Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett star in the latest adaptation of the classic
story. (Creative Commons)

Everything you've been told and everything you think you know about Robin Hood is a lie.

That is the perspective that Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe have brought to their incarnation of the cult British folk hero (the two both have been awarded producer credit on the film along with Brian Grazer).

Ridley Scott and his script consultants have taken on the daunting task of re-telling the epic story of Robin Hood, the outlaw who famously defends the weak and the poor from the tyranny and insatiability of the powerful.  Most auteurs would have taken the familiar foundations of the saga, sprinkled their own magic sauce on top and would've been done with it.  Scott's ambitions for the project ran much deeper.

Gone are the tights, the silly jokes and the lack of historical perspective. The film refuses to dance around the alcoholism, womanizing and violence that are staples of wartime tales, but the biggest departure from previous incarnations is that Robin Hood is not Sir Robin Loxley of Nottingham, at all.  He is Robin Longstride, a common archer in the army who has been forced to impersonate Sir Robert Loxley of Nottingham in order to gain safe passage back home to Britain.

Robin Longstride is not necessarily a virtuous hero, as much as he is a battle worn man tired of fighting other men's wars and reaping no benefits.  He relishes the opportunity presented to him to give the King a tongue-lashing in front of all of his subjects, and is imprisoned for his honesty and insolence.

Set in late 12th century Britain, tyranny and despair are everywhere.  War is the norm, leading to villages, countries, families and fortunes alike, being torn apart.  Britain's marauding King Richard the Lionheart is bankrupt and tired, like most of his soldiers, and has his eyes on returning to London. But before he can return, he dies in battle outside of a French castle, a fitting and unavoidable destiny for a man called Lionheart. 

With one fateful shot of an archer's crossbow, the king is dead and the imprisoned Robin Longstride and his fellow archers are set free (with a little help from an underling).  While escaping from the clutches of war, Longstride and his crew happen upon an ambush of the King's guard.  Longstride assaults the men responsible and encounters the perishing Sir Robert Loxley. He assumes the man's name and knightly garb, in order to return the crown jewels back to England, as well as a Loxley family heirloom to its rightful owner.    

Stepping out from the shadows of Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn and Sean Connery and stepping over the shadow of Kevin Costner's Robin Hood, Russell Crowe is the go-to actor when your hero needs to wield a sword and deliver light and heavy dialogue, all while quickly building a relationship with the audience.  Petty accent critiques aside, Crowe delivers an understated and vulnerable performance.

The comedy flows naturally from this version of Robin Hood, as it does with all quality films regardless of genre.  New bad guy du jour Mark Strong is bonafide as the double agent Sir Godfrey, the English nobleman who singlehandedly is trying to tear down the British empire on behalf of France from the inside out.  Strong has paid his dues in both film and television and his face is quickly becoming synonymous with evil, which is great news for him and audiences, as well as for his agent.

Cate Blanchett is convincing as the equally tough and lonely Lady Marion and Oscar Isaac stands out in limited screen-time as the impetuously unqualified King John. He will no doubt be the future villain the audience will love to hate.

Despite an awkwardly predictable opening sequence, and the obvious "prequels lead to sequels" mentality, Robin Hood delivers on its quest to give a beloved classic a long overdue reality check.