Prince John (Claude Rains) has taken control of England, taken the throne of his brother, King Richard the Lion-Heart (who is off fighting far away in the crusades). Prince John is ruthless. The poor people are taxed to death, even killed out-right for not being able to pay, their lands are seized, food taken, homes burnt to the ground.
But lo! On the horizon! Who is it? A man clad in green tights and wielding an archer's talent the likes of which even the King's best archer couldn't even come close to matching. He is Robin of Loxley, an outlaw fighting for justice, an outlaw fighting to help the poor people of England. And with the help of trusty Merry Men, he robs from the rich and gives to the poor.
Finally, the people of England have a hero! Robin Hood is someone who will help them in their fight against the evil Prince John, a hero who will fight the evil until the day when Richard the Lion-Heart returns to England.
The Adventures of Robin Hood, in all it's Technicolor brilliance, is one of, if not, the most visually stunning film ever made, color-wise. The greens of the forest and of Robin's tunic, the reds and golds of the royal guards, the blues... the colors hit your eyes like nothing you've ever seen before, and it's likely you never will again.
The story though, is a simple one. It is a classic tale that dates back centuries. It is the story of an outlaw who saves England when she needed saving the most. The film is a classic adventure romp that is hardly dated even by today's standards. Even the special effects don't feel dated!
The handsome, charismatic and dashing swashbuckler Errol Flynn was the perfect choice to play Robin Hood. He takes every scene and makes them his own. This was, without a doubt, Errol Flynn's best film. Lets face it: it's Errol Flynn who steals the show. It's too bad Flynn wasn't nominated for this role; he deserved at least a nomination. At least.
His chemistry works well with everyone: we love it when he woos the girl, we love it when he beats up the bad guys and we love it when he chums around with his Merry Men. Casting Basil Rathbone as the evil Sir Guy was sheer genius. (Rathbone was known the world over as Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective hero, so, in retrospect, playing a villian was a role reversal, against type. Before "Robin Hood" he was know for playing the villian, though.) Rathbone is the perfect muse for Flynn, and their scenes together make sparks fly.
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Visual Effects:
The Technicolor process utilized every single color of the rainbow. The colors are so rich and beautiful which only enhances the action scenes, the forests, the costumes, the mat paintings, the backgrounds... everything, you name it. It's... just beautiful. I guarantee you will never see another movie like it in today's theatres.
As for special effects, there are few, but the action scenes make up for this ten-fold. Errol Flynn's stunt double did most of the good stunts, but we won't fault anyone for that. All of the stunt men should have received medals for their wonderful work! Or at least Oscar recognition.
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Warren's Rating:
Movies it was nominated with for Best Picture:
Is the movie worth your time to watch?
17-10-05
The story of Robin Hood, centuries old, is tried and true. It's a can't-miss story if done up right, and this one was incredibly well done.
Even today, the techincolor is as vibrant as ever. it's the very first thing you notice when you start this film. The colors! The glorious colors!
The Oscar winning score was well done. The old-fashioned horns added a great deal of detail and atmosphere to the picture. The score gave us subtle romantic melodies at just the right times and then conveyed the actions scenes with passion when it had to. A great score. Well deserving of it's #11 placement on the 25 best scores list by the AFI, even if it's not overly memorable.
This is a great example of a macho male movie, but it does have all the right elements a good adventure film that most males would enjoy while allowing the romatic, dashing Errol Flynn to charm the ladies as well. Even kids can get into the movie; it has everything a good movie should have, and if Errol Flynn doesn't hook you in right away... something's wrong with you!
The only fault of the film is that it is filled with historical inaccuracies, but we won't fault it for that. The action will prevent you from noticing them anyway.
Alexander's Ragtime Band; Boys Town; The Citadel; Four Daughters; La Grande illusion (1937); Jezebel; Pygmalion; Test Pilot; You Can't Take It with You*FINAL RATING
10/10 
