Currently browsing the "Russell Crowe" tag.

The Next Three Days

Sometimes, ya just have to let a few things slide and enjoy the ride. That’s how I feel about The Next Three Days. All in all, it’s a satisfying action flick that pushes the boundaries of believability but skillfully avoids the nasty trap of predictability. It’s a crime drama and psychological thriller wrapped in a bit of a romance – without the overt heaviness and brutality of the critically-acclaimed, recently-released heist movie The Town.

2010 Fall Movies

We’re moving out of the summer blockbuster kids’ movies and into the fall when traditionally a more serious adult roster hits the screens. This year? Well, there are a few that seem Oscar worthy, several with our favorite men headlining, a couple that look like real chick flicks and what just might be some nice comedies. See for yourself.

Robin Hood

No men in tights here. No borrowing from the rich to give to the poor either. This new Robin Hood is Ridley Scott’s prequel to all that. We first meet Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) in France on his way back to England after years crusading with King Richard the Lionheart. Robin and his band of not-so-merry men are tired of war and ready to get home, only getting across the channel seems to be a problem. Fortunately they happen upon some knights who had been ambushed by the evil Godfrey (Mark Strong again as the bad guy) while trying to take the recently deceased King Richard’s crown back to England. One of the knights is still alive. He is Robert of Locksley and asks that Robin return his sword to his father in Nottingham. And so Robin and his crew impersonate the knights, take the boat to England, return the crown, and in doing so Robin is forced to keep the ruse of actually being Robert of Locksley going. When he gets to Nottingham, the old, blind father of the knight asks him to keep pretending to be Robert so that the crown will not confiscate his lands when he dies. Robin agrees and calls him father. (And the old guy actually knew Robin’s father, who turns out to have been a revolutionary who was killed in front of the young boy.)

Another Robin Hood? Yes. But this one has Russell Crowe.

I know it’s awards season and there are tons of great movies in theaters for the holidays, but let’s take just a moment to look ahead to summer. On my “blockbuster” watch list – Robin Hood.  Normally, I wouldn’t get excited about another Robin Hood movie. I mean come on, there have been, what, dozens of incarnations of the story on the big screen (and small). But this one has something the others did not. It has Russell Crowe and it’s directed by Ridley Scott. That’s the same duo that gave us Gladiator, and god I loved Gladiator, and Crowe in it. And from the trailer, it looks like their Robin Hood is going to be very Gladiatoresque. So I’m in. Here’s the trailer, watch and enjoy.