Well I'll start by saying I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I thought it was fun, it was a grand story, and Crowe and Blanchett did a fine job as usual. Russell Crowe can give Orlando Bloom a run for his money with a bow and arrow. I was entertained from start to finish, and I don't think it really lagged at all. Ridley Scott did a good job putting it all together with the script he was working with.
However, I don't think that Robin Hood was quite on the level of some of the other periodical epics such as The Patriot or Braveheart. First, it was pretty formulaic and filled with cliches. I didn't really feel a connection with any of the characters nor did any of the villains really come off as that threatening or sinister. There were some parts of the movie, while not boring, I felt lacked the urgency that's needed in this type of film. All of this really comes down to what I think was not such a strong script. It wasn't awful, but it could have used some polishing up. While I know it's not a fix all, I think Robin Hood really would have benefited from an R- Rating, like Gladiator et al.
That being said, I really did enjoy the movie and after the disappointment of Iron Man 2 it was a refreshing surprise. I love epic stories like this and even though I think it lacked the passion of some other comparable stories it did have some bright spots and delivered on most points. I really hope it makes enough money world wide to warrant a sequel, because this movie is begging for one.
I'll give it a B
