Monthly Archives: June 2010

Film Review: Robin Hood (2010)

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Frost Rating ****

There have been many interpretations of the legendary man himself. Popularly first known by Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and then the Kevin Costner version, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). I’ve only seen the latter, it was all good fun and one of the few films I watched mostly as a kid. I loved the idea of a man standing up corruption and just being an old fashioned swash-buckling adventure. Although Kevin Costner was miscast as the English rebel, only reason for being cast was his big heyday back in the early 90s and winning awards for Dances With Wolves. The only plus side was having a scene-stealing Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham. It has been nearly 20 years since, and Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe have now brought us their version of the story.

We’ve seen the tale of Robin Hood been done to death and it’s actually a sigh of relief to see something fresh to an otherwise adventurous story. Another point to make that it’s more a revisionist take, than a remake or reboot. As many have mentioned, this is a prequel than the typical Robin Hood story we all know. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor is explained, rather than making it a basis of the film. It shows how Robin Hood (known through-out as Robin Longstride) becomes the man we all know and love. It may be not needed, but Ridley Scott pulls it off rather well. Robin is a soldier for the crusades under the rule of King Richard (Danny Huston, a brief but wonderfully played role), and returns back to England from his long fight in France after Richard dies. He comes back finding the country in a total mess, now Prince John (Oscar Isaac) is pronounced King and starts making an example to his rule by using threats to make the whole of England pay the kings taxes. Robin returns a sword to Walter Loxley (Max Von Sydow) as a promise from his dead son, which his wife happens to be Marion (Cate Blanchett). The theme of the story is self-discovery, although it slightly acts as a bit expositional but it doesn’t linger on to make it that much a critique. Meanwhile, the sub-plot is with France preparing to invade England.

Slightly distracts us from the story of Robin and Marion, but it unravels an exciting climactic battle sequence and the reason King John declares out leading hero to be an outlaw. The performances from the entire cast are top notch. Russell Crowe still proves to be a convincing leading man, although his dialect goes a bit off once or twice (although better than Kevin Costner sticking with his American accent). Cate Blanchett is always a treat whenever she’s on-screen, and is the heart of this film. Both Crowe and Blanchett’s chemistry does spark but only so subtle to make the scenes together work. Oscar Isaac is brilliantly juvenile and devilish, practically a scene stealer and one of the best things of this film. Mark Strong delivers a good performance, but unfortunately doesn’t stand out the best of the villains roles he’s played (the best would be as Frank D’Amico in Kick-Ass). Matthew Macfayden plays as the Sheriff of Nottingham, he doesn’t make it as hammy as Alan Rickman did previously but still makes himself being devilishly likeable. Especially when his house is about to get burnt down by the French, and slyly says to a soldier to save his house “I’m half French, on my mothers side!”

The script by Brian Helgeland is also very well done, showing he’s still at his game being a talented writer. Given credit the development of Robin Hood had been going around quite some time, and went through 2-3 stages before they finalised on a story they wanted to make. It’s a story that somehow makes it culturally significant; especially when we’ve just dealt being in the recession. It also brings a strange cultural heritage, having the character and its setting a strange mythical history. Admittedly, the story may mislead people. Given the title ‘Robin Hood’, it should be about Robin Hood and it does. Ridley Scott mentioned he likes to create worlds, and he does so by bringing up events that will revolve around and has Robin involved to make it plausible.

Ridley Scott’s eye for detail is always staggering and beautifully well shown on-screen. The cinematography is gorgeous to look at, shot very well and all around a great looking film. What also strikes me as the film looks it could be plausible in the history books. Although Scott doesn’t treat it as a History Channel documentary, he makes it very clear he mixes with history but also with a bit of fantasy. The action sequences are exciting and thrilling to watch, just shows how much Robin Hood can be an action hero. It also amazes me Ridley Scott is the only filmmaker who’d do these sequences with very little digital effects and make them look spectacular. Also kudos on the wonderful costume design by Janty Yates (who designed costumes for Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven).

