‘Robin Hood’
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett
Rating: PG-13
Grade: ?????
There’s a fundamental flaw in trying to fabricate the origin of a folk hero whose legend has been repeated in various forms since medieval times — it’s simply unnecessary. So when Ridley Scott teams up with Russell Crowe to reawaken Robin Hood, it’s far from mind-blowing.
This convoluted adaptation shows how a skilled archer in Richard the Lionheart’s 12th-century crusades ended up bearing news of the king’s death to the royal court and assumed the identity of a respected soldier. As such, Robin rallies his fellow countrymen to confront French armies that plan to invade England at the influence of a royal turncoat.
Got that? If not, don’t worry; this movie meshes too many storylines to form the beginnings of the Robin Hood audiences know. At least Crowe and Cate Blanchett (as a damsel never quite in distress) have the acting chops to breathe life into this blockbuster blueprint.
