him about his father which, he saw executed when he was just six years old and had blanked from his mind.

This movie is a sidestep of the usual Robin Hood mythos and is not full of roughish behaviour and amazing archery skills, neither does it place a high store in the Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood and the romantic aspect of the legend is present but not sickly sweet nor overbearing. This is about Robin’s rise to outlaw status, moreover, is about King John’s role as tyrant king. It is grittier than other Robin Hood movies and very well done, if a little too long. Russell Crowe plays Robin surprisingly well (the accent not too dodgy) as does Kate Blanchet and to be fair the supporting cast all play their part in making this film one to watch.

My verdict, a healthy 7 out of 10.