The Adventures of Robin Hood

Released in 1938, The Adventures of Robin Hood is one of those great, timeless, technicolor classics. Many have tried to replicate it's success but, nearly 80 years later, this one is still regarded by most as the definitive Robin Hood film.

 In terms of plot, it has all the Robin Hood elements you'd want; big exciting action scenes and sword fights, Robin and his Merry Men taking from the rich and giving to the poor, memorable performances, the famous archery contest, etc. Start to finish, it's full of action and adventure.

Now, all of that wouldn't amount to much without a great cast and this film definitely has that. Errol Flynn is fantastic as Robin Hood, flawlessly blending dashing charm with a bit of humor. But, a great hero also needs a great villain and Basil Rathbone just knocks it out of the park as Sir Guy of Gisbourne, he's the perfect foil to Flynn's Robin Hood. Along with them, Alan Hale as Little John, Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian, Claude Rains as Prince John, Patric Knowles as Will Scarlett, Eugene Pallette as Friar Tuc and all the rest of the cast are solid in their roles.

 In addition, to all of that, the score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold is one of the all-time great film scores. With any review I write, I always try to point out both the good and the bad but this is one of those few films that I don't have a negative thing to say about.

Overall, this is a really entertaining film that the whole family can enjoy. If you've never seen it go check it out and, if you have seen it, do yourself a favor and rewatch it.
I give it a 5 out of 5.


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