Director: Mel Brooks
Year: 1993
Language: English
Length: 1 hour 39 minutes (104 minutes)
Staring: Cary Elwes, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Lewis, Isaac Hayes, Roger Rees, Tracey Ullman, Dave Chappelle, Mel Brooks.
Plot: Mel Brooks directed and co-wrote and even appeared in this satiric comedy which lampoons a number of cinematic treatments of the legend of Sherwood Forest, including Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and The Adventures of Robin Hood. Robin Hood (Cary Elwes) comes home after fighting in the Crusades to learn that the noble King Richard (Patrick Stewart) is in exile and that the despotic King John (Richard Lewis) now rules England, with the help of the Sheriff of Rottingham (Roger Rees).
Robin
Hood assembles a band of fellow patriots to do battle with John
and the Sheriff, including Asneeze (Isaac Hayes) and his son Ahchoo
(Dave Chappelle), the blind watchman Blinkin (Mark Blankfield), Will
Scarlet O'Hara (Matthew Porretta), and Rabbi Tuckman (Brooks). The
Sheriff is eager to put Robin Hood out of business with the aid of
criminal mastermind Don Giovanni (Dom DeLuise), but Robin soon has an
ally in the royal palace when he falls for the lovely Maid Marian
(Amy Yasbeck), whose minder Broomhilde (Megan Cavanagh) has
uncooperatively outfitted Marian with a chastity belt.
Review: This film has been my favourite film ever since I first saw it when I was, like, 7. Or Younger. I have bad parents. But seriously... This film. This film is just amazing. It has everything that you could want, hilarious banter, slapstick humour, witty one-liners, romance, action and an amazing cast of brilliant actors.
Of course, my view of this film is skewed as I am incredibly biased towards anything produced by Mel Brooks and with Cary Elwes in, I honestly believe this film is worth every penny. Its so well directed and beautifully shot. As with every Mel Brooks film, it is perfect down to every last detail and every single shot, item, sound and word counts.
Every
single time I watch this film, it has me hoooowling with laughter.The
thing that did it for me is that this one just goes way outside
the fourth wall. Speeches are interrupted by cameras crashing through
stained-glass windows, Teamsters hanging out off-set get cut down by
the Sheriff of Rottingham
(HI-OH!) in the middle of sword fights, characters pull out scripts
to make sure that Robin gets a second shot at the archery contest,
and thanks to a time machine that no one seems to mention, references
to Nike pumps, Everlast chastity belts, Abe Lincoln, Mark Twain and
Don Corleone are there for the taking, too. Prince
John’s constantly-moving mole, someone yelling “Hey,
Abbott!”
like Lou Costello when an actual Abbott of the Church walks by,
Little John “drowning” in two inches of water – that kinda
stuff had me howling and I was not expecting to howl at all here.
And
on top of all that we’ve got Isaac Hayes as “The Painted
Man”, Asneeze;
Dave Chappelle as his son, Ahchoo; Richard Lewis as Prince
John;
Tracey Ullman as a witch who changed her name from “Shithouse” to
Latrine; a cameo from Patrick Stewart as King
Richard;
a scene-stealing Dom DeLuise as the English version of Don
Corleone;
Mel Brooks himself as
Rabbi
Tuckman;
Amy Yasbeck who does a fine Maid
Marian;
and Cary Elwes as Robin who’s just as charming as he was in The
Princess Bride,
just that he’s funnier this time around.
Though
I wouldn't say they couldn't watch it, I probably wouldn't sit down
with the kids for this. It is definitely and adult film with
suggestive themes and "adult" humour, no real swearing though,
so I'd say a minimum of 13ish for this. Just a word of warning.
However, it does have very childish jokes in it and they probably
just won't understand the adult ones, so what the heck!
I really don't have much else to say except from how much I love this film.... so yeah. Go watch it ;D
Quotes: Robin Hood: “Because, I can speak in an English accent.”
Overall Rating: 5/5
