Robin Hood

First of all, I love Robin Hood. I love shooting a bow and arrow. I love reciting lines from most Robin Hood movies or tv shows. I am a fan. So when I saw there was a prescreening for the new Robin Hood, I had to try and see it. Even if I had no tickets.

Danny, Jordan, and I knew full well that the chances of us getting in were slim. So we left earlier than we ever have. So early in fact, that when we arrived the line that normally forms out front made up of the general public was relatively short. I went in and saw no moderators, no press sign-in chicas, no prescreening nazis anywhere. So I simply went up to one of the theatre workers and said, "Hi. I'm here for the 7pm screening of Robin Hood. Where are we?" She kindly obliged and told me which theatre I would be in. I summoned Danny and Jordan and just like that we ascended the escalator within the AMC. We arrived at the theatre only to find that the credits for Nightmare on Elm Street were still rolling. So we waited outside with a couple of random people who turned out to be junior olympic archers and the people from 106.1 FM waiting to set up inside. And when they went in, so did we. Our seats were prime.

It was no Gladiator, but Ridley Scott did a pretty fantastic job with this film. Be forewarned, though. This is not a retelling of the legend most of us know from either Errol Flynn, Disney, Costner/Rickman, or BBC-America. This is before all of that. In a nutshell, how he became who he is. NOT him as Robin of the Hood. There are major discrepancies between this telling and all others that I'm remotely familiar with. For example, King Richard is a bit of a tard. Not endearing in the least. And Marion... well, I can't really go into that without revealing rather pertinent things in the plot. However, Cate and Russell did amazing. Loved them both. I also approve of the guy who played Prince John. He was over the top and ridiculous but it worked. "This is my first time in war... I'll lead!!" And there will be times where you will feel like the legend is being completely rewritten: people you're used to hating you will worry you are about to like and vice versa. Just remember that this is before the robbing-from-the-rich-to-feed-the-poor out-law came to be exactly that. On a side note, something that caught me off guard was Matthew Macfadyen. He played the all entirely too grodie Sheriff of Nottingham. Seriously, my skin felt like it was crawling every time I saw him. I completely fell in love with him as Mr. Darcy in the recent Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightley (ooo, Knightley is the guy from Emma! But I digress...); and so to see him as this yokel - well. Well done to him and the makeup department. It took me a minute or two to even recognize him.

All in all I really liked the movie. Loved it, in fact. And the shot where Robin releases his arrow and you see the blood pouring over his eye through the bow and the string... mm! SO good. Seriously. There are just some priceless moments. Interestingly enough, Robin does not have many lines. But I appreciate the honesty that Russell Crowe brings to this role and any other I've seen him in for that matter. And Cate Blanchett? Fierce as Marion. She amazes me as an actress and what girl can't help but look up to Marion? I love you, Marion. (That phrase means so much more now...) I cannot, however, give the movie full marks and here is why. Like I said about Iron Man 2, it could have been tighter, could have flowed a little better. By the end you are sucked in, but it took a little bit to get there. Also, the underlying "information" seemed rather skeletal. It felt like there were a lot of deleted scenes. But I guess I'll just have to wait to buy it when it comes out with all its features to discover if I'm right, won't I? So I give Robin Hood 4 out of 5 fancy feathered arrows. And no, Whitney. There are no snakes. Just awesomeness.

Release Date: 14 May 2010

Seen: 11 May 2010