When the full trailer for Robin Hood first hit the screens, it appeared that we were in Gladiator part two territory. Epic sweep, a wronged hero and definitely no American accents or effeminate tights. The finished product is something else altogether, certainly low on swash and buckle but more akin to an origin story.

Rusell Crowe and director Ridley Scott have – some would say wisely – veered away from the Prince of Thieves model with its utter skewing of history (telescopes, gunpowder and cesarean births in the 13th century!) as well as giving the hero and story a new spin. So here Richard the Lionheart is killed in the first ten minutes, the Sheriff of Nottingham only has a brief role and there is little robbing from the rich to give to the poor.

Returning home from the Crusades Robin Longstride (Crowe) assumes the identity of murdered noblemen Robin of Locksley and returns to his Nottingham homeland, even taking on his wife, Marian (Cate Blanchett) in order to protect the land from seizure. Encompassed in poverty and the threat of civil war he must take up arms to defend his new home from enemies at home and abroad.

Robin returns to a land ravaged by the spectres of war and taxation. The men are missing in action, off fighting in the the Crusades. The children have gone feral and it is left to the women to run the countryside. Maid Marian (Cate Blanchett) is like a World War II land girl and she is is ingrained with a great deal more toughness than the standard damsel in distress we know from folklore. Robin becomes a leader of all men in order to save the whole country – although it’s pleasing that for once it’s the English who get to be the good guys and give the French a right royal kicking!

There are certain similarities to Gladiator but this is virtually unavoidable with Scott and Crowe on board. The orphaned Robin develops a surrogate relationship with Locksley’s father (Max Von Sydow) and Mark Strong’s turncoat villain gets very little to do apart from sneer and sport a scar staright out of the school of James Bond bad guys. Where Scott is successful is in the epic sweep of the film. Effortlessly blending CG and (gasp!) actual locations, it is impossible to see the joins and it actually feels real – rather than obvious and god forsaken greenscreen. It also veers away form the blood and guts decapitations which have become a cause celebre in the last decade.

Much has already been made of Crowe’s accent. Although it does sound more North Yorkshire than Nottinghamshire, being a born and bred East Midlander myself, I would be hard pushed to place a singular recognisable accent because the county doesn’t have one. What is undisputable is that compared to Kevin Costner, Errol Flynn, Michael Praed and Jonas Armstrong, Crowe is the first the first Robin Hood who looks like he could fire the huge longbow in reality without falling over.

At two hours it doesn’t outstay its welcome, but rarely for Ridley, sets up the possibility of a more adventures.Ultimately you are left with a strange contradiction . Is it better than Prince of Thieves? – yes. More enjoyable? – No