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ROBIN HOOD (2010)Movie Reviews
Period drama that is a retelling of the Robin Hood legend. Cast:Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Scott Grimes, William Hurt, Matthew MacFadyen, Kevin DurandDirector:Ridley ScottRelease Date:May 14, 2010DVD Release:September 21, 2010From:UniversalRating:PG-13Length:2 hr 20 min
Robin Hood (2010) played to mixed reviews. • Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "...a brawny reimagining of a beloved old myth, a period popcorn movie turned out with professionalism and gusto." • And Rick Groen wrote in the Toronto Globe & Mail, "Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe have drained every drop of merriment right out of the myth.... a ponderous, leaden, grey lump of a flick this is..." More Reviews Below...
Robin Hood (2010) Positive Reviews (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the politics get so heavy that the movie reminds us all too much of a certain blue-faced Scot. A tad more levity and romance would've hit the target."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 173 words, 05/13/10
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Crowe is hulking and overly serious, and the same can be said of 'Robin Hood' itself.... it does look great: an old-fashioned epic jazzed up with new technology."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 697 words, 05/13/10
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: FAIR(cg) "The battles are grainy and 'existential,' but what they aren't is thrilling.... Crowe's so grimly possessed with purpose that he's a bore, and so is the movie."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 706 words, 05/14/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...plays up the battles, the flaming arrows, the clashing swords, the battering rams and the burning pitch to the maximus.... Cate Blanchett is a fireball..."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 512 words, 05/12/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "Ridley Scott is a fine director for work like this, although in another world, Hollywood would let him make smarter films. God, he must be tired of enormous battle scenes."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 719 words, 05/13/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: WEAK "Meanwhile -- and believe me, there is a whole lot of meanwhile in this crowded, lumbering film... Who was Robin Hood?... it's oddly hard to tell."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,057 words, 05/14/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...an awkward mix of international geopolitics, repressed memory, old-fashioned villainy, human rights advocacy, the Magna Carta and pigeons..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 828 words, 05/13/10
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...smart, revisionist and typically dark... head and shoulders above the sort of lightheaded epics Hollywood typically offers during the summer season."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 490 words, 05/13/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "Crowe's performance, technically immaculate, is taciturn to the point of being a bit flat, yet there's really nobody else you'd want in the role."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 769 words, 05/13/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: POOR "...rich in bogus historical context, along with enough mud, blood, and clutter to overwhelm our happy memories of Errol Flynn's grin and Olivia de Havilland's radiance."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 599 words, 05/17/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "Ridley Scott is a fine director for work like this, although in another world, Hollywood would let him make smarter films. God, he must be tired of enormous battle scenes."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 719 words, 05/13/10
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "The directorial choices are, for the most part, so lazy, the blockbuster engineering so blatant, that 'Robin Hood' often falls into self-parody."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 840 words, 05/12/10
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: POOR(cg) "Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe have drained every drop of merriment right out of the myth.... a ponderous, leaden, grey lump of a flick this is..."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 801 words, 05/14/10
Josep Parera, La Opinion: EXCELLENT(cg) "Ridley Scott presenta la acción con su habitual elegancia visual, potenciando especialmente la historia y sin apostar en exceso por las secuencias de acción."(See all of Josep Parera's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 450 words, 05/14/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "I once jokingly said that Ridley Scott has gotten so practiced at gargantuan historical epics that he could make one in his sleep. And now, it seems, he has."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 577 words, 05/13/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...boasts graphic battle scenes and ingenious intrigue, a sense of history that may not be accurate but feels authentic..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 673 words, 05/14/10
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a very different distillation of the old legend.... a worthwhile, reasonably interesting variation on an old theme. Advisory: Lots of violence and bad teeth."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 732 words, 05/14/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a dark and brawny version of the Robin Hood legend... two hours of war and intrigue and historical and character clutter..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 568 words, 05/14/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...impressive battle sequences, likable heroes, indelible villains and strong, feisty female characters. There's ribald humor without 'Men in Tights' tomfoolery."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 252 words, 05/14/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a surprisingly satisfying new take on the well-told tale.... any film that lasts two hours and 20 minutes without seeming like a long, hard slog can't be all bad."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 827 words, 05/14/10
Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: MODERATE(cg) "...a resolutely grim and grubby lesson in 13th-century British history filtered through all the requisite trademarks of a summer blockbuster."(See all of Tom Maurstad's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 640 words, 05/14/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...wildly entertaining... gives you your money's worth while coloring the screen with ancient armies, wooden ships, lush, rolling hills, ominous cliffs and those amazing sounds..."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 05/14/10
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Scott knows how to stage an exhilarating battle scene... Crowe and Blanchett, whose love story makes up a frustratingly small part of the film, make unforgettable magic."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 550 words, 05/14/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...scrupulously mounted... There's quality throughout, but, visual verve aside, the enterprise is dull, heavy-handed and dispiriting."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 636 words, 05/14/10
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A lot of care went into crafting the handsome production but not enough into making the handsome hero come alive."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 371 words, 05/14/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: FAIR(cg) "A distinct lack of merriment marks each frame of this film, with Scott determined to erase all fond memories of past 'Robin Hoods.' "(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 526 words, 05/13/10
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "The directorial choices are, for the most part, so lazy, the blockbuster engineering so blatant, that 'Robin Hood' often falls into self-parody."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 840 words, 05/12/10
Keith Phipps, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Scott is one of the few directors who could field-marshal this sort of spectacle... simply ending up with a fitfully engaging behemoth of a movie isn't accomplishment enough."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 397 words, 05/13/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "I once jokingly said that Ridley Scott has gotten so practiced at gargantuan historical epics that he could make one in his sleep. And now, it seems, he has."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 577 words, 05/13/10
Ted Scheinman, Washington City Paper: MODERATE "...sports an excellent cast, decent dialogue, and all the formal goodies of a historical romance... forswears a provincial tale of derring-do in favor of a rather bland nationalist epic..."(See all of Ted Scheinman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 355 words, 05/20/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: POOR "...an absurdity... grim fights, grinding battles, clanking combats that are repetitive and, in a movie that runs 140 minutes, all but endless.... phenomenally monotonous..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 05/14/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: WEAK "Meanwhile -- and believe me, there is a whole lot of meanwhile in this crowded, lumbering film... Who was Robin Hood?... it's oddly hard to tell."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,057 words, 05/14/10
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: WEAK "...we sense in our bones when something in the myth goes awry... Scott reverts to the lower spirits of his hero, who retains not a scintilla of youthful glee."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,563 words, 05/17/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...an awkward mix of international geopolitics, repressed memory, old-fashioned villainy, human rights advocacy, the Magna Carta and pigeons..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 828 words, 05/13/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: MODERATE "Impressively made and serious-minded to a fault... often seems devoted to stifling whatever pleasure audiences may have derived from the popular legend."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,159 words, 05/09/10
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "...features supple visual design and terrific action choreography... European history is so ludicrously mangled that one almost suspects Mel Brooks and Monty Python's Flying Circus lent a hand."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 867 words, 05/09/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...an awkward mix of international geopolitics, repressed memory, old-fashioned villainy, human rights advocacy, the Magna Carta and pigeons..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 828 words, 05/13/10
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a dry, down-to-earth, semi-realistic rendion, which leaves out most of the fun, wit and bravado associated with the famous hero."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,557 words, 05/10/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: WEAK "Meanwhile -- and believe me, there is a whole lot of meanwhile in this crowded, lumbering film... Who was Robin Hood?... it's oddly hard to tell."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,057 words, 05/14/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: POOR "...an absurdity... grim fights, grinding battles, clanking combats that are repetitive and, in a movie that runs 140 minutes, all but endless.... phenomenally monotonous..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 05/14/10
22.5 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Robin Hood (2010)'s reviews are separated by an average 22.5 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Robin Hood (2010) (46 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Robin Hood (2010)'s reviews cover 77.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 31,235 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 679 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 11.3 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Robin Hood (2010)'s reviews on average broke 11.3 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Robin Hood (2010)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Robin Hood (2010) (46 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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