Robin Hood, Not So Good
Ridley Scott is a great director. Ridley Scott is not a great storyteller. Ridley Scott produces his movies and doesn't give a damn whether you like his storytelling abilities or not.
Therein lies the problem with Ridley Scott.
While Robin Hood is nice to look at, the whole film seems empty. One of the challenges with prequels is that you know how it ends and there needs to be some sort of interesting angle to how we got to where we knew we were going. In Robin Hood, you spend two hours finding out who Robin was and then five minutes on how he became an outlaw. To me, that's the completely opposite of what it should be. I don't need two hours of learning that Robin was a good man and a great leader; I want to know the chicanery and backstabbing deals that turned him from great man to outlaw. And that's barely here.
This film reminds me a little bit of M. Night Shymalan's Unbreakable except, of course, for the fact that, going into the film, we already knew who the characters were and where'd they were to end up. Not only are the films similar in that they rushed through the big moment of truth but they also seem to be first films in trilogies that will never be made. For instance, there is zero reason for the Sheriff of Nottingham in this film except to set him up for the second film. What are the odds that they ever make a second film? I'd say slim-to-none.
And don't get me started about the ending... (spoilers ahead, of course)
The final fight is pointless and, surprisingly for Scott, not very well done. There's a moment with two boats about to collide that was the worst tension building moment in a film I've seen in a long time. And then there's the whole Maid Marian business. First, she runs into the fight with a bunch of kids, like they're going to do something. Then she has to get saved by Robin Hood because, surprise, she gets the snot beaten out of her. Then, with the battle still raging, her and Robin Hood start making out. (Extra awkward points because she's dressed like a dude. Must have been weird for the other guys in the fight to see their leader having a figurative swordfight in the middle of their actual one.)
And then the villain gets his comeuppance... while he's running away. Yeah, I know he was an evil man but since when is shooting a guy in the back (arrow or not) the hero's path to justice.
The bottom line is that there's no reason for a Robin Hood movie to be two and a half hours long. This film isn't a joyless as many people describe it (the merry men offer some moments of levity) but it's just not that interesting. Basically, it's someone telling you a story you already know, building up the introduction of the characters you are already familiar with, and then rushing through the interesting part of the tale.
If you're a Ridley Scott fan, then have at it but, other than that, I can't really recommend this film.
