Robin Hood: Men in Tights Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 107 out of 122 people found the following review useful: Absolutely hilarious from Tessenderlo, Belgium 17 November 2004 After I've seen this movie I find it hard to understand why so many people seem to hate this movie. I'm not saying it belongs in the top 250 of all times, but in it's genre it is a great movie. I know, not many people find it amusing to see how a legendary story like 'Robin Hood' is turned into a comedy. Many people still seem to believe that some things shouldn't be laughed with ... they are wrong. Mel Brooks has done an excellent job with Robin Hood: Men in Tights. I have seen the original Robin Hood movies as well, but I never had such a good time when watching them as I had with this one. It's just one continuation of hilarious moments and parodies on famous people and movies (Winston Churchil, The Godfather...). I recommend everyone who wants to have a good laugh to watch this movie.

To those who think Robin Hood shouldn't be messed with, you're wrong, but you better don't watch it because you'll probably be offended by it. I give this movie an 8/10. Was the above review useful to you? 97 out of 112 people found the following review useful: Takes a real man to wear tights! Author: theawahaid 19 January 2004 I remember when I first saw this movie. I was babysitting for a friend of my mums, and one of the kids suggested we watch it. Thinking it was the frankly laughable 'Prince of Thieves' they were slipping into the video recorder, I was prepared for a few hours of boredom, What I got came as a shock, a pleasant one I'll admit, but still a shock. Now, you all know the Robin Hood legend don't you? I shall explain a little. Robin Hood was a Saxon criminal, nicking money here and there and giving it to people who needed it, all the while seducing the beautiful Maid Marion, and vexing the Sheriff of Nottingham and prince john. That's the basics! Now, on with the review.

This movie was released in 1993, and is a take off of the whole Robin Hood legend and a p--- take of Prince of Thieves in particular. Loosely following the legend, Robin of Loxley is first encountered in an Arabic prison during the third century crusades, and together with a 'Moor' as they were called in those days, he executes a cunning escape with a cellmate, Asneeze. After escaping, Asneeze beseeches Robin to find his son Atchoo, a foreign exchange student in England and look out for him. This Robin vows to do! Robin swims back to England. He returns to his home, Loxley castle to find it being wheeled away on the back of the cart by Bailiffs, and goes through he sorrowful revelation that his father, dog, cat, and even the goldfish are all dead. Desperate for a familiar face, he finds the family's loyal blind servant Blinkin sitting on the toilet with a Jazz mag in Braille. The hilarity continues throughout the movie.

As with all Robin Hood stories, Robin must thwart the evil plans of Prince John and the sheriff of Rottingham, who are wreaking havoc and charging exorbitant taxes on King Richards's kingdom while he's away. Those familiar with the movies Mel Brooks has previously directed will have some small idea of what to expect. After all, this is the man responsible for Dracula-dead and loving it and young Frankenstein. All the jokes, which range from visual gags to wonderful witty comments are in exactly the right places throughout the movie, with never more than a minute between laughs. Cary Elwes (incidentally the only English man to play Robin Hood in a movie), who many of you will know from Princess Bride brings his cheeky grinning twinkle eyed presence to this movie, and does a wonderful job. From outlandish heroic posturing, to a wickedly sexy glance, he really is amazingly funny. And the man looks better in tights than I do! Richard Lewis is hilarious as the whiny, arrogant Prince John with the ever-changing mole. He gets the sissy-boy behaviour down to a tee, and his whinging American vocalisations are great.

All the way through the movie, a mole on his face constantly changes position: it starts on his left cheek, then over to his right cheek, then his chin, then his forehead, before going back to it's original place. This is a subtle joke based on the mole on Alan Rickman when he played the sheriff in Prince Of Thieves Roger Rees as the sleazy sheriff of Rottingham is marvellously slimy and nasty, and has some great lines throughout the film. There are some faces here you'll be familiar with from other Brooks films. For instance Robert Ridgely, playing the hangman in this film also played the hangman in Blazing Saddles, another film directed by Brooks. He likes to add subtle references to his earlier films too; with several in this film that die-hard Brooks fans will easily spot. Those who watched History of the World part 1 will recognise the music to the song 'Men in Tights'. Also, when Patrick Stewart arrives and snogs Marion, Mel himself (playing Rabbi Tuckman) utters the line 'it's good to be a king', one of his lines in History of the world.

