Robin Hood

One thing you can surely give Russell Crowe is that he will take the clean and pouffy romance out of period movies (mostly of the 30's-50's) and just drag them in the mud.  For example, this sure ain't your 1938 Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn.  I am cool with it for I am sure that Crowe's stuff like Gladiator and this movie are more realistic to what things were really like.  In anycase, I also came away from this movie with the realization that actors hang around in packs and where one actor crops up, the others will as well...kinda like a Ron Howard movie always has his brother in it.  Okay, here you have two gangs: William Hurt's and Russell Crowe's.  Case in point: in 2009 Hurt was in Endgame and it was there that I first encountered Mark Strong and they both appear here.  Further, 1999's Myster Alaska (okay, I watched this chick flick, but I watched it FOR THE HOCKEY ONLY!) starred Crowe and with him were Kevin Durand and Scott Grimes: both in this film.  Maybe just a coincidence, but are there really such things as coincidences?

Okay, to the movie.  I liked it!  The whole deal of Robin being asked to just hang out and live the part of a murdered son and husband and get to enjoy all the trappings that come with it is far fetched, but heck, if it were not far fetched and/or extraordinary, you wouldn't watch it?  Seriously, would you pay $20 to watch a day in the life of the guy who sits in the cubicle next to you at work?  No, you wouldn't.

Okay, so Robin comes back from the Crusades, King Richard gets an arrow in the neck and dies, and on the way back to England, the carrier of Richard's crown also takes one for the team.  Booya!  Robin gets the crown, impersonates the dude who took one for the team and so it goes.  Now, Robin helps knock the invading French back in the Channel and tells those freakin' frogs to get the heck off English soil and never come back until they have a decent dental plan to offer...I guess they haven't been back.  Okay, so things seem to be on the righteous path between Prince/King John and the barons but no!!!  King John decides that he is going to be King Bastard and goes on to tax the crap outta the British peeps in a way that would make the US Government envious.  Game on for Robin Hood!  The movie ends here but it is RIPE, I say RIPE for a sequel and I hope it comes!

The acting is good.  Crowe, Hurt, and their gangs are awesome and Cate Blanchett is good as usual.  The cinematography is good, the script is cool and the directing is just dandy.  I liked it and recommend this one!