Nottingham is an interesting idea. It takes the classic Robin Hood mythos and flips it. The Sheriff of Nottingham is acctually a decent lawman on the trail of the villanous Robin Hood.
The flick also has a pretty good petigree. It reteams the kick ass duo of Ridley Scott and Russel Crowe (as the sheriff) and is written by Brian Helgeland the oscar winning writer of L.A. Confidential and Man on Fire, two flick that are widely regarded as kick ass.
So what do you folks think about the concept? And lets get some gossip going, who do you think should be the villanous Hood? I might get shit for this but how about Orlando Bloom? He could be the young and cocky Robin, if that is how they are gonna go about him. The reason I say Bloom is because Ridley got a damn good performance from him in Kingdom of Heaven.
I just hope they have Kevin Costner's bare ass do a cameo. It just wouldnt be a Robin Hood flick without Costner's bare ass.
Full Version: Robin Hood
Richard Armitage for Guy of Gisbourne please!
Robin of Sherwood was a great series.
QUOTE(The Gunslinger @ Jun 5 2007, 09:51 PM) 
I just hope they have Kevin Costner's bare ass do a cameo. It just wouldnt be a Robin Hood flick without Costner's bare ass.
Laugh all you want, but that Robin Hood movie came up with this concept of teh Sheriff as the hero 16 years ago.
Snape was supposed to be the hero, right?
QUOTE(blue1622 @ Jun 6 2007, 09:06 PM)
QUOTE(The Gunslinger @ Jun 5 2007, 09:51 PM)
I just hope they have Kevin Costner's bare ass do a cameo. It just wouldnt be a Robin Hood flick without Costner's bare ass.
Laugh all you want, but that Robin Hood movie came up with this concept of teh Sheriff as the hero 16 years ago.
Snape was supposed to be the hero, right?
He always will be in my eyes, for that "staggering" death scene alone!
And he got all the girls. Well, castle maids anyway.
Will Bryan Adams be on the soundtrack? I hear he needs the work.
And if we're talking about a "villianous" Robin Hood, why not give Shawn Ashmore a try. (Iceman from the X-men flicks.) Orlando Bloom seems to be getting type cast as an "Errol Flynn" since LOTR.
And if we're talking about a "villianous" Robin Hood, why not give Shawn Ashmore a try. (Iceman from the X-men flicks.) Orlando Bloom seems to be getting type cast as an "Errol Flynn" since LOTR.
I also hope something gets cut off or out with a spoon.
maybe they should just remake Prince of Thieves!
maybe they should just remake Prince of Thieves!
Alot of Ridley Scott related news this week. Anyhoo here is what Brian Grazer had to say about this flick ...
from mtv.com
from mtv.com
QUOTE
Ask any 5-year-old – never mind which 5-year-old, never mind which country - and it’s likely he can give you the rundown on Robin Hood, Maid Marion, Little John, and the Sheriff of Nottingham, so familiar is the story to almost anyone in the Western Hemisphere. So how do you take one of history’s most popular folk tales and make it fresh?
By putting it in the hands of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe.
“‘Nottingham’ is the ‘Gladiator’ version of Robin Hood,” super-producer Brian Grazer told MTV News about the upcoming twisted tale from the “American Gangster” tag team. “I think it will have the same propulsion that ‘Gladiator’ had - the same adrenaline hits.”
Told from the Sheriff’s point of view, the new movie centers around a familiar - yet very different - set of characters, director Ridley Scott said, revealing that his story begins when a legend first walks into history.
“Richard the Lionheart is on his return from the Crusades [when]he took an arrow in his neck and died,” Scott said of the flick’s set-up. “His brother, John, [becomes king.]”
John, known in his own life as John Lackland (because as the youngest son he didn’t get any inheritance) “was actually pretty smart,” Scott insisted. “[But] he got a bad rap because he introduced taxation. So he’s the bad guy in this.”
Meanwhile, “You’ve got the returning Nottingham who is the right hand man of Richard and witnesses Richard taking the arrow,” Scott revealed. “And so he comes back to England to carry forward Richard’s dream about England.”
The Sheriff, then, strives to do right while caught in the middle of two wrongs – on one side a corrupt and unpopular King who orders him to arrest outlaws, on the other the outlaw himself who threatens to rouse the public in popular anarchy.
