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Keyser Corleone's Robin Hood Week, Review 6
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) - Directed by Ken Annakin
"You're serving your king better here, Robin Fitzooth."
You probably didn't know that 21 years before the 1973 animated Disney version of Robin Hood, Disney made a live-action one, did you? Well, the funny thing is that this movie is quite obscure, like many live-action Disney movies from before the 90's. But unlike the animated version, this one's a good interpretation of the legend, and well worth seeing.
In this original Disney obscurity, Robin Fitzooth is driven to the woods after his father is shot after an archery competition for refusing to bow to Prince John as a king. And as Robin's antics annoy the Prince, he eventually incurs the wrath of his playmate, Marian... and then eventually her love.
It's a simple movie, so I'll keep the review simple. This Robin Hood movie was so much better than the animated one. For one thing, we actually get a backstory for Robin, even if it is simple and about 15 minutes. But it's a kid's movie, and this movie never once forgot that and still managed to appeal to adults. The sentiment between Robin and Marian is sometimes wonderful to watch.
The action/adventure felt real enough for a swashbuckler, but never once got too violent. It's Disney, after all. There was only so much violence Disney could put in a live-action movie while the founder himself was still kickin'. The story kept on going and it mirrored the old legends on multiple occasions, something the Disney movie never focused on.
The one problem I have with the movie is that, once again, the characters are very flat. Little John and Will Scarlet just seem there for the heck of it, and Alan a Dale isn't really needed there except to sing a couple of background songs you won't remember later.
Yeah, this movie deserves to be more famous than it's animated counterpart that any little kid could have written. The Story of Robin Hood deserves to be a classic, and it's a shame no one talks about it. We've got a good story, good actors, and similarities to the old folk tales. Give it a try sometime.
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) - Directed by Ken Annakin
"You're serving your king better here, Robin Fitzooth."
You probably didn't know that 21 years before the 1973 animated Disney version of Robin Hood, Disney made a live-action one, did you? Well, the funny thing is that this movie is quite obscure, like many live-action Disney movies from before the 90's. But unlike the animated version, this one's a good interpretation of the legend, and well worth seeing.
In this original Disney obscurity, Robin Fitzooth is driven to the woods after his father is shot after an archery competition for refusing to bow to Prince John as a king. And as Robin's antics annoy the Prince, he eventually incurs the wrath of his playmate, Marian... and then eventually her love.
It's a simple movie, so I'll keep the review simple. This Robin Hood movie was so much better than the animated one. For one thing, we actually get a backstory for Robin, even if it is simple and about 15 minutes. But it's a kid's movie, and this movie never once forgot that and still managed to appeal to adults. The sentiment between Robin and Marian is sometimes wonderful to watch.
The action/adventure felt real enough for a swashbuckler, but never once got too violent. It's Disney, after all. There was only so much violence Disney could put in a live-action movie while the founder himself was still kickin'. The story kept on going and it mirrored the old legends on multiple occasions, something the Disney movie never focused on.
The one problem I have with the movie is that, once again, the characters are very flat. Little John and Will Scarlet just seem there for the heck of it, and Alan a Dale isn't really needed there except to sing a couple of background songs you won't remember later.
Yeah, this movie deserves to be more famous than it's animated counterpart that any little kid could have written. The Story of Robin Hood deserves to be a classic, and it's a shame no one talks about it. We've got a good story, good actors, and similarities to the old folk tales. Give it a try sometime.