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Robin Hood (2010)
It's a good thing there were a lot of left overs weapons, costumes and props from "Kingdom of Heaven"
I saw it today and I have to say that I am somewhat disappointed.
First, I have to say that Crowe and Blanchett are too old to be portraying characters at a "young" stage of their lives. This tale is intended to be a "prequel" to all the regular stories of Robin Hood, and Crowe's face is now far too creased to be believable as a young man.
With this sort of semi-historical movie, you have to be willing to suspend reality in the distortions of history. For example, while "Braveheart" was a fantastic film in all respects, the liberties taken with historical accuracy are legion. This film takes liberties as well (it has must since Robin Hood is considered fiction), but it lacks the quality and luster of is predecessors.
The plot seems vague and disconnected, and is clouded by too many characters. While the story line is the common good vs. evil, the portrayed loyalties of the players left me rather apathetic.
The actions sequences are typical Ridley Scott, but after so many of his films, the quick-action, close-up shots are growing tiresome. It has reached the point were the quick-cut photography now makes it too hard to determine exactly what is happening on the battlefield.
While I am a fan of Crowe, this was, by far, not his best performance. Blanchett is lovely and handles her strong character well, but as a women who is willing to wear armor and fight in battle, it is far too trite for Crowe to have to rescue her at the end. I groaned when she had to recite the line "Walter, this one's for you". I think the writers could have done far better.
Von Sydow is a joy to watch as his performance is the best in the film. Friar Tuck is obviously intended to be comedy relief, but this falls flat. Robin's battle companions seem present only to give tie-ins to the common Robin Hood tales. They remain on the fringes of the film, are uninteresting, and it is difficult to care much about them.
The weapons are clearly "Kingdom of Heaven" leftovers. The shields are so poorly repainted that you can see large areas of chipping around he edges.
By far, biggest disappointment with the movie was the appearance of the invading French soldiers in wooden "LSTs". In the year 1199 troop transports were seldom more than commandeered trade ships. No Navy in the history of the world ever built such a thing out of lumber. My suspension of reality reached breaking point, and I was no longer buying in to the story. What were the writers thinking??
I can not fault the actors in this film. I think they did the best with what was given to them. The major problem here was the screenplay. A mediocre storyline coupled with forgettable characters makes this movie fall far short of its potential. In the end I found it hard to believe that anyone involved with the film really cared about it. Scott has repeatedly proved himself capable of much better.
Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart (2003)
Like a Train Wreck - You can't keep from watching it.
OK, I'll admit it.
Back in the 60's and early 70's I had a crush on Cybill Shepherd. She was a beautiful young girl who had her face on the cover of nearly every magazine published. The problem is that somewhere along the line since then she got the idea she could act and sing. (Her nightclub act of several years ago quickly came and disappeared.)
Martha Inc. Is a testament to the fact that most crossover entertainment careers don't work.
The story here is compelling since our basic human nature loves to watch the mighty fall, especially when we see them as nasty and vindictive. The movie is a sprint through Martha Stewart's life with heavy emphasis on her ruthless actions and efforts to claw her way to the top at the expense of everyone, including her family. Its hard to believe that anyone could not have a soft side and the only redeeming moment of the movie is when Martha and her father share a hug in a moment of acceptance and reconciliation. The rest is painful and I had to keep watching to see how far Shepherd could push her tendency to over-act.
This film is typical TV sweeps fodder with no redeeming value. Thumbs down from me.