Robin Hood

• Released Internationally on 12/05/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 14/05/10

Preview (Published 01/05/10 in VIDA magazine)

In a nutshell

Mr. Hood needs no introduction. We’ve seen and read countless versions of the story, from fantastic foxes with whistling sidekicks, to Kevin Costner and his princely ways, and even merry men in not-so-manly tights. But that was all quite a while ago, so we’re due for another take, with this one promising to tell the back-story behind the outlaw. The details should remain the same, however – rob the rich, provide for the poor, arrows, friars, etc.

Why we’re hyped

Although Robin’s boots have been filled by various big names over the years, we can now look forward to a visionary director as well as a stellar cast. Ridley Scott has made many excellent films in a variety of genres, but has yet to recapture the epic feel and huge success of 2000’s Gladiator. He nearly managed with Kingdom of Heaven five years ago, but the theatrical cut was a bit of a mess, and Orlando Bloom was a bit of a wimp as the hero. Let’s face it – if you need to rally the troops, beat the odds and win the girl, you’re better off with Russell Crowe.

Who’s in it?

Besides Crowe as the titular archer, the film boasts the presence of the classy and beautiful Cate Blanchett as Lady Marian. As if those two weren’t enough to appeal to all ages and genders, we can also look forward to Max von Sydow (Shutter Island), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Matthew Macfadyen (Frost/Nixon), Mark Addy (The Full Monty), William Hurt (A History of Violence) and Danny Huston (Birth) in lesser roles of varying menace and personal hygiene. The latest trailer looks very promising, so let’s hope for the best.

Review (14/05/10)

Robin Longstride

This is not the story of Robin Hood’s adventures. It’s a sort of prequel to all the Robin Hood adaptations you may have seen before, and tells the story of how a certain Robin Longstride, after returning from the crusades as part of Richard the Lionheart’s army, helped start an uprising against the tyrannical King John, and ended up being brandished an outlaw. Once this concept has sunk in, the scope and progression of the film become enjoyable to watch, and the ending proves very satisfying.

Political woes

When King Richard’s reign ends, Robin and his closest friends desert the army, and try to make their own way home across the channel. They bump into a covert squad of French soldiers under the guidance of a certain Sir Godfrey, who are attempting to assassinate the king and lay the groundwork for the French invasion of the British Isles. Back in the Tower of London, King John eventually inherits the crown and with a mix of greed and ignorance manages to infuriate the already oppressed and impoverished English people. Tired of wallowing in misery as the state and church squander their precious resources, the villagers across the land start a rebellion, and the well-timed arrival of the charismatic Robin manages to unite them.

The more the merrier

The impressive cast all take to their parts with gusto, and the consistently strong acting is also helped by a script that manages to be grand without going overboard. The mid-section suffers a bit when it’s unclear exactly who is fighting who, but it all works out tidily in the end. Crowe adds a British accent to his Maximus persona, and is convincing as the hero, albeit without enough human flaws. Blanchett’s Marian manages to warm to him, but not too quickly, and Max Von Sydow as her father is, as usual, excellent. Mark Strong is suitably evil as the traitorous Sir Godfrey, King John’s henchman. His shaved head and reckless disregard for protective headgear make him the most easily identifiable of the enemy forces during the various pillage and battle scenes, and his rivalry with Robin develops as the film progresses, culminating in a wet and wild duel during the film’s spectacular climax.

Archers with tonic

The skills with a bow and arrow play an essential part from the prologue right up the epilogue scenes, and reach epic proportions in the French invasion of England - a magnificent scene mirroring the Normandy landings in WW2. It’s more or less everything you would expect from a war movie set in 12^th century England, and at times the film is quite clearly a mix of Braveheart and Gladiator, even down to individual shots and actions. But I guess you could do worse than try to emulate those two modern classics. The score is one aspect which falls short, however, with the music being unmemorable and largely intrusive.

In the end

The second big film of this summer season should appeal to an even wider audience that the superhero antics in Iron Man 2. Anchored by predictably good performances from the hero and heroine at the core of the story, the film presents an original story, but told in a fashion we have seen before. It’s undeniably fun and action-packed, and like all good ‘prequels’ ends on a satisfying note with everything falling into place as you know it. If you loved Braveheart, this should be fun.

