There is often a point in a film—a good film, that is—where the director lets you know he has a solid grip on his story and you’re going to have a good time. In Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood” that moment comes at the beginning of the film. Scott leaves his star, Russell Crowe, on the sidelines for the time being and puts his opening scene in the hands of Cate Blanchett. As Marion Loxley, Blanchett marches through her run down manor rousing sleepy servants to fend off a gang of thieves. By the time she reaches the door you have no doubt that bow in her hand is a danger to anyone who gets in her way. One could write a book about what gives Blanchett her star power, but the bottom line is that she gathers a movie around her with an uncanny blend of grace and authority.

Ridley Scott is as much an actor’s director as he is an action director and he seems to know instinctively what the chemistry between Blanchett and Crowe can do for his film. But first he has to get them together.

The future Robin Hood—Robin Longstride played by Crowe—is hunkered down in the mud helping King Richard the Lionheart (Danny Huston) loot some hapless French castle. Richard does not survive the battle and Robin finds himself, thanks to a complicated chain of events, assuming the identity of Marion’s dead husband and presenting the crown of the king to his brother, Prince John (Oscar Isaac).

It’s an action that throws Robin, at last, into the life of Marion and also into the political intrigue of the court. “Robin Hood” is designed as a prequel of sorts, putting together the characters and events that set the stage for Robin Hood the outlaw. There are a lot of moving parts: tyranny, civil unrest, the French (of course), and even a set of inheritance laws that forces Robin to keep playing the role of Marion’s husband.

All of this is fodder for Scott to do what he does best. His action films tend to stand out because he fleshes out the violence with three-dimensional characters. “Robin Hood” is a veritable Who’s Who of Hollywood’s best character actors (a fact that the producers of the next Bruce Willis film would do well to take note of). Danny Huston gives King Richard an outsized personality worthy of a monarch and the incomparable Mark Strong (who gave what may be a career-crowning performance as the Jordanian intelligence chief in Scott’s “Body of Lies”) does a deliciously wicked turn as the villainous Lord Godrey.

But at the center of this merry band of talent are Crowe and Blanchett. Blanchett is easily Crowe’s equal and both actors benefit from the balance she brings to the film. It’s refreshing to see an action film where the female lead is more than window dressing or a sacrifice to the vengeful energy that powers most of their plotlines. But more importantly, Crowe and Blanchett make for a very watchable couple and carry the film through its many twists as it weaves the elements of the Robin Hood myth together.

Scott can put together a great battle scene and “Robin Hood” doesn’t falter in this department. King Richard’s assault on the French castle is reminiscent of the opening scene from “Gladiator.” It has a muddy, industrial feel. The camera darts through and round the heavy machinery of warfare while grunting groups of soldiers try to muscle their way to the center of the fight. Ultimately. any sense of order is shredded by flashes of mayhem and valor. It is grand stuff and immensely entertaining.

“Robin Hood” pays a price for its complicated plotline. It can’t quite find the visceral focus of “Gladiator” or “Black Hawk Down.” But as it meanders, it treats you to a succession of cinematic treats that Scott and his actors have laid out. And, that is definitely worth a look.

Directed by Ridley Scott
Rated PG-13
*** (Three stars)