Robin Hood (2010)

Robin Hood is a classic tale that we all know, and most of us prefer it not be tampered with. And no worries, this Ridley Scott invisioned prequel perfectly sets up the legend we all want to see. The story picks up with Robin Longstride, an archer in the king's army, who does not agree with the crusade he is apart of. After being punished, he runs away with three, no four men ("the more the merrier"), impersonates a knight named Robert Locksley and goes to Nottingham. Here he meets Maid Merrian, begins his legendary love story, and starts his epic outlawing adventures.

Brian Heglund leads a team of writers to an exceptional origin story which brings forth to us Robin Hood with a few twists along the way. Ridley Scott then helps to deliver it in epic-action-drama form. Staying true to his normal filmmaking every scene has a high number of shots so you see everything in every view imaginable. From the depths of the sea to the top of a highly arched arrow, Scott pulls you in and doesn't let go.

Russell Crowe and company seem to all deliver astonishing performances, most notably Cate Blanchet and UNKNOWNACTOR as King John, who's arrogant, sad, and self loathing persona rings very close to the break through performance of Jaquine Pheonix ten years ago in Gladiator, another Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe film. The drama seems real, the humor seems unforced, and the action is brutal and realistic and yet keeps the PG-13 rating.

Although the film starts off a bit slow once Robin Hood makes it to Nottingham you get engulfed by the wonderful directing and acting and the astonishing cinematography. You should see this movie. However if you don't like two and a half hour dramas, perhaps you should rent it. But for the real film lovers out there, theater is the way to go.