Thank goodness green tights is nonexistent in Robin Hood, director Ridley Scott’s latest sprawling epic, an ambitious film that gives us the warrior’s origin story. Russell Crowe’s Robin Hood is somber, a tad melancholic, and although he appreciates a joke or two, this Robin would not have been comfortable in something as form fitting as Errol Flynn’s classic get-up. And yes, a Bryan Adams song like Everything I Do, although perfect for a Kevin Costner-ized Robin Hood, would not suffice for the talented Mr. Ridley’s latest film.

We are introduced to Sir Robin Locksley (Crowe), a principled archer fighting for the war hungry King Richard The Lionheart (Danny Huston) during the Third Crusade. After Richard is killed in battle, Robin and his mates Will Scarlet (Scott Grimes), Little John (Lost actor Kevin Duran), and Allan A’Dayle (Alan Doyle), decide it’s time to ditch their day jobs and head home.

When Richard’s right hand man, Sir Robert Loxley (Douglas Hodge) is ambushed and left to die, he pleads with Robin to return his sword to Nottingham, where his estranged father Sir Walter Loxley (Max von Sydow) and wife Marion Loxley (Cate Blanchett, as luminescent as always) reside. Never one to turn down a mission of honor, Robin and his “merry men” make their way to Nottingham, where they discover that Prince John’s (Oscar Isaac) greedy tax laws has effectively crippled the once halcyon town.

Prince John, an entitled and insolent ruler, has problems of his own, as his advisor Godfrey (Mark Strong, who worked with Crowe and Scott on Body of Lies), is plotting with King Philip of France (Jonathan Zaccai) to invade England. Meanwhile, Robin bonds with Sir Walter Loxley, who asks Robin to double as his dead son and save Nottingham from the powers that be. Of course, Robin does fall in love with Lady Marion, a fair woman who, beneath her graceful manner, is a fierce fighter herself.

Like Kingdom of Heaven and Gladiator, Robin Hood is the story of a man who finds his destiny amidst the heat of battle, and fighting is what Ridley Scott does best. The action scenes are simply breathtaking, watching hundreds of arrows fly through the sky from an English cliff top warrants the big screen experience for Robin Hood; waiting for this movie on DVD or Blu-ray kind of defeats the purpose if you’re a fan of Scott’s visual prowess.

Thankfully, Scott has two A-list leads to anchor the smaller moments, and although his courtship of Marion is easily the film’s weakest aspects, Crowe and Blanchett make those obligatory scenes watchable. With Scott, the calm before the storm is really not his bread and butter. As Robin pulls back his bow, ready to aim at a fleeing Godfrey, our hearts race for this villain’s inevitable demise.

Even at 141 minutes, Robin Hood feels a bit clipped, as the rich storyline actually warrants a three hour film; so it wouldn’t be surprising if Scott’s original cut rivaled Kingdom of Heaven’s running time (194 minutes). For a summer film, Robin Hood has enough action to easily merit a trip to your local mega-plex – if only more studio flicks had such ambition. And even if he looks more like an Irish boxer than a charming archer, Crowe gives a focused performance as Robin, a man bent on doling out justice with the tip of every arrow.