The whole cast is wonderfully comedic, even those with only a few lines bring a great depth of warmth and humour to them What makes this film so wonderfully warm and funny in my own opinion are all the improvised scenes. Although there was a script of sorts, some scenes were completely improvised by the actors themselves, such as the scene where Latrine (Tracey Ullman) prays for Rottingham in her bed, and he falls through the ceiling, landing right where she wanted him, which was totally devised and thought out by the two actors. There are few special effects, and those that are there are small but fun moments of computerised camera trickery. The soundtrack is memorable, with some very funny songs, and a couple of cheesy love songs. You'll be singing 'Men in tights' or at least humming it to yourself, for weeks. The rating is Pg, to which I say BAH HUMBUG. There is no bad language in the film, except in the use of double entendre, and one utterance of sh!t, and violence is minimal. In fact I'd go as far as to say non-existent, apart from a few comedy fight scenes. A great fun film that adults and children alike will enjoy!

Was the above review useful to you? 56 out of 78 people found the following review useful: Excellently funny! from United States 3 August 2003 This is a funny film and I like it a lot. Cary Elwes plays Robin Hood to a tee. This is, of course, the usual good vs evil with Robin against the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. The humor is sort of in your face stuff for the most part, but still works well. A comedy for a night when you don't want to have to think much, it's well worth a rent! Was the above review useful to you? 41 out of 53 people found the following review useful: Bloody Brilliant from United Kingdom 20 April 2006 Cary Elwes have to say puts on a better performance then Costner did in RHPOT but anyhow.

Have to say this film it just makes me laugh so much mainly because the actors seem really into what their doing and you just sit there and thinking 'what the hell are they on' but in a very very very very good way.The random outbursts of songs were brilliant and well and the musical score used I really really liked.Great casting and as said before everyone seemed so into their roles 10/10 from me defiantly 'Because unlike some other Robin Hoods.I can speak with an English accent' Was the above review useful to you? 41 out of 53 people found the following review useful: Silly but funny from Denmark 24 January 2004 This is definitely one of the better Mel Brooks movies, along with Spaceballs(although I will openly admit to not having watched many others, at least yet). It's very silly and thoroughly funny, there are hardly more than a few minutes throughout the entire two hour run-time, where you aren't entertained. Almost all of the gags have a great comical effect, few of them fall flat. I saw this movie right after seeing and reviewing Spy Hard, and comparing these two spoof movies, I realize exactly of how high quality this movie really is.

It's funny from start to finish, none of the comedy is overdone or boring. The music is marvelous, as is the choreography of both dancing and fighting. The acting is pretty much what you would normally expect from this type of movie... Elwes is a great comedian, and makes a good Robin. The plot is typical Robin Hood, more or less everything from the legend is fit into this movie(and spoofed majorly). If you like Mel Brooks, or you're just a fan of silly humor, or you're just dying to watch a good parody of the legend of Robin Hood, this is definitely the film for you. The HBO First Look special on the film is also worth watching, and in that, you may want to keep watching throughout the credits, too. I'd recommend it to any fan of Mel Brooks movies, and to people who enjoy silly humor. 7/10 Was the above review useful to you?

30 out of 35 people found the following review useful: this and Spaceballs are Brooks doing his best "family" films from United States 11 March 2006 Like many a child born in the 1980's, I grew up on the Mel Brooks films that weren't necessarily the 'racier' ones like Blazing Saddles and History of the World part 1 (I saw those, of course, though not as frequently as now), but the ones meant for the "whole family", Spaceballs, and this film. I knew at the time I wasn't seeing great art, but just a campy, goofy, though always laugh-worthy take on Robin Hood and/or adventure movies. But calling it a family movie in quotes means that a) adults really can enjoy it as much as kids, if not more because of the little in-jokes and silly vulgarities, and b) once a kid sees it, when he revisits it, as I have a few times, it's still as fresh but with some things not quite understood the first time around.

It's a comedy that is not only filled with jokes at Robin Hood movies and other movies (Godfather of course, as well as little mentions for other movies of modern times), but one that references Brooks's own movies as well; this is a filmmaker who isn't above poking fun at even his own style. Basic story- Robin Hood (Cary Elwes in one of his best turns) returns home from the crusades to see things are in peril with King Richard gone, and so goes forth to reclaim his land and to, naturally, rob the rich to feed the poor. Along the way he meets Achoo (Dave Chappelle), butts heads with Prince John (Richard Lewis) and the Sheriff, and of course still pines for the love of Maid Marian. This, of course, is the usual clothesline for Brooks to let the comedy run off into the scenes, and while sometimes a joke may not work or might become stale on a repeat viewing, so much of it sticks that it's hard not to chuckle.

