BEFORE: The last of the Robin Hood films on my list, but is it the best?
THE PLOT: In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown. Linking from last night's "Robin Hood", Uma Thurman was also in "Be Cool" with Danny DeVito, who was also in "L.A. Confidential" with Russell Crowe.
AFTER: The pieces re-shuffle again - tonight's film calls the main character Robin Longstride, and instead of placing him in England while King Richard is away on a crusade, it makes him an archer in the crusade. Richard's army is on the way home, but they're taking the long route to England, and pillaging along the way. Robin catches the attention of the king for being an honest man, but perhaps a bit too honest when he questions Richard's wartime actions.
But this Robin is also something of a charlatan, playing an early version of the "shell game" to pass the time with the troops. He then returns to England by impersonating Robert of Loxley, and once he arrives, the Earl of Loxley has his own reasons for asking him to continue with the charade. This means he gets to pretend to be married to Maid Marian, maybe that's why this "honest" man chooses to live a lie.
It turns out that I know one of the screenwriters, so I'm going to try and be kind on this one - but I felt there were simply too many factions here, between the Normans, the Saxons, the Barons, the French, Robin's men, the forest outlaws, etc. etc. And the climax felt too much like someone was trying to turn the movie into "Braveheart". Plus the whole thing sort of felt like Robin Hood's backstory - it was a long way to go just to find out why he became an outlaw. Seems to me that's almost where the movie should start, not finish, unless they're planning a sequel.
Hmm, 10 years of an unjustified war, which takes its toll on an overtaxed economy. I wonder if this was someone's thinly veiled dig at the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? (Which leads me to wonder - why does everyone blame those sub-prime mortgages for the recent U.S. economic crisis, and not a decade of costly wars? I'm just sayin'.)
NITPICK POINT: So the English army is in France, headed back to England. Robin + his men strike out for England first, and obviously arrive first. The movie proceeds, but the rest of the army never seems to make it back, even though the reason for them to be in France is essentially over, and England could really, really use their help. What the flick happened to them? Did they all decide to marry French women and settle down? You'd think after 10 years away they'd be anxious to get home, no?
Starring Russell Crowe (last seen in "American Gangster"), Cate Blanchett (last seen in "The Missing"), Max Von Sydow (last seen in "Needful Things"), William Hurt (last seen in "The Big Chill"), Mark Strong, Danny Huston (last seen in "Edge of Darkness"), Mark Addy (last seen in "Barney's Version"), Matthew Macfayden, Kevin Durand (last seen in "Legion"), Scott Grimes.
RATING: 5 out of 10 flaming arrows
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