Is Russell Crowe Too Old to Play Young Robin Hood?

[Evo]

Ok, I can't stand Russell Crowe. He's around 60, isn't he? He sure looks it. Who the heck cast him as Robin Hood? Blegh.

Ok a poll.

 

[russ_watters]

He's 46 and I'm a big fan(he's a jerk, but a great actor), but Robin-Hood-the-Gladiator? No. At least he's not Kevin Costner.

 

[Evo]

Kevin Costner was the worst Robin Hood...EVER. Sometimes he'd have an English accent, sometimes he'd forget. He could barely get his lines out in any accent.

 

[turbo]

I like lots of Crowe's work. I'll withhold judgement until I see the DVD. There have been lots of variations on the Robin Hood theme, many of them terrible, and well-deserving of the "Men in Tights" send-up.

 

[Evo]

Ewwwww.

[PLAIN]http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/2108/robinhoodcrowegak.jpg

 

[turbo]

When the King or England (whichever) ruled, men were pressed into service at what we might consider today to be an advanced age. I have researched, promoted, and sold a scrimshawed powder horn carried by a colonial militia-man who fought in the French and Indian wars, and fought in the American Revolution. He was a captain, and in his 50's. He was captured by the French and Indians in an attack on a fort in the Hudson valley and he and his fellow captors were being led out to execution by the Indians, when they stripped off their clothing and threw it as far as they could. the Indians coveted the woven-fabric clothing and uniform parts and abandoned their captives to grab the clothing. Some of the captives escaped, and ran cross-country, arriving back in Mass mostly naked. If Robin Hood was indeed a skilled archer and a leader of men, it is not unreasonable to consider that he might have been a middle-aged man upon his return to England.

 

[Astronuc]

Ewwwww.

[PLAIN]http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/2108/robinhoodcrowegak.jpg[/QUOTE] He doesn't look like Robin Hood, or a member of the Merry Men.

I grew up with The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955–1960), a British (BBC) series staring Richard Greene. Alex Gauge played a delightful Friar Tuck.

It was a favorite show, as was Ivanhoe.


Edit: List of actors who played Robin Hood over the decades:
http://robinhoodtree.blogspot.com/2006/08/robin-hood-1991-film-review.html
I can't see Uma Thurman as Maid Marian. I think I saw the movie, and it was a bit hokey.


I like Crowe's acting, particularly in Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind.

 

[Evo]

If Robin Hood was indeed a skilled archer and a leader of men, it is not unreasonable to consider that he might have been a middle-aged man upon his return to England.

Robin Hood never left England in the original stories. Him going on Crusade is a new thing.

 

[turbo]

Robin Hood never left England in the original stories. Him going on Crusade is a new thing.

Might not have been crusade. England always seemed to be contesting parts of mainland Europe with France.

 

[Evo]

Might not have been crusade. England always seemed to be contesting parts of mainland Europe with France.

The King he supposedly served, Richard the Lionhearted, was French and didn't even speak English. No original stories I'm aware of ever put Robin Hood outside of England.

It might not be a bad movie, I just can't see Crowe as a young Robin Hood.

 

[zomgwtf]

Russell Crowe is one of my all-time favorite actors. I think he'll make a fine Robin Hood after seeing the previews for the movie... this doesn't look like your typical 'good ole' merry-cheery robin hood' type of storyline. It looks like it's going for the more 'realistic to the times' approach, which makes me think Crowe would be a great actor to choose.

Gladiator was one of the best movies ever created. <<Just thought I'd toss that out there.

EDIT: I feel even more sure of my view of the new Robin Hood movie after re-watching the preview. The statement 'the story behind the legend' did it for me. .

 

[lisab]

Kevin Costner was the worst Robin Hood...EVER. Sometimes he'd have an English accent, sometimes he'd forget. He could barely get his lines out in any accent.

He delivered most of his lines, whether accented or not, in a monotone!

