‘ROBIN HOOD’* Rating: PG-13 for violence including intense sequences of warfare, and some sexual content* Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.
By Cary Darling
McClatchy Newspapers
“Robin Hood,” the latest collaboration between star Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott, may have its roots in the foggy past of 12th-century legend about the man in tights who robbed the rich and helped the poor. But with its origin-story approach, jut-jawed good guys, hiss-worthy bad guys, splashy action and setup for a sequel, this beefed-up “Robin Hood” is more comic-book contemporary than history-book medieval; call it “Robin Hood and His Merry X-Men.”
That’s not to say that “Robin Hood” isn’t slickly enjoyable. It sports some arresting visuals, a sense of rough-hewn realism missing from most productions of “Robin Hood,” some notable performances — especially in the supporting roles — and doesn’t drag too much, despite its 140-minute running time. But it also doesn’t stick in the memory much after the lights go up.