Though not a particular fan of movies about storybook characters, I decided to take a chance with the beloved classic Robin Hood. Director Ridley Scott casts Russell Crowe as the character Robin Longstride, who eventually becomes nicknamed the legendary Robin of the Hood.

“Courageous, honest and naive,” says King Richard to Robin early on in the film, in regard to his kingdom’s crusades. By disapproving of this message, Robin and his crew, including the infamous Little John (Kevin Durand), are locked up in stocks while King Richard rides off to war for the last time. After that moment of humiliation, Robin swears that he will never again work under the cruelty of the king.

After the death of King Richard, the army disbands and Robin and his crew are free to depart from the war. They soon come across an ambushed party that was supposed to bring the crown of King Richard to the new heir of the throne, Prince John (Oscar Isaac).

During their investigation of the event, one of the dying men turns to Robin and asks him to return his sword to his father, Sir Walter Loxley (Max Von Sydow) of Nottingham. Needing a voyage back home anyway, Robin and his crew decide to take the crown and the sword, engraved with the words “Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions,” back to the owners.

With Prince John’s crown returned, this new king recognizes that Robin’s family owes the crown taxes, disregarding their chivalry. Humiliated even further, Robin and his crew immediately leave London and head toward Nottingham to return the sword.

Once at Nottingham, Robin meets Lady Marion (Cate Blanchett), the daughter-in-law of Sir Walter, and for different reasons, such as circulating scandals, he takes the place of her deceased husband. They soon fall in love and Robin learns about his father, who disappeared when he was young, through Sir Walter.

While Robin continues to learn more about his father, Prince John learns that his close friend, Godfrey, has betrayed him by letting England’s long enemy, France, invade their border. With no wealth and no support from his people, Prince John must rely on Robin to come to the rescue.

Though Robin Hood begins and ends with exciting scenes, Scott does not put enough of the same zing in the rising and falling action to keep me interested with the story. The script also does not make the infamous nicknames of the characters noticeable in the movie, such as Little John being barely mentioned.

One conflict that Scott does not develop enough in the movie is the bond between father and son, which seems like a vague but significant topic in the movie. Along with this, the personal relationship between Robin and Lady Marion is uncertain until they vividly express their feelings at the end, causing some confusion.

The storybook Robin seems to be a 20-year-old outlaw opposed to the king’s injustice, which the movie does not follow chronologically. Since Robin in the movie is not yet an outlaw, he should be younger, rather than 40 or 50. Although a minor detail, it seems to mess up the timeline of the story.

Though lacking in plot development, Robin Hood successfully captures the theme of perseverance. The words carved into the sword that Robin carries stand as a metaphor for never giving up. Whether for a meaningful cause or belief, Robin stays consistent with his job at helping those in need, no matter how difficult.

Filled with adventure, Robin Hood explains the story and life of the infamous character who did more than steal from the rich to give to the poor. Along with this, many morals can be found from this movie, including the ever-popular lesson, “Never give up.”

Robin Hood is rated PG-13 for violence and sexual content and is playing in most local theaters. For tickets and showtimes, visit Fandango.

For more movie reviews, read the April 29 article, Romantic film matches novel’s success.