The music by Marc Streitenfeld is atmospheric and delivers emotion to every scene being delightful or tragic. Overall; people may expect the conventional Robin Hood tale, but going to a different route can lead to surprising results. This delivers the goods on both story, characters and the visual spectacle. It doesn’t stand along with Scott’s best films (Alien and Blade Runner), but it certainly amongst his really good ones (American Gangster and Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut). I’m very sure there will be a director’s cut version in future. This is epic filmmaking at its best, and no one does it better than Ridley Scott.

Robin Hood is showing at cinemas right now. See the trailer on the official site.

by Owun Birkett

Time runs out for 24 {TV}

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After the eight longest days of Jack Bauer’s life and 194 hours of incredible television, 24’s final episodes will be broadcast this Sunday night at 9 o’clock on Sky1 and Sky1 HD. The era-defining series, about the heroic Counter Terrorist Unit agent played by 1980s film star Kiefer Sutherland and his battles to prevent terrorist plots against a background of intrigue at the White House, will continue to live on in a series of motion pictures over the coming years, but the television series is coming to an end. First broadcast in 2001 just weeks after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the series has drawn on the fears and anxieties of the “War on Terror” with it’s myriad of biological, nerve-gas and nuclear threats, while in many ways being a good-fashioned action thriller, full of unexpected twists and explosive set-pieces.

The series’ most innovative gimmick has been the use of real-time, with each episode taking place over an hour and the story continuing, unseen, during commercial breaks. This was more closely observed in earlier seasons, when greater care was taken to ensure journeys took realistic lengths of time. Nonetheless, the use of split-screens and the iconic ticking yellow clock are still a fantastic way to ramp up the tension and keep viewers at the edge of their seats.

Over the eight seasons, 24 has developed a few predictable quirks – there’s always a mole or two at CTU, there’s always a moment that Jack has to go rouge because his bosses are getting it wrong, and the bad guy at the start of the season always turns out to be a small part of the picture, with the big boss only revealed a few episodes before the end. But it never fails to surprise, with the ability to shock over and over again. Memorable moments down the years have included the jaw-dropping ending to the first season with Jack’s wife Terri being tragically shot just as it seemed that all was well, Bauer being forced to kill his own boss, Ryan Chappelle, the killing of several main characters at the start of season five and the nuclear explosion in downtown Los Angeles in season six.

This season has seen attempts to sign a peace deal at the United Nations in New York between American President Allison Taylor and the fictional Islamic Republic of Kamistan, with the Republic’s President being kidnapped and eventually murdered. As ever, it’s now emerged that the IRK rebels we thought were responsible at the start of the season were only a small part of the plot, with the Russians turning out to be behind it. We go into the final two hours with Jack Bauer on a revenge mission against those responsible for the shocking murder of his lover, ex-FBI agent Renee Walker. Unfortunately for him, it means going against President Taylor who is committed to getting the peace deal signed, no matter how, and has even accepted help from the brilliantly villainous Nixon-like former president Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) to make it happen. This means that every fan’s favourite quirky CTU analyst Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), now temporarily in charge of CTU, and field agent Cole Ortiz (Freddie Prinze Jr) are having to instigate a manhunt to capture Jack, last seen wearing some sort of Iron Man-like protective suit as he went on the rampage against the bad guys like never before. It’s all coming down to a showdown between Chloe’s instincts to protect her friend, who she knows has always been right before, and her duty to follow orders.

Executive producer Howard Gordon has promised that the series will end in a way that feels consistent with what we’ve seen over the last eight seasons. Gordon says that Jack Bauer finds himself “in a compromised place morally, ethically and emotionally. This show is a tragedy, and to give Jack a happy ending didn’t feel authentic. Chloe and Jack are in a real face-off, Chloe has to decide between her duty and friendship to Jack. It’s about as hairy a confrontation as you can possibly imagine.”

One thing’s for sure – however the TV series comes to an end, this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Jack Bauer.