Robin Hood might be one of the most over-exposed stories in cinema, having been filmed in many guises over the years, from silent shorts, to swashbuckling adventures, to cartoons and most recently big-budget action spectacular. That being said the myth still offers plenty of room for exploration have largely been botched – the early action adventures might be a lot of fun, but don’t appeal to the sensibilities of modern audience members, the general consensus on Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves now seems to be that it was an average Kevin Costner vehicle (and who wants to see one of those anymore?) saved by a wonderfully OTT performance by Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and the less said about the BBC’s recent efforts to retell the myth the better. So the news of Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott’s take on the tale was met with some interest when it was announced several years ago, especially considering that it was allegedly going to tell a more version of the story more driven by historical fact than myth, that it was initially going to be called Nottingham, telling the story from the Sheriff’s point of view, and that oddly Crowe was going to star as both the Sheriff and Robin.

However, as is usually the way in Hollywood, the final product has now arrived on our screens looking far more traditional, and less interesting than the initial reports suggested, and despite the claims of historical accuracy – it’s debatable as to how much more realistic this is than the traditional myth we all know. What we are presented with as an alternative origin tale, where Robin is in fact a lowly, but honest archer in Richard the Lionheart’s Crusade, who deserts the army on the King’s death – unlike many versions there’s no happy ending here where the good King Richard comes back to save the country from the villainous King John, in fact Richard (played by Danny Huston in his second too-brief cameo in an action blockbuster in as many months) is presented as being worse than his brother. Through a series of unlikely events Robin takes on the identity of deceased Knight Robert Loxley, getting close to his ageing father (played with typical venerability by Max Von Sydow) who knows something about Robin’s traumatic past, and his widow Marian.

With this being an origin tale, and one that aims to tell a revisionist take on the myth, it unfortunately means that we don’t get much of the more enjoyable parts of the story, where Robin and his men hide out in the forest away from the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham. In fact the Sheriff barely features at all, and what we do see of him presents him as being so wet and ineffectual that it’s hard to believe that he’d pose much of a threat at all. There isn’t even much in theLog Out way of stealing from the rich to give to the poor (although what there is of this is entertaining), with Robin instead practising a prototypical version of David Cameron’s hug-a-hoodie policy and entering into political dealings with King John, who is facing a threat from his treacherous part-French advisor Godfrey. And, with this being a Ridley Scott historical epic, massive battle scenes, edited to such a ridiculous degree that it’s generally impossible to tell what’s going on, and the whole thing is smothered in a layer of hugely pompous ethereal music that doesn’t fit the action on screen at all.

Fortunately, with such a talented cast on display there’s still a fair amount of entertainment to be had. Russell Crowe might approach his part with such commitment to historical accuracy that he ends up with an odd accent that makes him sound like Les Dawson (at no point however should it be said that he sounds Irish though), but he does display the rugged sexiness that made him a star in Gladiator. Cate Blanchett, makes a feisty Marian, even if this is taken too far towards the end of the film, and Mark Strong, in his umpteenth villainous role is a delightfully evil Godfrey. Robin’s Merry Men are also all present and correct, and steal most of the scenes that they’re in. Also, despite Scott’s attempts to create a new Gladiator, complete with faux-philosophical one-liners, the script doesn’t take itself too seriously – screenwriter Brian Helgeland’s experience from writing light hearted period romp A Knight’s Tale can be seen in the film’s occasional moments of self aware wit and foot-stomping numbers delivered by the Merry Men.

Although a very handsome looking film, both in its cast and its cinematography (and even the well-designed end credits), Robin Hood’s many technical flaws render it a largely empty experience. However, with it ending where the legend is generally seen to begin, there is potential for the film to be the start of an interesting franchise, as long as Scott manages to tone down the unsatisfactory epic action, and rely more on his screenwriter and cast’s talents.