8. Robin Hood - Actually Make It About Robin Hood...
One of the most Prolific fictional characters of all-time on film, the Ridley Scott take on the character turned into be an over-long convoluted and above all head-scratching movie. The story is more about a prequel to the legend of Robin Hood than it is about stealing from the rich and giving to the poor and bands of merry men. Russel Crowe is Robin Longstride, a crusader returning from Richard the Lionheart's most recent campaign in the middle-east. After the King is killed in battle he and his band of un-merry men sneak off and take the place of a convoy sent to give the crown to the King's brother, John. They are in turn mistaken for the men that they are pretended to be in the village of the man Robin is impersonating. Then they must stop a band of traitors in the kings court from allowing French forces to invade England. Ok that all clear? He isn't Robin Hood until the end scene. The whole thing plays as more Gladiator 2: Men in Tights than the character this movie is named for. It is a convoluted, full of endless exposition and odd piece especially from the visionary of someone like Ridley Scott. The thing here is that everyone knows Robin Hood, we really don't want/need need a backstory to fill-in what he was. Doing the origin story sounds good on paper, the execution was just extremely poor. So, here's an idea, just make the movie with Crowe already as Robin Hood: the Prince of Thieves. Russell Crowe redistributing wealth to the masses, now that's entertainment.