ROBIN HOOD (12A)

EVERY generation has its own version of Robin Hood.

With each new incarnation, the mythology has been embellished and any historical veracity sacrificed at the altar of artistic licence.

Director Ridley Scott and leading man Russell Crowe reunite for a thunderous new opening chapter in the legend of the 12th-century folk hero.

Shot with Scott's typical bombast, this Robin Hood juxtaposes spectacular battle scenes with romantic interludes, political intrigue and melancholic flashbacks.

It's unabashedly macho and predictable with an inevitable battle cry for Gladiator star Crowe to rally the troops: Gladiarcher, if you will.

Robin Hood is a lively jaunt through Plantagenet history, incorporating the familiar figures of Friar Tuck (Mark Addy) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Matthew Macfadyen).

Crowe's accent roams the British Isles depending on who he is acting opposite, which is distracting, but Cate Blanchett’s Marion is luminous with an unshakable Nottingham burr, which adds warmth to some choice lines of dialogue.

If Scott's film hits the bullseye at the box office, you can be sure that Robin and Marion will ride again in a sequel.

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