It also helps that a couple of bits are some of the best in any Brooksfilm, such as the Godfather bit (Dom DeLouise at his very best), Brooks's own cameo as the Rabbbi, Lewis and Chappelle's acting turns, and an endless slew of quotable lines and a couple of tongue-in-cheek songs. Some of it is obvious, yes, some of it just takes right from the pages of Blazing Saddles, sure, but is it a good time for the right crowd? Definitely- and for parents who grew up on the 70's Brooks work, it is a fantastic way to introduce the young ones to his work through this (even the suggestive sex jokes and such are not R-rated, all in good fun). Was the above review useful to you? 29 out of 38 people found the following review useful: Quite funny! Author: trulinotanother 19 December 2004 Robin Hood; Men in Tights is worth watching, I recently watched it because I've just become a Cary Elwes fan, and this is one of of his lead-roles. Some moments really made me crack up so hard!

I didn't expect them you know, it was so funny, Even the 2nd time around you'd still fall off your chair The cast is great, of course especially Robin of Locksley himself,Cary, but Blinkin and the Sheriff and Little John (Don't let the name fool you, it's veryy big! lol) and everyone else! There were some moments of course, the film tried to make a comedic scene out of but you don't necessarily laugh at it,.... but OK. This is the second time Cary Elwes and Patrick Stewart appeared in a film together by the way, they both worked on "Lady Jane" in 1986, and it was fun to see them, 7 years later, older, awwww. It's definitely worth watching, quite hilarious indeed! Was the above review useful to you? 27 out of 35 people found the following review useful: Mel Brooks writer, actor and director. from Sacramento, CA 27 August 2005 Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) was a much needed parody from Mel Brooks.

He has the assignment of spoofing the Robin Hood legacy and the couple of movie dealing with the mythical honorable thief of English folklore. Cary Elwes stars as Robin Hood. He's looking for a few good men who'll join him in his quest to topple the evil sheriff of Nottingham (Roger Rees) and win the fair hand of Maid Marian. Robin also has to deal with Prince John (Richard Lewis).as well. Tracey Ullman co-stars as Prince John's personal witch Latrine who has her eyes on the Sheriff. Will Robin find his merry men? How far will the Prince go to throw his weight around in the absence of his father? Why does the Sheriff hate Robin so much? To find out you'll have to watch ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS!! Check out the hilarious cameo by Dom De Luise who plays the Duke of Jersey. Highly recommended.

from CARDIFF, WALES 13 February 2000 This is a very funny Mel Brooks movie and probably stands as his last great comic hurrah.Although not up to the standard of his masterpiece "HIGH ANXIETY" it is certainly a better and actually more exciting Robin Hood adventure than that soporific outing for Kevin Costner.It is worth noting that Brooks had parodied Robin before in the short lived US TV series "WHEN THINGS WERE ROTTEN." This is much better though and Cary Elwes scores as a Robin Hood in the style of the great Errol Flynn.Look out too for Matthew Porretta,former star of the excellent syndicated show "THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD" as Will Scarlett O'Hara.All in all,a good fun movie. Was the above review useful to you? 26 out of 38 people found the following review useful: "Hood"-winked.... 29 September 1999 Actually, Mel's been here before. Any of you remember a little TV series Mel wrote and created called "When Things were Rotten", starring Dick Gautier as our man Robin?

I do, and the series reran in my mind many times while watching Mel's big-screen take. I guess he had to do this to take a few shots at Kevin Costner's "Prince of Thieves", but this one also takes aim at and makes points of reference to "White Men Can't Jump", Bruce Lee films, Larry King, seders and even brings out the reserves from Mel's projects of yore (McCann, Van Patten, De Luca, De Luise). Some gags work, some don't but as always, Mel tries. Too bad he's working under the restrictions of that darned PG rating. What Mel could have done in his heyday with an R rated "Robin Hood"! Though admittedly, the finale of Robin's (Elwes') serenade to Maid Marian (Yasbeck) earns big laughs. Loved finding out the first name of the Sheriff of Rottingham (Rees), as well. You will, too. As I've said before, any Mel is good Mel. If you've seen any Robin Hood movie, good. You'll get a lot of the references here. Even with the Mafia connections, hot tubs, and the new Club for horses. Five stars.