“[Caught between] the minority of haves and the majority of have nots,” Scott said.
By putting it in the hands of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe.
“‘Nottingham’ is the ‘Gladiator’ version of Robin Hood,” super-producer Brian Grazer told MTV News about the upcoming twisted tale from the “American Gangster” tag team. “I think it will have the same propulsion that ‘Gladiator’ had - the same adrenaline hits.”
Told from the Sheriff’s point of view, the new movie centers around a familiar - yet very different - set of characters, director Ridley Scott said, revealing that his story begins when a legend first walks into history.
“Richard the Lionheart is on his return from the Crusades [when]he took an arrow in his neck and died,” Scott said of the flick’s set-up. “His brother, John, [becomes king.]”
John, known in his own life as John Lackland (because as the youngest son he didn’t get any inheritance) “was actually pretty smart,” Scott insisted. “[But] he got a bad rap because he introduced taxation. So he’s the bad guy in this.”
Meanwhile, “You’ve got the returning Nottingham who is the right hand man of Richard and witnesses Richard taking the arrow,” Scott revealed. “And so he comes back to England to carry forward Richard’s dream about England.”
The Sheriff, then, strives to do right while caught in the middle of two wrongs – on one side a corrupt and unpopular King who orders him to arrest outlaws, on the other the outlaw himself who threatens to rouse the public in popular anarchy.
“[Caught between] the minority of haves and the majority of have nots,” Scott said.
Funny stuff... The forest is not green enough, so the filming has been pushed back a year.
>> LINK <<
>> LINK <<
QUOTE
Production on RUSSELL CROWE's upcoming NOTTINGHAM film has been postponed because of fears the leaves in Sherwood Forest will be the wrong color.
The Ridley Scott movie will see Crowe playing the Sheriff of Nottingham and Sienna Miller taking on the role of Maid Marion in a new take of the famous Robin Hood tale.
But filming has been delayed with movie bosses citing the threat of an actors' strike this summer (08) and "location problems" for the move.
And it has been revealed that a major factor in the decision to move the shoot back until next year (09) is that the leaves in the original area of woodland where the Robin Hood legend was born would have turned brown by the end of filming.
A source tells British newspaper the Daily Express, "The thing about the leaves is absolutely true. It may sound silly but Sherwood Forest needs to be green - it's central to the plot. They could have filmed in the autumn, but the post-production team would have had to retouch every leaf and that alone would have blown the budget."
The movie is now slated for a November 2009 release.
The Ridley Scott movie will see Crowe playing the Sheriff of Nottingham and Sienna Miller taking on the role of Maid Marion in a new take of the famous Robin Hood tale.
But filming has been delayed with movie bosses citing the threat of an actors' strike this summer (08) and "location problems" for the move.
And it has been revealed that a major factor in the decision to move the shoot back until next year (09) is that the leaves in the original area of woodland where the Robin Hood legend was born would have turned brown by the end of filming.
A source tells British newspaper the Daily Express, "The thing about the leaves is absolutely true. It may sound silly but Sherwood Forest needs to be green - it's central to the plot. They could have filmed in the autumn, but the post-production team would have had to retouch every leaf and that alone would have blown the budget."
The movie is now slated for a November 2009 release.
This is the first bit of news on this flick in forever. At least it is good news.
from moviehole...
The cast on this one really is top notch and of course Ridley Scott is world class. Basically Kevin Costner can eat it.
from moviehole...
QUOTE
The Queen in Nottingham?
Author: Clint Morris Date: Sunday, February 8th, 2009 Time: 6:18 pm
Cate Blanchett is likely to frock up as Maid Marion for Ridley Scott's Bryan Adams-less Robin Hood pic, Nottingham.
Mark Strong, set to play Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the Russell Crowe-starrer, tells The Telegraph the production will be even 'shinier' (one for the Firefly fans) if the Oscar Winning actress signs on to play Robin's squeeze.
''She is a wonderful actress and it would make it a much classier film if she was in it", the "Rocknrolla" star said.
Scott is currently in pre-production of the flick - which is why you Central Park'ers have probably been spotting Russell Crowe jogging back and forth from the Alice in Wonderland fountain over the past couple of weeks (he's still losing his "Body of Lies" belly).
