Movie Review - Robin Hood (2010)

It came down to a choice between Iron Man 2 and Robin Hood. Out decision was almost completely influenced by the fact that reviews for Iron Man 2 were dismal, at best. So, off we trundled to our local multiplex for two hours of fun.

Summary:
Virtuous archer Robin Longstride, returning to England from Jerusalem with King Richard the Lionhearted after the crusades, faces the events and challenges which will define his life as an outlaw. This is the story of how Robin Hood and his band of merry men came to be.

Trailer:

Liked:

Tumescent Growth
It's not what I was expecting, but the dialogue in this movie was both light and humourous when it was most needed. The sense of humour imbued into the script by the writers lent what would otherwise be an overly epic film, into something that had both humanity and tenderness thrown in for good measure. The source of the header for this paragraph comes from a scene midway through the film, where Sir Walter Locksley, quite elderly, excitedly exclaims how miraculous it is that he experienced a "tumescent growth" that morning for the first time in a long time, which causes Lady Marion to muse about the private conversations of men.

Pure Scott
This film is pure Ridley Scott. It is well shot, mostly well paced, and very action oriented. I mean, if you liked Gladiator and the like, you'll like this just fine. However, if you're a Scott Hater? Probably best to pass. The action sequences are intense and even at time light and humourous, which fits the legend of Robin Hood quite well.

The Merry Men's Malarkey
Okay, the header sucks. But the Merry Men were awesome. Little John, Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck? They're all there, and totally true to their legend. I have a particular soft spot for Scott Grimes (Will Scarlet), who also played the character of Don Malarkey in the HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers. Did I ever mention I like red heads? Moving along. The whole cast did their jobs admirably, but no where was the feeling of a band of merry men more apparent than with, well, the merry men. Definitely worth their weight in gold!

Disliked:

Confused about the Setting
By the time the movie had reached the 1 hour mark, I said to myself, "Good Lord he's spending a lot of time on backstory. I wonder when we're getting to the Robin Hood parts." It wasn't until near the end of the film that it finally clicked that this was the story of the making of Robin Hood, and not about Robin Hood. This is the story of how Robin Longstride came to be Robin of the Hood. This is perhaps my fault for not reading a bit more on the film beforehand, but even the opening text cards didn't really give me a clear sense of setting or purpose. It was a bit experience breaking for me, unfortunately.

Rating:

See it in theatres. (ratings explanation)


Final Thoughts:

If you like fun action epics based more-or-less loosely on history, this will be a film you enjoy. Remember though, that as this is a Ridley Scott film, it is more of a popcorn epic, than a true epic in the sense. Expect to be entertained and delighted.

Disclosure: We used our SCENE points to see this movie. (We STILL have a lot of them) We were not provided any free passes or otherwise any promotional access to this movie.