The Definitive Robin Hood

A classic in beautiful Technicolor with iconic fencing scenes, dastardly villains, and the definitive Robin and Marian. Mixing adventure, humor, and romance, Michael Curtiz’s film set the bar for Robin Hood movies for decades, so much so that there was a slew of Robin Hood movies in the 40s and 50s that were actually about the sons and daughters of Robin Hood, not wanting to be compared to this version. All the iconic scenes from the story are there, from the staff fight with Little John to the archery contest to Marian’s rescue. Errol Flynn’s best known performance, with De Havilland and Rathbone memorable as Maid Marian and Sir Guy of Gisborne. A treat for young and old.

Despite being a household name, Robin Hood is one figure with whom I'm not all that familiar. Sure, I read the original Howard Pyle book...but that was all the way back when I was in elementary school. The only flicks I've seen before that relate to the legends are _Prince of Thieves_ (rather violent, in my opinion), _Men in Tights_ (hilarious, though I only saw the edited for TV version; I don't want to see the uncensored one), and the _Wonderful World of Disney_ telefilm _Princess of Thieves (starring Keira Knightley as the super-capable daughter of Robin; need I say more?). All those I saw well over a decade ago, so, this was a bit of a reintroduction to the characters and story.

So, how was the movie? It definitely had a lot of old-school charm going for it. Robin and Marian were likable, not to mention a cute couple. The villains were appropriately despicable. Though there was a lot of action--Robin was a thief, after all--the violence was completely free of blood or gore, and the fight sequences were spot-on. True to classic film style, this flick was completely free from profanity, and it also respectfully portrays the Christian elements of the legend.

The only annoyance I had with the movie was that, a few times, they tell you what happened via onscreen text instead of actually showing it. While I understand having words like that at the start--_Star Wars_, anyone?--to have it happen more than once is a bit annoying; why not just show us the events? Still, that's a minor complaint. Maybe I should check out more old-school flicks like this.

Outstanding - no other word for this. Easily the best of the adaptations of the "Robin Hood" stories of English folklore from the end of the 13th century. The magnificent colour, costumes, sword and archery prowess, even the slightly unconvincing sets all contribute to an excellent effort. Errol Flynn leads as as the loyal, mischievous outlaw who defies and systematically robs the rich and redistributes to the poor, whilst he awaits the return of the kidnapped King Richard from his prison in Austria. Basil Rathbone, as "Guy of Gisbourne" steals this for me; he really does convey a degree of menace and I certainly would rather he had come out on top in the end!! Olivia de Havilland and Claude Rains are brilliant too - as is the underrated Melville Cooper as the hugely incompetent High Sheriff, and Alan Hale who reprises his role as "Little John" from the 1922 (Douglas Fairbanks) silent version of this legend. Eugene Pallette and Patric Knowles lead the rest of the usual suspects who make up a wonderfully enthusiastic supporting cast and Korngold comes up with, arguably, his best score of all for this fantastic historical drama.