Author: Clint Morris Date: Sunday, February 8th, 2009 Time: 6:18 pm
Cate Blanchett is likely to frock up as Maid Marion for Ridley Scott's Bryan Adams-less Robin Hood pic, Nottingham.
Mark Strong, set to play Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the Russell Crowe-starrer, tells The Telegraph the production will be even 'shinier' (one for the Firefly fans) if the Oscar Winning actress signs on to play Robin's squeeze.
''She is a wonderful actress and it would make it a much classier film if she was in it", the "Rocknrolla" star said.
Scott is currently in pre-production of the flick - which is why you Central Park'ers have probably been spotting Russell Crowe jogging back and forth from the Alice in Wonderland fountain over the past couple of weeks (he's still losing his "Body of Lies" belly).
The cast on this one really is top notch and of course Ridley Scott is world class. Basically Kevin Costner can eat it.
QUOTE(The Gunslinger @ Feb 9 2009, 06:19 PM)
The cast on this one really is top notch and of course Rodley Scott is world class. Basically Kevin Costner can eat it.
I don't know.. Rodley is pretty dodgy
Besides. Crowe can be pretty exasperating. I don't know if I could stomach two of him in bad form.
Crowe, Bale, all those actors that are crap to work with and throw tantrums I couldnt care less as long as they keep being awesome.
As far as Scott goes I hope you were just making fun of my spelling because sure he has made some clunkers but the guy also directed Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Alien, etc.
He could make nothing but crap the rest of his life but I would call him top notch based on that catalog alone.
As far as Scott goes I hope you were just making fun of my spelling because sure he has made some clunkers but the guy also directed Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Alien, etc.
He could make nothing but crap the rest of his life but I would call him top notch based on that catalog alone.
Not fast enough, for I am the Great Danton
There's a word on my tongue. And the word is...
UNDERWHELMING.
Wow, are they using the same wardrobe as Prince of Thieves?
That's what I thought. He looks boring enough. I don't think I could stand watching two of him in the same show.
I vote for Denzel Washington as Robin Hood
QUOTE(UncleMao @ Apr 27 2009, 05:54 PM)
That's what I thought. He looks boring enough. I don't think I could stand watching two of him in the same show.
It's not like that any more, they have changed their minds and cast Matthew Macfadyen (Mr Darcy!) as the Sheriff because it is now more about an older Robin Hood (obviously) and less about the Sheriff.
Development hell is what I say.
Frankly I'm not very keen.
I'd rather see the Bioshock project happening properly with my casting list.
Frankly I'm not very keen.
I'd rather see the Bioshock project happening properly with my casting list.
I fucking love Kevin Durand, but I still think Lil Jon should have played Little John.
Then again, I think every version of every movie casted entirely using rapper immediately makes the film that much better.
Then again, I think every version of every movie casted entirely using rapper immediately makes the film that much better.
Like the black version of Wizard of Oz?
In regards to Terminator: Salvation...
I would PAY WITH MY ORGANS to see THAT movie! Give the man a gold star on his dunce cap.
See? A completely rapper centric cast to a non-black centric film is immediately better than the original.
QUOTE(shirizaki @ Dec 29 2007, 02:32 PM)
QUOTE(Android Christ @ Dec 29 2007, 01:10 PM)
On second thought, give that spot to Mos Def. He would be the best Terminator ever. Maybe bring in Lil' Jon to play Lil' Jon Conners, and then Kanye West could be our new evil Terminator model. Just 500 Kayne West's running all over the place, killing everything. That movie, I would see and love every second.
I would PAY WITH MY ORGANS to see THAT movie! Give the man a gold star on his dunce cap.
See? A completely rapper centric cast to a non-black centric film is immediately better than the original.
Rewrites are never a good thing, but aren't necesarily a death sentance either. A full scale reworking of the script in the middle of production is kind of a red flag though.
from joblo...