Bless you! Mel Brooks, master of the parody, turns 90 | Film | DW.COM | 28.06.2016 Film Mel Brooks, master of the parody, turns 90 From horror films to historical dramas, Mel Brooks has poked fun at every film genre in the books. After parodying Hitler and the Nazis in the 60s, he didn't shy away from anything else. Brooks turns 90 on June 28. 'The Producers' Mel Brooks made his film debut with "The Producers," which became an instant hit in 1968. The parody on Hitler and the Nazis, embellished with ribald jokes, music, dancing and bitter punchlines, broke all taboos just 23 years after the end of World War II. To what extent the Nazi era may be parodied continues to be an ongoing point of discussion, particularly in Germany. 'Blazing Saddles' His third film, "Blazing Saddles," firmly established Mel Brooks as a master of parody in1974. The film marked Brooks' starting point for poking fun at all kinds of film genres.

In "Blazing Saddles," he parodies the most American film category of all: the Western. 'Young Frankenstein' Brooks produced yet another hugely successful film that same year, the horror film parody "Young Frankenstein," shot at the locations used in the famous "Frankenstein" movie of 1931. Like the original, it was also produced in black and white. Mel Brooks, at the peak of his career, got the whole world to chuckle at his version of film's most famous monster. 'Silent Movie' In the1970s, Brooks was so well known in Germany that his name was incorporated into the title of one of his hits.The German version of "Silent Movie" was entitled "Mel Brooks' letzte Verrücktheit: Silent Movie" (Mel Brooks' ultimate craziness). Following his earlier success with a black-and-white film, he had now produced a soundless film which was a loving homage to the silent film genre. 'High Anxiety' In 1977, Mel Brooks even dared to poke fun at cinema icon Alfred Hitchcock, the master of psycho thrillers.

Alluding to various Hitchcock works, in particular "Vertigo," Brooks created an intensely funny film with "High Anxiety." 'History of the World, Part I' In the early 1980s, Mel Brooks tackled the genre of monumental film with "History of the World, Part I," offering a wild tour through the history of mankind starting with the Stone Age, and ending before the outbreak of World War II. Here, the main victims of Brooks' parodies were the Bible and historical films. 'Spaceballs' It was high time Mel Brooks took sci-fi to task as well. Following the global success of the first "Star Wars" films, it was almost to be expected that the master of parody wouldn't spare these box-office hits. More than anything else, "Spaceballs" was intended as a parody on the space epics of George Lucas, while also alluding to other popular science-fiction films like "2001" and "Aliens." 'Life Stinks' Mel Brooks' films were, however, not always rewarded with success. His1991, parody on melodramatic romantic comedies, "Life Stinks," flopped at the box office.

It seems that the "originals" - such as "Pretty Woman" for example - didn't really lend themselves to being made fun of. 'Robin Hood - Men in Tights' Parodies on films set in the Middle Ages proved to be more successful. In "Robin Hood - Men in Tights" (1993), Brooks poked fun at the famous friend of all those suffering from poverty and persecution: Sherwood Forest's own Robin Hood. Just two years earlier, the umptienth (serious) film adaptation of that story, starring Kevin Costner, had been a worldwide success. 'Dracula: Dead and Loving It' In 1995, Mel Brooks turned back to the horror film genre, this time to the world's most famous vampire. However, "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" lacked some of Brooks' earlier humor. It became his last film as a director, though he was go on to write and produce a remake of "The Producers" in 2005. Author: Jochen Kürten / ad 'The Producers' Mel Brooks made his film debut with "The Producers," which became an instant hit in 1968.

The parody on Hitler and the Nazis, embellished with ribald jokes, music, dancing and bitter punchlines, broke all taboos just 23 years after the end of World War II. To what extent the Nazi era may be parodied continues to be an ongoing point of discussion, particularly in Germany. 'Blazing Saddles' His third film, "Blazing Saddles," firmly established Mel Brooks as a master of parody in1974. The film marked Brooks' starting point for poking fun at all kinds of film genres. In "Blazing Saddles," he parodies the most American film category of all: the Western. 'Young Frankenstein' Brooks produced yet another hugely successful film that same year, the horror film parody "Young Frankenstein," shot at the locations used in the famous "Frankenstein" movie of 1931. Like the original, it was also produced in black and white. Mel Brooks, at the peak of his career, got the whole world to chuckle at his version of film's most famous monster.

