Product: Robin Hood [VHS] (1973)
Rating: 4.0
Why Shouldn't Animals Tell the Story? They Do a Fine Job!
Here's another Disney animated film I missed for being the wrong age. I was a junior in college when this came out, and of course much too intellectual and sophisticated to go to a Disney animated film! So how come I'm not too old now????Anyway, this is quite a jolly romp. As Allan-a-Dale (Roger Miller) explains in the prologue, there are lots of stories about Robin Hood, and the animal world has its own. That's why Allan-a-Dale is a rooster. Robin Hood is a fox, and of course Maid Marian is a vixen. Her lady in waiting, Lady Kluck, is a chicken, but I don't know if she's related to Allan-a-Dale. Prince John is a lion (Peter Ustinov), his sidekick Sir Hiss is a snake, and the tax collecting Sheriff of Nottingham is a wolf. Also, Little John is a bear (Phil Harris), Friar Tuck is a badger (Andy Devine), and assorted woodland animals make up the rest of the cast.There's a lot of slapstick included, as there was in the old Disney movies, including an absolutely incredible archery contest (of COURSE Robin wins), and a daring prison break which includes robbing Prince John of all the tax money he has collected. Almost as an epilogue, King Richard returns from the crusades and "sets everything right," and Robin marries Maid Marian. Through it all Roger Miller's home-spun music makes its way, effectively telling the story, even when Allan-a-Dale gets locked up with practically everyone else for not paying enough in taxes.Pack your maturity and sophistication away and enjoy this, hopefully with some actual young persons, but kids of any age will do.