Robin Hood
rewrite Apr. 29, 2009 
Source: Showbiz411
by: Omar Aviles 
After getting his ass booted as FoxNews.com's resident gossip columnist, Roger Friedman wasted no time in getting his own blog, retitled Showbiz411, up and running and he's already landed some decent scoopage. He's reporting, in his own incredibly grating way, that Ridley Scott's currently filming ROBIN HOOD, a re-imagining of the popular tale of the titular outlaw archer who robs from the rich and gives to the poor, is being completely rewritten by SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE screenwriter and acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard. Even though Stoppard is an incredibly talented writer, a complete overhaul on a script during production never bodes well for the end result. Let's just hope Scott knows what he's doing. What do you guys think?
from joblo...
Robin Hood
rewrite Apr. 29, 2009 Source: Showbiz411 by: Omar Aviles
After getting his ass booted as FoxNews.com's resident gossip columnist, Roger Friedman wasted no time in getting his own blog, retitled Showbiz411, up and running and he's already landed some decent scoopage. He's reporting, in his own incredibly grating way, that Ridley Scott's currently filming ROBIN HOOD, a re-imagining of the popular tale of the titular outlaw archer who robs from the rich and gives to the poor, is being completely rewritten by SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE screenwriter and acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard. Even though Stoppard is an incredibly talented writer, a complete overhaul on a script during production never bodes well for the end result. Let's just hope Scott knows what he's doing. What do you guys think? Extra Tidbit: Apparently, Matthew MacFadyen will be playing the Sheriff of Nottingham.
I love how everything that was creative about this film is gone and it is now just another telling of the Robin Hood story. Maybe it can be a good one but I would have liked to see Crowe in the originally talked about dual roles of Robin and the Sheriff.
I also thought that Nottingham was a better title than Robin Hood.
anyway, here are a bunch of set pics.
I also thought that Nottingham was a better title than Robin Hood.
anyway, here are a bunch of set pics.
Yawn.
It would have been incredible to see Crowe passing from being an outlaw to trying to uphold the law with different the perspectives that the change could bring to the viewers. For the transformation of the story into a more mainstream one i blame the writers strike, it delayed the movie a LOT and (apparently) Scott lost interest in having to film such a complex movie and just said...lets make an easy one and go home (They had the sets already built and everything come undone due to the fucking strike). Still, if its like Kingdom of Heaven (the extended edition of course) it could be a pretty good movie.
Maximus is back! And now he has a longbow (pretty much the ancient equivalent AK-47)
Cate Blanchett disturbs my eyeballs.
QUOTE(tyr121 @ Dec 24 2009, 09:06 AM)
Maximus is back! And now he has a longbow (pretty much the ancient equivalent AK-47)
Ancient? More like medieval! Snarf snarf.
To say I had absolutely no interest in catching this when I first heard about it would be just as apt as I am now.
The early reviews are in and the consensus is that it's a droll un-swahbuckling exercise in rehashing old ground already covered in Saving Private Ryan and the previous Robin Hood movie.
The trailer alone puts me to sleep.
Pass. I wasn't a fan of the historical bullshit that went on in Gladiator and
so far the word is that this is more of the same.
As far as Ridley Scott goes, I thought Kingdom of Heaven was his absolute fucking best in the genre. But trust his ego to hire a complete headlining fuckup in Orlando Bloom
A Universal release presented with Imagine Entertainment in association with Relativity Media of a Brian Grazer production in association with Scott Free Prods. Produced by Grazer, Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe. Executive producers, Charles J.D. Schlissel, Michael Costigan, Jim Whitaker, Ryan Kavanaugh. Co-producer, Nikolas Korda. Co-executive producer, Michael Ellenberg. Directed by Ridley Scott. Screenplay, Brian Helgeland; story, Helgeland, Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris.
Robin Longstride - Russell Crowe
Marion Loxley - Cate Blanchett
William Marshal - William Hurt
Godfrey - Mark Strong
Friar Tuck - Mark Addy
Prince John - Oscar Isaac
King Richard the Lionheart - Danny Huston
Little John - Kevin Durand
Will Scarlet - Scott Grimes
Sheriff of Nottingham - Matthew Macfadyen
Eleanor of Aquitaine - Eileen Atkins
Father Tancred - Simon McBurney
Sir Walter Loxley - Max von Sydow
"Can you not sing a happy tune?" growls a not-so-merry man in "Robin Hood," and one might direct the same question at Ridley Scott's grimly revisionist take on England's most famous outlaw. Impressively made and serious-minded to a fault, this physically imposing picture brings abundant political-historical dimensions to its epic canvas, yet often seems devoted to stifling whatever pleasure audiences may have derived from the popular legend. With a brawny Russell Crowe in the title role, pic looks to hit its B.O. target in most markets, though overall muted reactions may hold Universal back from a king's ransom Stateside.