 

[zomgwtf]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955308/usercomments

These people who have seen the movie also seem to agree... So why should we compare Russell Crowe to all the other Robin Hoods. I'm actually glad that they are taking a more realistic route to this movie. I didn't really like the 'merry-men' robin hoods... mostly just thought they were funny. Not very entertaining though.

I love how you set the poll up though Evo. .

 

[BobG]

I'll have to wait until I see it.

I thought Crowe was great in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Somehow, that movie just had the same feel as the original Star Trek series.

 

[Evo]

He delivered most of his lines, whether accented or not, in a monotone!

I know! The was no inflection, it's unbelievable that a person could do an entire movie that way!

 

[Evo]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955308/usercomments

These people who have seen the movie also seem to agree... So why should we compare Russell Crowe to all the other Robin Hoods. I'm actually glad that they are taking a more realistic route to this movie. I didn't really like the 'merry-men' robin hoods... mostly just thought they were funny. Not very entertaining though.

I love how you set the poll up though Evo. .

There is nothing 'realistic" about it. I'm watching a documentary on the making of this movie and how much of the recent additions and modern updates in opposition to the original stories this one has. Robin Hood is a story that has grown and changed immensely over hundreds of years.

The poll is about Crowe playing Robin Hood, not about the movie.

Robin Hood should be a hottie.

 

[zomgwtf]

I thought Crowe was great in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Oh god I completely forgot about this movie. This is another GREAT movie... it was kinda long but WELL WORTH IT!

This just makes me want to go and make a list of epic movies with Russell 'the Great' Crowe ()

Gladiator!
A Beautiful Mind
Cinderella Man
Master and Commander
State of Play
Body of Lies
American Gangster

I don't think I know of any other movies... I'm pretty sure all of these were made after Gladiator in 2000 so I guess 2000 was just his breakout year .

 

[zomgwtf]

The poll is about Crowe playing Robin Hood, not about the movie.

Robin Hood should be a hottie.

It is entirely about the movie if it's about Crowe playing Robin Hood. Russell Crowe I believe has proven himself with his performance in Gladiator of being able to portray, successfully a soldier from an ancient time. Just the scruffy way he looks and talks and his acting is spot on.

If you think that back in the 12th century that a 'true robin hood' character would be considered a hottie then maybe you just shouldn't see the movie.

 

[Astronuc]

Robin Hood should be a hottie.

Adrian Paul perhaps, but he may be a bit too old now. He'll be 51 soon.

Patrick Swayze would have made a good Robin Hood.

 

[Evo]

It is entirely about the movie if it's about Crowe playing Robin Hood. Russell Crowe I believe has proven himself with his performance in Gladiator of being able to portray, successfully a soldier from an ancient time. Just the scruffy way he looks and talks and his acting is spot on.

If you think that back in the 12th century that a 'true robin hood' character would be considered a hottie then maybe you just shouldn't see the movie.

I don't plan to see the movie, Crowe would ruin my image of Robin Hood. It would be like Roseanne Barr cast as Maid Marian.

I guess I can understand men liking Crowe. But for me, part of me buying into a movie, is accepting the actor as what I envision, especially in this case, what a very well known character looks like like. To me, he's hideously ugly.

 

[Evo]

Adrian Paul perhaps, but he may be a bit too old now. He'll be 51 soon.

He looks a hell of a lot hotter than Crowe.

 

[zomgwtf]

I don't plan to see the movie, Crowe would ruin my image of Robin Hood. It would be like Roseanne Barr cast as Maid Marian.

LOL Touche!

Another thing to think about is that Crowe is more like a 'mans-man' type of guy the way he acts in these types of movies. He portrays it very nicely. And since this movie is going to be targetting mostly a male audience I believe the choice is also great... and choosing a beautiful Maid Marian is also a good choice. Although, I personally wouldn't consider Crowe to be ugly...

