While watching Robin Hood, till the interval I was wondering this is not the Robin Hood story I know about. Well Ridley Scott said that this movie will be an altogether different take on the story of Robin Hood and yes it is, just that it is not what exactly I plan to see.
This is the story of Robin Longstride, who is an archer in the crusader army of King Richard ‘The Lionheart’ and when the King dies in the battle he on his way back home takes the identity of a knight who is delivering the King’s Crown to London and hence he becomes Robin of Luxley. At Nottingham he meets lady Marrion [Cate Blanchet] and love blossoms between them. Meanwhile in London the new King John, raises taxes and asks collector Godfrey [Mark Strong] to collect. It seems Godfrey has his own plans and in alliance with the King of France he is planning to start a civil war in England to take over it. Then our hero must unite all the clans [who are against the new king] to fight against a common enemy [remember Braveheart] and at the end in a war he must lead the men to victory [remember Gladiator and Braveheart again].
Atleast Scott kept his word and story is different; but it was at the end after the climax one understands that it is basically the prequel of the legendry Robin Hood saga. The movie has lot of elements, politics, big wars, deceit, deception, love, romance it just don’t have the charisma of the King of Thieves Robin Hood and that is where I don’t like it. You don’t watch Robin Hood to see all this; you watch it for the merry men stealing from rich with their impeccable archery skills and giving to poor.
Anyhow even if I put all this aside then the movie is too long and too slow to keep me interested. There was actually point of time when I felt bored, although constantly something or the other is happening but there are half baked plots and subplots to make you wonder what are they doing? For instance Robin learning about his family history from Sir Walter Luxley and before you can figure out why, it is over. Then the sudden ignited romance between Robin and Marion, and then marion jumping in the war etc. Had Scott kept his focus on one or two things this prequel might have clicked! But unfortunately it hasn’t and I will suggest its better to avoid it.
