Robin Hood - will Crowe pull it off?

There is a serious argument to be made that Robin Hood is one of the greatest characters in all literature. The concept of this one character has endured since roughly 1350, and he continues to be as popular if not moreso today. Obviously, Hollywood loves to make movies about Robin Hood as often as they can get away with it.

The very first Robin Hood movie was back in 1908, a silent film. Since that time there have been no less than 49 movies or television shows based on this one character. That does not include cartoons and anime versions, or of course porn versions. It also does not include the numerous references to the character in plays, books, and homages in television series and movies.

There is no question that everyone, anywhere in the world, loves Robin Hood. There is a major question on what is the best Robin Hood portrayal though.

I believe that the ultimate portrayal of Robin Hood was done in 1938 by Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood - with Olivia de Havilland and Basil Rathbone. For me this one film is the standard by which all other versions of Robin Hood must be judged. In fact this film is so universal in it's appeal, that most every version made since has a point of trying to incorporate at least parts of that film into their versions.





Of course there are those that won't watch a film older than themselves. And there are those that think the Errol Flynn version can be outdone. Thus we have far lesser versions of Robin Hood like:



and the incredibly awful Costner version


but also a few more enjoyable versions like


and yes even an Japanese anime version in German


There even have been parrodies of varying quality


But as I said, all of these movies and versions pale in comparison. Errol Flynn did it right and it has yet to be done better.

Does that mean the Russell Crowe film will be the disaster that was Kevin Costner's version? We can pray not. But I for one need far more to be convinced than what the trailer so far seems to present.



But we will find out soon.

Movies to see before you die

There is nothing quite like a list of something to get the blood boiling. When that list happens to be of movies, and is called the 100 movies to see before you die, well you can imagine I was like a moth to a flame.

This Yahoo list is pretty good though. In fact I have seen 74 out of the full 100. When it comes to lists of great movies, I normally have far more issue with some of the choices. But this list is very much on the mark.

But they did get a few wrong.

Like Princess Monoke. A very good anime film. But not something you must see before death. I'd substitute that with Akira or Ghost in the Shell. Both are dazzling in the story and art. Far more compelling anime.

They touched on martial arts films, including Bruce Lee's Enter The Dragon. A true classic. But not the only style of martial arts film worthy of viewing. For a story that is completely different yet deep in thought and martial arts try Circle of Iron as an addition to your top 100 list.

I have to be excited about this list as they included one of my favorite films, and one that most people never heard of. M. That is a classic and groundbreaking. It may be old and sub-titled, but it is powerful cinema and that's what matters.

The list leaves out The Princess Bride, which I think is great on a comedic and swashbuckling level. And they did not include a universal classic The Adventures of Robin Hood. How can they not have Errol Flynn's most renown role.

Still the list does have Blazing Saddles and Do The Right Thing. Something I'm glad to see as films starring Black actors or directors normally seem to not exist in these kinds of lists.

Though they ignored Malcolm X, by Spike Lee. There is a reason why this was Denzel Washington's first Oscar nominated role (which he was robbed of), and why the movie itself was robbed of an Oscar Award. Once you see it I think you will agree.

I like that the list includes: the original 12 Angry Men, Alien, Apocalypes Now, Blade Runner, Bridge on the River Kwai, Die Hard, Dr. Strangelove, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, the original King Kong (one of the first films I ever saw and remember to this day), Groundhog Day, It's a Wonderful Life, Lawrence of Arabia, M.A.S.H. (yes it was a movie long before it was a television show), Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Animal House, Nosferatu (second film I recall ever seeing), Schindler's List, Seven Samurai, Some Like It Hot, Star Wars (the first of the series in 1977), To Kill A Mockingbird, and Usual Suspects. I find them all to be essential films that everyone should see at least once.

Also included in that list of core movies (besides the others I mentioned above) that everyone should see is Being There. A Peter Sellers film unlike anything he did before it. This is comedy of a cerebral nature yet enjoyable just to watch and eat popcorn with.

Overall this list is very good. One of the better lists to come out of Yahoo. But it isn't perfect. At least to me. And I think if you take the time to compare the movies I would add to the list, you'll see how much better it becomes in total.