 

[zoobyshoe]

There is nothing 'realistic" about it. I'm watching a documentary on the making of this movie and how much of the recent additions and modern updates in opposition to the original stories this one has. Robin Hood is a story that has grown and changed immensely over hundreds of years.

The poll is about Crowe playing Robin Hood, not about the movie.

Robin Hood should be a hottie.

The question I would have is "Was there ever a real Robin Hood, and what do we know about him?" Any movie should not veer outside the known facts.

Anthony Burgess wrote a fictional biography of Shakespeare, for example, which was pretty inventive, but which stuck perfectly to, and offered plausible connections between, the sparse known facts about him.

 

[zomgwtf]

The question I would have is "Was there ever a real Robin Hood, and what do we know about him?" Any movie should not veer outside the known facts.

Just in my defense I stated that it's realistic to the time... No one ever stated realistic to the real story of Robin Hood. lol. There certainly can be a realistic 12th century movie based on evidence we have and I believe this Robin Hood is going for more of that sort of 'gritty' feel that would go along with it.

 

[Evo]

The question I would have is "Was there ever a real Robin Hood, and what do we know about him?" Any movie should not veer outside the known facts.

No, the story has been changing since the 14th century, which was when the first written references were made, dating him to the 11th century. Before that they can only trace the stories to oral ballads. If there was a real "Robin Hood" we don't know anything about him, like "King Arthur" and Camelot.

 

[zoobyshoe]

No, the story has been changing since the 14th century. If there was a real "Robin Hood" we don't know anything about him, like "King Arthur" and Camelot.

Personally I would want a film that sticks to the earliest known version.

I don't like the phenomenon of stories that get embellished over time. Take vampires. A vampire movie should stick to the original folk tale of the strigoi, or, if you're talking Dracula, should be a biography of Vlad Dracul. Instead, the current trend is to make the hottest vampire.

 

[Evo]

Just in my defense I stated that it's realistic to the time... No one ever stated realistic to the real story of Robin Hood. lol. There certainly can be a realistic 12th century movie based on evidence we have and I believe this Robin Hood is going for more of that sort of 'gritty' feel that would go along with it.

Yeah, I think they are using more history than previous movies. Except Maid Marion, they pointed out, is being treated in the fashion of 19th & 20th century writings about her. When she first appeared in the 16th century, she was fat and bawdy and the lover of Friar Tuck.

 

[Frame Dragger]

I'd care if this story hadn't been told into the ground. Do we really need a paunchy pugilist to play Robin Hood?! What the hell was wrong with THE Robin Hood: Errol Flynn?!

 

[Frame Dragger]

Personally I would want a film that sticks to the earliest known version.

I don't like the phenomenon of stories that get embellished over time. Take vampires. A vampire movie should stick to the original folk tale of the strigoi, or, if you're talking Dracula, should be a biography of Vlad Dracul. Instead, the current trend is to make the hottest vampire.

I like your style zooby! Maybe toss in a Kappa or two for good measure, the Japanese really know how to scare the living crap out of a person. Hellsing isn't bad either... anything based on that bawdy psychotic Vlad Ţepeş (Dracul/Impaler). I particularly enjoyed his notion of an inauguration. :evil:

 

[zoobyshoe]

I like your style zooby! Maybe toss in a Kappa or two for good measure, the Japanese really know how to scare the living crap out of a person. Hellsing isn't bad either... anything based on that bawdy psychotic Vlad Ţepeş (Dracul/Impaler). I particularly enjoyed his notion of an inauguration. :evil:

I had to look up "kappa":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_(folklore)

I suppose a good Japanese film maker could make a better strigoi movie than a Western director. When I saw Throne of Blood I felt it was somehow more faithful to Shakespeare than any western film of MacBeth I ever saw, despite the paradox that Shakespeare without the language can't be Shakespeare.

Shakespeare should probably have written Robin Hood. Then there's be a definitive version. I wonder if he ever considered it.