'Silent Movie' In the1970s, Brooks was so well known in Germany that his name was incorporated into the title of one of his hits.The German version of "Silent Movie" was entitled "Mel Brooks' letzte Verrücktheit: Silent Movie" (Mel Brooks' ultimate craziness). Following his earlier success with a black-and-white film, he had now produced a soundless film which was a loving homage to the silent film genre. 'High Anxiety' In 1977, Mel Brooks even dared to poke fun at cinema icon Alfred Hitchcock, the master of psycho thrillers. Alluding to various Hitchcock works, in particular "Vertigo," Brooks created an intensely funny film with "High Anxiety." 'History of the World, Part I' In the early 1980s, Mel Brooks tackled the genre of monumental film with "History of the World, Part I," offering a wild tour through the history of mankind starting with the Stone Age, and ending before the outbreak of World War II. Here, the main victims of Brooks' parodies were the Bible and historical films. 'Spaceballs' It was high time Mel Brooks took sci-fi to task as well.

Following the global success of the first "Star Wars" films, it was almost to be expected that the master of parody wouldn't spare these box-office hits. More than anything else, "Spaceballs" was intended as a parody on the space epics of George Lucas, while also alluding to other popular science-fiction films like "2001" and "Aliens." 'Life Stinks' Mel Brooks' films were, however, not always rewarded with success. His1991, parody on melodramatic romantic comedies, "Life Stinks," flopped at the box office. It seems that the "originals" - such as "Pretty Woman" for example - didn't really lend themselves to being made fun of. 'Robin Hood - Men in Tights' Parodies on films set in the Middle Ages proved to be more successful. In "Robin Hood - Men in Tights" (1993), Brooks poked fun at the famous friend of all those suffering from poverty and persecution: Sherwood Forest's own Robin Hood. Just two years earlier, the umptienth (serious) film adaptation of that story, starring Kevin Costner, had been a worldwide success.

'Dracula: Dead and Loving It' In 1995, Mel Brooks turned back to the horror film genre, this time to the world's most famous vampire. However, "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" lacked some of Brooks' earlier humor. It became his last film as a director, though he was go on to write and produce a remake of "The Producers" in 2005. Author: Jochen Kürten / ad It's often easier in retrospect to see how an artist has paved the way for others. Nowadays, making fun of anything and everything is commonplace and even Nazi parodies are a dime a dozen. But it hasn't always been that way, as a look at the work of director and actor Mel Brooks shows. Born 90 years ago on June 28, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York, the entertainer was clearly a pioneer of humor. Mel Brooks always loved to break taboos Though they may have become more common than in the decades following World War II, taking a humorous look at the Nazis may not be everybody's cup of tea, especially not in Germany. Some jokes about Hitler aren't funny at all.

That's at least what some people think - and that's also what some of them probably thought when watching Mel Brooks' breakthrough film, "The Producers," back in 1968. Brooks had a phenomenal start in the film world with "The Producers" in 1968 In spite of some criticism, Mel Brooks' work was crowned with success. The US filmmaker with Jewish roots had thoroughly learned his trade on the stage and in television before he became a filmmaker, setting a tone that was all his own. Some observers have noted the difference between the humor of Mel Brooks and that of Woody Allen. Brooks' jokes are less intellectual and sophisticated, more ribald and even brute. A much acclaimed comedian In the 1970s and 80s, Mel Brooks conquered a worldwide audience with his very particular sense of humor. Furthermore, he was active in several branches of pop culture, theater, cinema and television throughout his life. In 2001, he also gave proof of his remarkable talent for musicals when a musical version of his debut film, "The Producers," hit Broadway, earning him no less than 12 Tonys, making it the most acclaimed Broadway musical ever.