While the film will earn immediate comparisons with 2004's gritty, unromantic "King Arthur," what Scott and scribe Brian Helgeland have attempted here is not too dissimilar from what Christopher Nolan and his collaborators pulled off with "Batman Begins": They've fashioned a fresh origin story for a well-known hero and excised all the material's potentially campy aspects in favor of a downbeat, detail-oriented realist approach.
To that end, there are tricky political allegiances and family ties to be sorted out; characters are as likely to be assaulted by speeches as by arrows; the French, though clearly perceived here as the enemy, are at least allowed to speak their native tongue; and every castle and forest must be painstakingly identified, to the point that "Robin Hood" comes to resemble a medieval "Bourne" movie as it darts hither and yon from Nottingham to the northern coast of France.
It's 1199 A.D., and Robin Longstride (Crowe, who produced with Scott and Brian Grazer) is an honorable Briton and skilled archer in the crusading army of King Richard (Danny Huston) -- who, in contrast to most versions of the story, appears at the beginning rather than the end. Fed up with their lot as soldiers, Robin and his men -- who include a slimmer-than-usual Little John (Kevin Durand), contributing a few moments of bawdy humor -- flee a battle with French soldiers shortly after Richard himself is killed in action.
A few skirmishes later, Robin finds himself in possession of the late monarch's crown, which he bears back to London disguised as a knight of the realm, Sir Robert Loxley. Along the way, the film introduces its principal villains, although Richard's cruel successor, John (Oscar Isaac), turns out to be a mere tool for his suspiciously bilingual adviser, Godfrey (chrome-domed Mark Strong, once again typecast).
While Godfrey sets the stage for a Gallic invasion, sabotaging John's relations with the local barons and their ruthlessly overtaxed citizens, Robin nobly seeks out the family of the fallen Sir Robert. The journey leads him to Nottingham, where he meets the knight's aging father, Sir Walter (Max von Sydow), and his widow, Lady Marion -- no damsel in distress, but a dagger-wielding spitfire played with relish by Cate Blanchett.
The pairing of two such estimable actors as Crowe and Blanchett alone signals the film's serious intentions, and as a perhaps inevitable consequence, Robin and Marion's courtship is in no hurry to catch fire. Something similar could be said of the film, whose leisurely buildup rarely translates into a sense of intellectual vigor and pays few emotional dividends. Essentially 139 minutes' worth of backstory, "Robin Hood" feels too long yet incomplete, and the events it leaves offscreen (for what, the sequel?) are precisely those that make the tale worth retelling.
Clearly a long way from Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn (and, to no one's complaint, Kevin Costner), pic can't help but play like a joyless corrective to Robin Hood's prior screen adventures, with their buoyant mix of wit, romance, green tights and derring-do. (This film offers mainly derring-don't.) A certain nagging political correctness is also apparent, not only in the recasting of Blanchett's Marion as a 12th-century feminist, but in the way Robin rebukes Richard and the folly of the Crusades, a scene that brings Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven" to mind.
Similarly, Robin's stirring speech on the brotherhood of man (it's a quasi-Ken Loach moment, laying the foundation for the Magna Carta) recalls Scott and Crowe's superior first collaboration, "Gladiator" (2000). Now 10 years older (and paunchier), Crowe still has the sullen brooding and iron-clad sense of righteousness down pat. But there's no twinkle of merriment in his eyes, nothing to suggest a man who would not only be outraged by poverty and injustice, but wily enough to make sport of those responsible.
Among supporting players, Isaac channels "Gladiator's" Joaquin Phoenix as a fey yet ruthless tyrant; Eileen Atkins serves up a formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine; William Hurt brings subtle shadings to the role of a chancellor in whom Robin finds a shrewd ally; and Matthew Macfadyen sneers his way through a few scenes as the Sheriff of Nottingham. But it's von Sydow who gives the film's most heartrending turn as a man trying to smother his grief with a boisterous fighting spirit.
