I should start out by saying this: I am not much of a fan of adventure movies. Though the swashbuckling swordplay, flamboyant costuming, and retooled good-versus-evil story lines are exciting to many moviegoers, I find the whole genre to be mindless, hokey, and tiresome. Having said that, there are still a few films that are so unique, they almost persuade me to abandon my anti-adventure film prejudice altogether. THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD is one of them.
So what sets ROBIN HOOD apart from the other corny adventure yarns of its time? The answer is quite simple: it's just really damn good. Errol Flynn brings the title character to life in a way that has since been unmatched. He is bold, funny, charming, loyal, and athletic, though not completely without weakness. Flynn pulls all the punches to make the outlaw hero jovial and likable, despite his shameless overconfidence. You can't help but to root for him. In short, Flynn's performance was utterly perfect. It's impossible to picture a better Robin Hood.
The rest of the cast did an equally amazing job: Olivia de Havilland was enchanting as the radiant Maid Marian, Melville Cooper was consistently funny as the bumbling High Sheriff of Nottingham, and Claude Rains had the subtle, bitter disposition of Prince John down to a tee. Even the uncredited townsfolk were believable.
The real star of the show, however, is the brilliant use of the Technicolor process. The costumes, set design, and art direction were all specifically tailored to bring out the brightest, most dazzling colors, and they all succeeded unequivocally. Even now, where color is the standard, I have rarely seen such a striking array of reds, greens, blues, and yellows. Heck, even animated films aren't this colorful! ROBIN HOOD won a well-deserved Oscar for its editing, which is speedy yet deliberate. There is no lag in the action, and the film wastes no time with unimportant dialogue. But at the same time, it isn't dizzying or unpleasant to watch. Still, I did find myself looking at my watch towards the ninety minute mark. It's about this time when the movie goes a little overboard with the climactic fighting scene, which was clearly intended for those who enjoy the nonstop, bustling action that these kind of movies are meant to provide. Even so, the fact that I, a person who typically cringes at the thought of watching a swashbuckler, enjoyed THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD as much as I did really says something about how successful and influential this film is.
So what sets ROBIN HOOD apart from the other corny adventure yarns of its time? The answer is quite simple: it's just really damn good. Errol Flynn brings the title character to life in a way that has since been unmatched. He is bold, funny, charming, loyal, and athletic, though not completely without weakness. Flynn pulls all the punches to make the outlaw hero jovial and likable, despite his shameless overconfidence. You can't help but to root for him. In short, Flynn's performance was utterly perfect. It's impossible to picture a better Robin Hood.
The rest of the cast did an equally amazing job: Olivia de Havilland was enchanting as the radiant Maid Marian, Melville Cooper was consistently funny as the bumbling High Sheriff of Nottingham, and Claude Rains had the subtle, bitter disposition of Prince John down to a tee. Even the uncredited townsfolk were believable.
The real star of the show, however, is the brilliant use of the Technicolor process. The costumes, set design, and art direction were all specifically tailored to bring out the brightest, most dazzling colors, and they all succeeded unequivocally. Even now, where color is the standard, I have rarely seen such a striking array of reds, greens, blues, and yellows. Heck, even animated films aren't this colorful! ROBIN HOOD won a well-deserved Oscar for its editing, which is speedy yet deliberate. There is no lag in the action, and the film wastes no time with unimportant dialogue. But at the same time, it isn't dizzying or unpleasant to watch. Still, I did find myself looking at my watch towards the ninety minute mark. It's about this time when the movie goes a little overboard with the climactic fighting scene, which was clearly intended for those who enjoy the nonstop, bustling action that these kind of movies are meant to provide. Even so, the fact that I, a person who typically cringes at the thought of watching a swashbuckler, enjoyed THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD as much as I did really says something about how successful and influential this film is.