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/robinhood/

Clash of the Titans

• Released Internationally on 26/03/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 14/04/10
• Showing in ‘RealD’ 3D at Empire Cinemas, Buġibba and in 2D everywhere else

In a nutshell

If you learnt all your Greek mythology from secondary school and Disney’s Hercules, this might be a good opportunity for a not-too-accurate update. A remake of the 1981 classic, this battle of the gods is big, boisterous and not too brainy.

Oh my gods

The film opens with a much-needed prologue, where as we watch lightning snake across the sky, a soothing voice fills us in on the current state of Greek god affairs. Zeus rules the skies, whilst his brother Hades runs the underworld. We are also told that Poseidon captains the seas, but we hardly get to see him, despite Danny Huston (Birth) being cast in the role. One can only presume his scenes amongst the many that were allegedly cut. Back to politics – the people of Argos (the city, not the franchise), are angry with the gods for what they claim is poor recent management, so they declare war on Zeus by destroying the huge statue of him that stands astride their jagged coast. Bold move.

Of course, you know, this means war

In the meantime, we meet Perseus, who is adopted by a fisherman (Pete Postlethwaite – The Usual Suspects, Romeo + Juliet) after being found as a baby, adrift in a coffin with his dead mother. He grows into quite a strong lad, which can be partly explained by the fact that he is in fact the illegitimate son of Zeus. The attack by Hades on Argos, and on Perseus’ adoptive family, spurs the young man to accept a perilous mission to find a way to defeat the humungous Kraken, which Hades has threatened to unleash on Argos unless they sacrifice their princess, Andromeda (Alexa Davalos – Defiance).

I need a hero

Confused yet? If not, then by all means rush to watch this film. If you are, don’t worry – it won’t matter much in the end. The prologue unfolds so quickly and fitfully that before you know it Perseus is leaving Argos, with a small band of suicidal men, ready to face the numerous battle scenes that the script has prepared for him. Taking on this main role is rapidly rising actor Sam Worthington, whom you might have seen in Avatar. He seems to have walked off that set and onto this one, as he sticks to the same accent, look and motivation. Unfortunately, not even all the rousing one-liners that the screenplay throws at him are enough to breathe any true emotion into his role, and it’s ironic that the hero ends up being so two-dimensional in a film made for 3D.

Easy to hate

Films like this are unfortunately becoming common in this age where so much depends on your opening weekend box-office. Grand scope, enormous aspirations, hefty budgets, big names. Sadly coupled with poor writing, last-minute cuts and re-shoots that decimate the film, and a belief that spectacular effects alone with make the film a good one. Much like the 1981 original, the film boasts top-drawer actors in the roles of the gods, but the result is painful to watch, as Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List) as Zeus and Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient) as Hades prance around in grotesque hair and make-up spouting dialogue that would make a Dynasty fan cringe. Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace), as Perseus’ tepid love interest, looks very British and slightly out of place amongst all the olive-skinned Greeks. Also jarring is the last-minute replacement soundtrack, which tries too hard to drum up some sense of awe, but could easily have been copied and pasted from numerous recent action films. For all the emphasis they are given, the effects occasionally falter too, with some of the creatures being only slightly more convincing than their Harryhausen predecessors. But in the film’s final act, when the kraken is released, nearly all is forgiven.

Fun to like

Ultimately, this film needs to be watched as a source for mindless fun, rather than inspiration or art. The film starts building to its climax from an early stage, and the oncoming kraken onslaught hangs heavily over the proceedings throughout. Once he (she? it?) is awoken, many of the wince-worthy moments that came before are forgotten, and we can sit back and grin through a bombastic and destructive conclusion full of shrieking Greeks and slithering tentacles. The scenes with Perseus astride Pegasus are probably the best in the film, and his mismatched duel with Godzilla’s grandfather manages to make some sense of all that came before it.

In the end

Director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter, The Incredible Hulk) seems to have taken on too big a project, but in his defence the end product is probably very far from what he originally planned to make. For such grave source material, the film is rather ridiculous at times, but if you’re after a couple of hours of beasts, bombast and numerous heavenly bodies, than you might enjoy this more than you expected to. It’s a quiet month, so why not?

Trailer:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/clashofthetitans/