Though heavier on talk than action, pic does boast some robust setpieces, amplified by Marc Streitenfeld's urgent score and d.p. John Mathieson's vertiginous crane shots, somewhat marred by distracting camera effects in an otherwise stylistically old-fashioned film. One must be grateful that Universal avoided the current blockbuster trend toward 3D, especially considering the eye-popping possibilities afforded by archery.
Other craft contributions are generally superb, though some touches, such as the illuminated manuscripts that serve as expository visual aids, only compound the film's self-seriousness.
The early reviews are in and the consensus is that it's a droll un-swahbuckling exercise in rehashing old ground already covered in Saving Private Ryan and the previous Robin Hood movie.
The trailer alone puts me to sleep.
Pass. I wasn't a fan of the historical bullshit that went on in Gladiator and
so far the word is that this is more of the same.
As far as Ridley Scott goes, I thought Kingdom of Heaven was his absolute fucking best in the genre. But trust his ego to hire a complete headlining fuckup in Orlando Bloom
A Universal release presented with Imagine Entertainment in association with Relativity Media of a Brian Grazer production in association with Scott Free Prods. Produced by Grazer, Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe. Executive producers, Charles J.D. Schlissel, Michael Costigan, Jim Whitaker, Ryan Kavanaugh. Co-producer, Nikolas Korda. Co-executive producer, Michael Ellenberg. Directed by Ridley Scott. Screenplay, Brian Helgeland; story, Helgeland, Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris.
Robin Longstride - Russell Crowe
Marion Loxley - Cate Blanchett
William Marshal - William Hurt
Godfrey - Mark Strong
Friar Tuck - Mark Addy
Prince John - Oscar Isaac
King Richard the Lionheart - Danny Huston
Little John - Kevin Durand
Will Scarlet - Scott Grimes
Sheriff of Nottingham - Matthew Macfadyen
Eleanor of Aquitaine - Eileen Atkins
Father Tancred - Simon McBurney
Sir Walter Loxley - Max von Sydow
"Can you not sing a happy tune?" growls a not-so-merry man in "Robin Hood," and one might direct the same question at Ridley Scott's grimly revisionist take on England's most famous outlaw. Impressively made and serious-minded to a fault, this physically imposing picture brings abundant political-historical dimensions to its epic canvas, yet often seems devoted to stifling whatever pleasure audiences may have derived from the popular legend. With a brawny Russell Crowe in the title role, pic looks to hit its B.O. target in most markets, though overall muted reactions may hold Universal back from a king's ransom Stateside.
While the film will earn immediate comparisons with 2004's gritty, unromantic "King Arthur," what Scott and scribe Brian Helgeland have attempted here is not too dissimilar from what Christopher Nolan and his collaborators pulled off with "Batman Begins": They've fashioned a fresh origin story for a well-known hero and excised all the material's potentially campy aspects in favor of a downbeat, detail-oriented realist approach.
To that end, there are tricky political allegiances and family ties to be sorted out; characters are as likely to be assaulted by speeches as by arrows; the French, though clearly perceived here as the enemy, are at least allowed to speak their native tongue; and every castle and forest must be painstakingly identified, to the point that "Robin Hood" comes to resemble a medieval "Bourne" movie as it darts hither and yon from Nottingham to the northern coast of France.
It's 1199 A.D., and Robin Longstride (Crowe, who produced with Scott and Brian Grazer) is an honorable Briton and skilled archer in the crusading army of King Richard (Danny Huston) -- who, in contrast to most versions of the story, appears at the beginning rather than the end. Fed up with their lot as soldiers, Robin and his men -- who include a slimmer-than-usual Little John (Kevin Durand), contributing a few moments of bawdy humor -- flee a battle with French soldiers shortly after Richard himself is killed in action.
A few skirmishes later, Robin finds himself in possession of the late monarch's crown, which he bears back to London disguised as a knight of the realm, Sir Robert Loxley. Along the way, the film introduces its principal villains, although Richard's cruel successor, John (Oscar Isaac), turns out to be a mere tool for his suspiciously bilingual adviser, Godfrey (chrome-domed Mark Strong, once again typecast).
