I wasn't sure what to expect from Ridley Scott's treatment of the Robin Hood legend. "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" was a favourite movie of the year, almost two decades earlier, and so I was curious to see how the two would compare.
Set in 1199, "Robin Hood" could almost serve as a sequel to Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven". King Richard the Lionheart appears in the final scene of that movie, preparing to leave on the Third Crusade, and again at the beginning of this one.
I'd read about the death of King Richard at the siege of Chalus Castle, and so was in disbelief and awe when I realized that the opening sequence would involve that historical episode. To me, the movie was worth watching, for that alone.
Russell Crowe did fairly well in the title role, although the long shadow of "Gladiator" was hard to avoid. (He even rode the same horse in both movies). Still, I appreciated the grittier take on the character of Robin Hood, and so wasn't displeased.
The movie also stars Cate Blanchett as Marion, William Hurt as William Marshal, and Max von Sydow as the elder Loxley. (In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a sucker for historical epics with strong supporting casts.)
While there's been talk of a sequel, I would rather see a trilogy of sorts, with Scott directing a film about the Fourth Crusade. (If anybody knows how to get word to the man, please let him know that I have a screenplay in the works.)
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