Before you watch this or any movie about Robin Hood, there are a few things you should know. First, he is a fictional character. Sure, he was inspired by some real life folks (some of which lived far later than the fictional Robin) but essentially it's all a work of fiction. Second, the greatest fiction in these Robin Hood stories is the notion that King Richard the Lionhearted was a good king. He was, in fact, among the very worst. He had little interest in governing the country and was much more interested in fighting and killing. His expedition to the Crusades was simply filled with appalling savagery and violence...with little regard to the countless civilians he and his soldiers killed, raped and maimed. He was simply terrible as a king and as a person. So, when you keep hearing about his brother, John, being godawful....well, these brothers were not exactly the Hardy Boys! They were more like if Damian from "The Omen" had sons! And, finally, this is the first Robin Hood film I have seen with Queen Eleanor in it. Although she adores Richard in the film, the woman had about as much maternal instinct as a rabid wolverine! Clearly the film is mostly fiction.
The story begins with Richard and a bunch of other folks heading off for the Crusades...complete with pageantry and huzzahs. Soon after he departs, the acting king, John, appoints the Sheriff...who then spends his time looting the kingdom and approving of all sorts of nastiness against the people. And, following a nice performance at an archery contest, the evil Sheriff (Peter Finch) decides to kill Robin (Richard Todd) and his friend...and he succeeds in killing one and declares Robin to be an outlaw! And, after assembling a group of 'Merrie Men', they take to the forest to avoid capture. Assorted hi-jinx, intrigue, and action follows.
So is this any good? Well as a history lesson, no...but frankly most folks couldn't care less about this. So is it good entertainment? Yes. the film is quite different from the Warner Brothers "Robin Hood"...darker and less comical but still quite good...which surprised me a bit since the film was made by Disney. However, Richard Todd was a fine actor and he and the rest of the cast were quite good in the movie. Well worth seeing.
The story begins with Richard and a bunch of other folks heading off for the Crusades...complete with pageantry and huzzahs. Soon after he departs, the acting king, John, appoints the Sheriff...who then spends his time looting the kingdom and approving of all sorts of nastiness against the people. And, following a nice performance at an archery contest, the evil Sheriff (Peter Finch) decides to kill Robin (Richard Todd) and his friend...and he succeeds in killing one and declares Robin to be an outlaw! And, after assembling a group of 'Merrie Men', they take to the forest to avoid capture. Assorted hi-jinx, intrigue, and action follows.
So is this any good? Well as a history lesson, no...but frankly most folks couldn't care less about this. So is it good entertainment? Yes. the film is quite different from the Warner Brothers "Robin Hood"...darker and less comical but still quite good...which surprised me a bit since the film was made by Disney. However, Richard Todd was a fine actor and he and the rest of the cast were quite good in the movie. Well worth seeing.