While Godfrey sets the stage for a Gallic invasion, sabotaging John's relations with the local barons and their ruthlessly overtaxed citizens, Robin nobly seeks out the family of the fallen Sir Robert. The journey leads him to Nottingham, where he meets the knight's aging father, Sir Walter (Max von Sydow), and his widow, Lady Marion -- no damsel in distress, but a dagger-wielding spitfire played with relish by Cate Blanchett.
The pairing of two such estimable actors as Crowe and Blanchett alone signals the film's serious intentions, and as a perhaps inevitable consequence, Robin and Marion's courtship is in no hurry to catch fire. Something similar could be said of the film, whose leisurely buildup rarely translates into a sense of intellectual vigor and pays few emotional dividends. Essentially 139 minutes' worth of backstory, "Robin Hood" feels too long yet incomplete, and the events it leaves offscreen (for what, the sequel?) are precisely those that make the tale worth retelling.
Clearly a long way from Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn (and, to no one's complaint, Kevin Costner), pic can't help but play like a joyless corrective to Robin Hood's prior screen adventures, with their buoyant mix of wit, romance, green tights and derring-do. (This film offers mainly derring-don't.) A certain nagging political correctness is also apparent, not only in the recasting of Blanchett's Marion as a 12th-century feminist, but in the way Robin rebukes Richard and the folly of the Crusades, a scene that brings Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven" to mind.
Similarly, Robin's stirring speech on the brotherhood of man (it's a quasi-Ken Loach moment, laying the foundation for the Magna Carta) recalls Scott and Crowe's superior first collaboration, "Gladiator" (2000). Now 10 years older (and paunchier), Crowe still has the sullen brooding and iron-clad sense of righteousness down pat. But there's no twinkle of merriment in his eyes, nothing to suggest a man who would not only be outraged by poverty and injustice, but wily enough to make sport of those responsible.
Among supporting players, Isaac channels "Gladiator's" Joaquin Phoenix as a fey yet ruthless tyrant; Eileen Atkins serves up a formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine; William Hurt brings subtle shadings to the role of a chancellor in whom Robin finds a shrewd ally; and Matthew Macfadyen sneers his way through a few scenes as the Sheriff of Nottingham. But it's von Sydow who gives the film's most heartrending turn as a man trying to smother his grief with a boisterous fighting spirit.
Though heavier on talk than action, pic does boast some robust setpieces, amplified by Marc Streitenfeld's urgent score and d.p. John Mathieson's vertiginous crane shots, somewhat marred by distracting camera effects in an otherwise stylistically old-fashioned film. One must be grateful that Universal avoided the current blockbuster trend toward 3D, especially considering the eye-popping possibilities afforded by archery.
Other craft contributions are generally superb, though some touches, such as the illuminated manuscripts that serve as expository visual aids, only compound the film's self-seriousness.
Honestly, when I first saw glimpses of the trailer, my first thought was, "Gladiator 2?"
If its still around in early June, I'll probably check it out -- for now, IM2 and MacGruber are taking precedence (and come June I'm sure A-Team and Jonah Hex will be prioritized?)
The mini-mini review. All you need to know.
Ridley Scott's Robin Hood:
Saving Private Lord of the Talented Mr Locksleys Begins.
2.63111163 out of 4
There you've seen it. Save your money. Don't pay to
laugh at what're supposed to be serious scenes. Crowe and Blanchett have the sexual chemistry of a flea market toaster.
Ridley Scott's Robin Hood:
Saving Private Lord of the Talented Mr Locksleys Begins.
2.63111163 out of 4
There you've seen it. Save your money. Don't pay to
laugh at what're supposed to be serious scenes. Crowe and Blanchett have the sexual chemistry of a flea market toaster.
I got all of that but "Locksleys" ... please clarify!!
QUOTE(rick @ May 18 2010, 08:46 AM)
I got all of that but "Locksleys" ... please clarify!!
Well .. it could be this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPotIk0rVE8
But it probably just refers to Robin Hood's proper name of Robin of Locksley to go along with the Mr. Ripley bit.
Ah yes; was looking too narrowly at former movie titles in the last decade or so ... didn't see the sherwood forest for the trees, apparently!
My fav Robin Hood movie will always be disney; ONE O'CLOCK, AND ALL IS WELL!!!
My fav Robin Hood movie will always be disney; ONE O'CLOCK, AND ALL IS WELL!!!
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