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.

2010 movies to avoid like a plague

Given that the movies that seem to have the most hype also have been on the list of movies that I think will be good in 2010, there is also a fair chance they won't match the hype and be among the list of the worst movies of 2010. But that's a gamble and I've made my bet. As for the rest of the films in 2010...

Here is my list of films that I am ABSOLUTELY sure will be horrendous wastes of time and money. I could be proven wrong, but I doubt it.

Tooth Fairy - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson needs a new agent. He is not a great actor, never was. He was decent in action films where he didn't need to say a lot and could use his muscles often. Kind of Arnold Schwartzennager. But unlike the now Governator, Johnson has yet to build up enough action films to allow him to make these awful kids movies he seems hell-bent on starring in. Just wait for the bargain bin DVD sale.

I Love You Phillip Morris - Jim Carrey is the opposite of The Rock. We love his comedic skills. The man is funny. But put him in a serious role and you are looking at a bomb of a movie. Make that film about a prison escapee, with a gay love story at its heart, and you are looking at a film that even DVD sales won't help. But France might like it.

Cop Out - I like Bruce Willis films. He is great as a cop and authority figure. He brings a great everyman quality to the films he is in. But none of that makes him capable of making a bad film good. Oh, and Tracy Morgan just isn't that funny.

Alice in Wonderland - Yes I will stand alone on this one. I know that Johnny Depp is in the film. I know Tim Burton directed it. But people forget that both men LOVE extreme cinema that is anything but mainstream. And the story of Alice in Wonderland is really nigh incomprehensible to the mainstream as is. It will be a good art film, but no where near a commercial success.

Clash of the Titans - Fans of the original movie will be disappointed. Fans of Transformers will likely be in love with this film. Everyone else will have moments of appreciation of the CGI, and depression at the plot in this revisioned movie.

The Back-up Plan - Jennifer Lopez is the star. Do you really need another reason to avoid this film? Ok, it's about artificial insemination as the key plot device.

Wall Street 2 - A thinly veiled political message packaged in a sequel that really is well past it's prime.

Robin Hood - Russell Crowe is no Erroll Flynn. It's another film trying to improve on a universally accepted perfection in movies. The only positive is that it should be better than Kevin Kosner's try at it.

Sex and the City 2 - Did anyone really want a sequel to this rehash of a truly mediocre television show brought to the big screen?

Marmaduke - Live action versions of comic strip characters never work. Didn't Garfield end this concept?

The A-Team - I really would like to be wrong about this. I liked the 80's television show. But revisioning of television shows to fit on the big screen just don't work. At least Ben Stiller is not in this fiasco waiting to happen.

Jonah Hex - Ever hear of the comic book? I didn't think so. This is a comic book to movie conversion of a 3rd rate comic book that no one cared about 38 years ago. Even comic book fans will avoid this. And if you think the plot might help, you haven't read what the plot is.

SAW VII - When a horror movie (slasher, whatever) goes to 3-D for a sequel you just know it's all over.

Red Dawn - Another revisioned remake of an 80's film. Sure to be filled with political messages straight from the far-left field of view. The only thought that might be of interestr is how Hollywood might resolve America-bashing with a movie that is supposed to be pro-America. I really hope I am wrong on this one, but the November launch date does not give me reassurance (it's a slot only slightly better than January).

Yogi Bear - I'll say it again, live action films don't work.

The Green Hornet - Reaching way back in television time, this is a revisioned retread of the 60's show. I just can't buy Seth Rogen as the Green Hornet. Likely the writing will target campy and hit on awful. I shudder at what it will be like.

Next up are the films that are too ugly to classify as good or bad.

Russell Crowe apologizes over toasty car

Just a bit of quick news. I love positive stories and to speak about the charitable works of entertainers. This turns out to be both.

Russell Crowe started this whole thing off in a negative note. On the set of one the upcoming Robin Hood movie (starring Crowe and Cate Blanchett), one of the boom operators was delayed because her car died. And I mean the car was done - burnt well done according to reports. This left the poor woman bitter and twisted,as she was in deep Rubble. (I think the Brits out there will get that.)

Thus on the set she was complaining about having to buy a new car. This is when Crowe jumped in and let his mouth fly unfettered. Effectively making fun of the situation, and the woman in question. But being a Brit she was undaunted and replied back

Well, I suppose it's OK for you, Russell. You've probably never had to worry about finding five grand for a new car."

Crowe it seems was put well into his place. And he was definitely reminded of the difference between an A-list entertainer and the rest of us that work too hard for a living. So he decided to apologize. By giving her 5,000 pounds and stating

"There you go. You can buy a 10,000 pound car now."

For those in the U.S. he roughly gave her $8,100. Which is a nice way to make up for a snide comment.

And for those that think this, and the reputation of generosity that Crowe has on the Robin Hood set, are just a gimmick to get advertising for the film - so far the media reps for Crowe have yet to publicly admit any of this. So it adds a level of the genuine for me.

If its as true as reports state, and considering that Crowe makes between $10 and 25 million per picture, it was very kind of him. An apology that really sticks in the mind. If only all entertainers could get slapped back to reality, and react in a similar manner, when thier egos take over their mouths and actions.

Well at least they have this example to follow.

Movie Preview: Body of Lies

The latest film to propose that America is a horrible nation filled with deceit and violence seems to be Body of Lies. This latest film by director Ridley Scott stars Leonardo Di Caprio and Russell Crowe.

Now I tend to like the films of Ridley Scott. He made Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, and American Gangster to name a few. He is a good action director. And generally his films are quality. Body of Lies will not be among that list.

I also like Russell Crowe. He is a solid actor, with very good performances in Gladiator and A beautiful Mind. And yes I did like him as Sid 66.7 in Virtuosity. He has a decent style and takes chances in his roles. This role will fail.

The reason why this film will not do well is not the action, or the acting. It won’t be the female fans swooning over DiCaprio or the guys looking for the overkill of explosions and bullets. It’s because like so many films right now, Hollywood is on an agenda – that being telling America we are bad.

Hollywood wants you to believe that the American Government is horrible. It is evil in fact they would say. Of course they never consider that in any other government they probably couldn’t make the diversity of films, nor get paid as much as they do.



That’s the best parts of the film. And in no part does the film directly describe the hate of America that I believe the film is based in. And I come to that conclusion by 1 simple statement

“The actor [Russel Crowe] said as a result of the film's exploration of the American government and foreign policy, "I don't think it will be very popular, but that’s never been part of my project choice process."

Foreign Policy. Yep that means this is another political commercial disguised as a movie. Like the films War, Inc. and Lions for Lambs or Redacted and several others this is just a way for Hollywood to promote Democrats next month. It’s a message with a soundtrack. And it will suck away your money without giving you what you went to see it for, entertainment.

I don’t mind a political message in a film. There are many films of quality with one. Apocalypse Now, Dr. Strangelove, 3 days of the Condor and many others are political and filled with messages. Even Blade Runner did so, but with style and not as the main point of the movie. They were films that entertained first and lectured a far distant second or third.

So you can waste your time seeing this film if you chose. But considering the cost of going to the movies, and the economy being shaky at the least, I prefer to watch the news for my political updates. And I’ll go to the movies to be entertained.

Wait for the DVD if you need a diCapro fix, but if you want to be entertained just avoid this.