Robin Hood Movie Review
It is sometimes best to leave behind classics and the most critically acclaimed films for the movies that ignore complexity and, in its place, bring happiness to their viewers. In this ’70s Robin Hood adaptation, each character is portrayed by an animal with a bizarrely chosen accent—the maternal hen is Scottish, while the narrating rooster has a southern drawl—but each is totally endearing.
Prince John, the childish and dishonorable leader in Nottingham, is perpetually accompanied by a gravity-defying snake, Sir Hiss, who acts as his brighter (though abused) governmental adviser. John twists him into knots and shoves him into baskets, and all the while, Hiss shouts from the inside what John’s vanity keeps him from doing. John is incredibly immature, covered in jewels and a crown far too big for him, and he frequently and aggressively sucks his thumb, wailing for his mother.
The Sheriff of Nottingham, a fumbling fat wolf who collects the taxes, is an example of the ruthless cruelty of John’s monarch. He steals every last penny from the peasants, claiming that he is “just doing his job.” His false politeness makes him even meaner, and he is inflated with a gross sense of purpose as he steals from the poor. He takes the sole farthing that was a young bunny’s birthday present, that the whole rabbit family had spent weeks searching for. He laughs as he takes the sole farthing from the church’s charity box, originally the savings of two kind church mice.
Although the Sheriff seems to suck the hope out of the town, Robin Hood always lights it back up. With his various disguises and array of pranks and trickery, he is full of a cunning and charming spirit. Although he is constantly stealing from the rich, the overarching moral goodness of his acts cancels out the immorality of stealing. The trickery is whimsical and endearing, and the light-hearted challenges of authority are engaging and admirable. His confidence, courage and kindness in the face of an evil monarch makes him a hero for all of the poor characters. His love story with the elegant fox, Maid Marian, is heart warming. The movie ends with their joyous wedding, and they ride off in a carriage with a “Just Married” sign hanging off the back.
The strongest points of the movie are in its carefully placed one-liner that are truly funny. Little John, played by an overweight bear, casts Sir Hiss aside, knowing he will warn Little John of Robin Hood’s antics, with “be gone, long one.” Or a daughter from the rabbit family speaks admiringly of Robin Hood: “Oh, he’s so handsome. Just like his reward posters.”
Its commentary on greedy rulers, taxes and corrupt authority is subtle, but the underlying message is quite pure: kindness doesn’t always look like the traditional “good guy.” The movie is straightforward but this does not weaken it. Rather, it effectively teaches lessons about the cruelty of human power in a child like simplicity.