The Adventures of Robin Hood review

 Number 297 on the top 1000 films of all time is the 1938 swashbuckling adventure 'The Adventures of Robin Hood.'

Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) is an outlaw living in Sherwood forest while King Richard I is fighting in the crusades. In his absence, the villainous Prince John (Claude Rains) rules the country along with the evil Guy of Gisborne (Basil Rathbone) and Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper.) When the trip start exploiting the poor, it is up to Robin Hood and his merry men to save the day.

Unlike other films where Robin Hood does not speak with an English accent, the Adventures of Robin Hood succeeds, because it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's complete nonsense, but that's what Robin Hood should be. It shouldn't be dour and broody like Prince of Thieves or a block-buster like the Russell Crowe adaptation. Robin Hood should be fun, gaudy and colourful and this film fit the bill perfectly.

A lot of that was down to Errol Flynn's energetic and irreverent portrayal of Robin Hood. He played the outlaw with a brash aloofness that meshed well with the light-hearted nature of the film. In many ways, it reminded me of Cary Elwes' portrayal of our roguish outlaw almost fifty years later. 

Although, reportedly, Errol Flynn was a nightmare on set, being difficult to work with and acting with a level of unjustified arrogance. Perhaps his portrayal of Robin Hood was Flynn being his usual rude self.

I've never been accused of being a SJW, but I definitely depicted some queer-coding within Claude Rains' portrayal of Prince John. I'm not sure whether this was historically accurate, but I can understand why modern audiences might find that problematic.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy the light-hearted romp that was the Adventures of Robin Hood.