Robin Hood is a quintessentially British tale of heroism and national pride; however Hollywood doesn’t deem it necessary to actually make Robin Hood himself British.

The foxy Robin Hood in the Disney’s adaptation had a generic American accent and Kevin Costner seemingly gave up on his faux-British accent in the opening scenes, so Russell Crowe’s vain attempts to sound like an iconic Englishman were unsurprisingly wide of the mark.

Irrespective of this, the film is compelling. Crowe is impressive and although the accent is questionable his screen presence and steely look dominate the film from the off.

The story isn’t your typical Robin Hood tale; rather a serious look at what has become a slightly romanticised story over the years.

The new approach works well and the lack of merriment amongst the men makes Will Scarlet’s occasional quip all the more entertaining and although the amount of stealing from the rich to feed the poor is limited a scene with stolen grain seems more akin to the reality of the story.

Ridley Scott delivers the blockbuster spectacle that has become synonymous with his name and although the script is laced with too many platitudes and clichés the visuals more than make up for it.

Fantastic performances by Mark Strong and Oscar Issac mean the film isn’t overshadowed by the presence of its big stars and a charming portrayal of Friar Tuck by Mark Addy allows for a little light relief.

Hints of Crowe and Scott’s most famous collaboration, Gladiator, simmer just under the surface, not least with the musical score delivered again by Marc Streitenfeld, but the film manages to stand alone in its own right.

It’s not as good as Gladiator or as heart warming as previous Robin Hood adaptations  but it does deliver grit and something lacking in many Hollywood blockbusters these days genuine entertainment.