Will 2008 be the year of the Greenskin, Barbarian or Pirate?

The question above does not refer to upcoming movies (of which I’m anticipating Iron Man to be very good) but about the crop of MMO’s coming out this year. Each has a huge back-story to work from. Each has a fanbase that is excited by the prospects of the particular theme of the massive multiplayer online industry. But which is best? Can any of them dethrone World of Warcraft (WoW)?

The answer to both of these questions depends on the player and the expectations they have. Let’s take a look at what they are each proposing to provide.

In Age of Conan, we get a slice of the classic barbarian tales that have endured in comic books/magazines and much later in movies for decades. This one character, and the world he inhabits has inspired movies such as Krull (bad but strongly influenced anyway), 2 Schwarzenegger movies, The Beastmaster and countless copycats in comics (especially Cerebus the Aardvark). The MMO plans to live up to that rich history providing an adult themed game. This one isn’t for the kids.



Finally there is an MMO that has a bit more than the watered down, ultra-kid friendly formats that are the industry today. There is nothing wrong generic MMO’s, and I enjoyed WoW as much as anyone (I had a lvl 54 Dwarven thief among several others), but sometimes you just want more action. You want to really be involved with the fight. And you want to crush the opponent. Lopping of the head of your enemy definitely fits the crushing experience.

The one thing that could be a bit unnerving for some players is the ‘twitch’ factor that is involved in the combat. The reward is that you get to target specific areas of your opponents’ body. The downside is that casual gamers will find this a bit more involved than just clicking a button and watching the results. Then again, that just makes winning a fight all the more enriching when that hit to the leg cuts it off and you win.

Looking at the other side of the coin we have Pirates of the Burning Sea (the first of these 3 MMO’s to be released). Again we go back to the family-friendly, casual gamer friendly format that is so common today. But we are talking about the chance to live out fantasies of being Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow, or Captain Blood for the Errol Flynn fans. Of course since this is family-friendly, I expect many to cry “Why is the rum always gone?”



Beyond the liquor of favor among these sea-faring ruffians, there may not be a lot of depth. Of course there will be a need for shipbuilders and other support characters. But the real action will be getting out to sea, representing either a parent nation or independently, and blasting the deck out of poopdecks of other ships on the waves. Pillaging ports of call is also an option with the naval equivalent of sieges giving you the option to take over the area and claiming it for your own faction.

It’s not the pounding action of Conan, or perhaps even WoW, but it definitely is better than Disney’s miserable foray into the same genre. And you can be sure that it will be ‘twitchless’ fighting. The real question here is, once players have their sea legs will they want to keep going? Personally I just don’t see how this can work.

The last big MMO of the year is Warhammer. Not the 40,000 series, but its fantasy counterpart. Chaos, including corrupt humans, Orcs and undead, fight the forces of good and humanity. A common theme in most RPG and MMO games. But this theme is backed by a hugely popular miniatures gaming system, and looks to take the MMO industry to a new place by having PvP on a huge scale and not just as a raid. It’s a direct and constant struggle of good vs. evil that isn’t secluded or regional but pervasive and right next door.



I think that this fundamental battle, on a constant basis, give a fresh perspective to the genre. Plus there are many fans that are dedicated to growing their faction’s position. If you have never seen the miniatures game I suggest you check it out. People, who spend hundreds of dollars building up armies, and tens if not hundreds of hours painting miniscule details on each figurine, are invested. I’d expect no less dedication in the MMO, and that makes it lively. It’s that fanbase that can give new players a boost and a reason to come back and join the cause.

So which video game will be the big winner? WoW will continue to be the big dog of the yard, but I think Age of Conan will be the runner up. It’s been too long since adult gamers, a growing population, have had anything that satisfies their tastes. Something a bit more sophisticated and darker. A more rewarding experience for the experienced gamer.

But the casual gamers will flock to Warhammer. Name recognition will capture newbie’s, and fans have been waiting for this kind of experience.

WoW may still be the king, but several others are coming up the hill fast. Change is not only a Presidential race campaign speech; it’s a reality of the evolving and growing MMO video gaming genre.