Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Robin Hood: “I lost. I lost? Wait a second, I’m not supposed to lose. Let me see the script!”

I expected the first comedy from Mel Brooks’s opus I’d review here to be my timeless “History of the World: Part I,” but since I recently (re)watched “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” I decided to start with this title. 🙂

If you happen not to know who Mel Brooks is… this Oscar winner (who’s 98 years old and still active in Hollywood) has always been a likable actor, but (at least to me) gained greater fame as screenwriter and producer of excellent comedies (including the cult “The Producers” for which he won an Oscar). His comedies (or rather, parodies) were considered hilarious in the period when they appeared, but even today they’ve retained a lot of charm, which is why they’re worth your time.

Already from the film’s title “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” you can conclude this is a parody of Conan the Barbarian… well, Robin Hood. During the Crusades, Robin is captured and imprisoned in Jerusalem, but with the help of another prisoner (whose name is Asneeze, yes you read that right, the onomatopoeia for sneezing is his name) he manages to escape and reach England. In King Richard’s absence, England is ruled (i.e., sows suffering) by Prince John with wholehearted help from the Sheriff of Rottingham (yes, you read that right too), about which King Richard has no idea.

Since Robin’s castle was literally taken away, and his entire family (comically) perished, all he has with him is his faithful blind servant (who, ironically, is called Blinkin) and a key his father left him as a legacy, which opens “the greatest treasure in the land.” So he must gather around him other people who aren’t satisfied with the prince’s and sheriff’s rule (Ahchoo, Little John, Will, Scarlet O’Harra, Rabbi Tuckman) and train his band of outlaws in the fight to restore peace and justice to England. And in addition he’ll also catch the eye of Lady Marian, who’s looking for a man who’ll possess the key to her chastity belt, Everlast brand (I’m not kidding).

Whether Robin Hood will manage to defeat the Sheriff of Rottingham and neurotic Prince John and with his key unlock the lock of Lady Marian (I’m aware how this sounds, but that really is the film’s plot, which is why I didn’t put quotes around “with his key” unlock the “lock” of Lady Marian), you’ll find out if you watch “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”! 🙂

Mel Brooks’s comedies are, simply, that type of film you either love or don’t. Silly comments + word ambiguity + references to everything and anything + breaking the fourth wall + mocking society (and some monstrous understandings) + occasional musical elements + slapstick comedy. Like standup comedy, it’ll either suit you or not. To me, as younger, his comedies were hilarious, and now, as older they’re very likable to me and I notice some messages that previously escaped me.

Where his comedies shine is in unexpected elements of humor, where you wouldn’t expect it, because you think “surely he won’t insert it here, it would be obvious”… and then he inserts them right there and your laughter bursts out accompanied by a pffffftttt effect.

Likable music is always a good element of Mel Brooks’s films, and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” is no exception. And visual effects (although we’re talking about slightly older films) have always been solid and scenes are often done to resemble theatrical ones.

As for acting, the central star is Cary Elwes (“The Princess Bride,” “Saw,” “Stranger Things”), who manages to be maximally silly, and on the other hand a proud version of Robin Hood, and is great with his facial expressions.

Richard Lewis as neurotic Prince John plagued by migraines and Roger Rees as the corrupt Sheriff of Rottingham who fumbles with words were also excellent.

Maybe it’s interesting to mention this was standup comedian Dave Chappelle’s film debut as Ahchoo, who’s incidentally apparently the only normal one in the film. And legendary Patrick Stewart briefly appears as Jean Luc Pic… I mean, King Richard.

Nothing without Mel Brooks himself, who here plays a rabbi who sells blessed wine and offers affordable circumcisions…

By the way, Mel Brooks found inspiration for the film in the films “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” (released in 1991 with Kevin Costner in the lead role) and “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (from 1938 with Errol Flynn as the titular hero).

As far as I’m concerned, the best scene (not only in the film, but perhaps one of the best in the world of comedy) is definitely this one! 😀

I became acquainted with Mel Brooks’s films through “History of the World: Part I,” but you won’t go wrong if this is your first film of his. 🙂

Because there’s never enough laughter and comedy. 🙂

And for the end, a bit more trivia about the film:

• When Mel Brooks first called Cary Elwes and offered him the lead role, he hung up on him because he thought it was a joke
• The film pretty much makes fun at the expense of Costner’s Robin Hood (including the accent of the main hero)
• Throughout the film, the mole on Prince John’s face constantly changes its position
• Patrick Stewart in the role of King Richard deliberately speaks with a Scottish accent, as a homage to Sean Connery in the film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”
• The scene where you see the camera smashing through a window is one of Mel Brooks’s film trademarks
• None of the actors and actresses actually sing in the film, but professional singers were hired
• When the Sheriff of Rottingham talks with Don Giovanni, Dirty Luca stands up and starts reciting a variant of Luca Brasi’s speech from the film “The Godfather”
• Hulk Hogan was offered the role of Little John, but he refused it
• Robin’s line “my kingdom for a horse” is, in fact, from Shakespeare’s “Richard III”

And you, dear reader, do you know when Robin Hood was first mentioned in history? 🙂

Trailer

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Format: Film

Premiere: 1993

Runtime: 104 minutes