Mel Brooks is one of very few entertainment artists that have received the highest awards in four major cultural spheres: He's won one Oscar and several Tonys, Emmys and Grammys. Brooks' musical version of "The Producers" was also shown in Germany - here in the Admiralspalast in Berlin Brooks was married to US actress Anne Bancroft, until her death in 2005. She was also an icon of film history, starring as Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate" opposite Dustin Hoffman. A lusty pensioner dreaming of a new film Despite getting older, Mel Brooks continued to be actively involved in showbiz over the last few years, appearing in television, and lending his voice to the protagonists of animated films. When he recently announced the production of a new movie, observers weren't sure what to make of it. But it shouldn't be forgotten that, after all, Mel Brooks has always been good for a surprise.

DW recommends Movie Review – Robin Hood: Men In Tights Movie Review – Robin Hood: Men In Tights Posted on December 16, 2008 August 6, 2014 Director : Mel Brooks Year Of Release : 1993 Principal Cast : Carey Elwes, Richard Lewis, Roger Rees, Amy Yasbeck, Dave Chappelle, Mark Blankfield, Eric Allan Kramer, Matthew Porretta, Isaac Hayes, Tracey Ullman, Patrick Stewart, Dom DeLuise, Dick Van Patten, Mel Brooks. Approx Running Time : 104 Minutes Synopsis: A spoof of Robin Hood in general, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in particular. What we think : Fans of Mel Brooks will find plenty to guffaw at here – if they don’t outright laugh – while modern audiences might feel a little nonplussed. An appreciation for Kevin Costner’s Prince Of Thieves is probably mandatory to “get” all the humor in this one. ********************** Never before has the legend of Robin Hood come in for such a drubbing, as it does in this legendary, and somewhat flat, film from comedic director Mel Brooks.

Mr Hood, are you trying to deduce me? If so, it’s working. Brooks track record had been fairly good, with hits like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein to his name. Unfortunately, for every Blazing Saddles, came a film like Robin Hood: Men In Tights. Much of the humour in this film is now badly dated, although some parts are still quite amusing. Lets’ explore the film a little, shall we? Well, you aren’t Morgan Freeman, but you will do. Back in the early 90’s, Kevin Costner released his film version of Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, while across town, Fox released Robin Hood in the same year, starring the less attractive Patrick Bergen in the title role. Men In Tights attempts to lampoon this fact by having plenty of comedy gold mined from both film versions. While the film riffs fairly heavily on the Costner version, there’s plenty of new material to me found in Men in Tights. I told you this would happen if we didn’t get a smoke alarm!

Carey Elwes plays Robin, his cheesy grin and dazzling prowess with a sword winning over the ladies in the film, especially Maid Marian, played with a strange innocent/vixen style by Amy Yasbeck, complete with extra-strong chastity belt. Richard Lewis plays it straight (kinda) as the bug-eyed Prince John, although he’s overshadowed in the comedic stakes by the wonderfully idiotic Roger Rees, hamming up beautifully as the dastardly and incompetent Sheriff Of Nottingham. A young Dave Chappelle plays Robin’s travelling companion Achoo (bless you), the son of fellow former prisoner Asneeze (Isaac Hayes) of Robin’s in Jerusalem. When Robin and Asneeze escape from an Arabian jail, Asneeze asks Robin to take his son under his wing when he returns to England. Robin agrees, and thus, sets of swimming to his homeland. Unfortunately, with King Richard away at the Crusades, the King’s brother Prince John has usurped the throne, along with his right-hand-clown the Sheriff Of Nottingham, and they rule the country with an iron (or perhaps more a tungsten one) fist. I gotta wash that man right outta my hair!

Throw in some glorious cameo’s, particularly one from a superb Dom DeLuise, as The Godfather, and you have a recipe for a star-studded comedy: the end result doesn’t really live up to expectations. The comedy, which is liberally obscure, absurdist, literal and slapstick, is fairly uneven and often, not funny. Well, not funny Ha Ha, only funny He He, it’s like watching a car wreck at times. Mel Brook’s uninspired direction and camerawork is a far cry from other parody films, such as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, two films which more than live up their reputations. It’s not even as funny as Spaceballs, my personal favourite Brooks comedy, and although Elwes and the cast try hard (especially Rees, who’s slimy, smarmy Sheriff (with an inappropriate stuttering problem… funny stuff!) is by far the best thing about the film) to generate some comedy, but the script is too reliant on peoples memories of the film’s the movie is parodying: time has now passed, and most of the jokes and references lack the punch they may have once had. Mr Elwes!

Mr Elwes, your career, it’s heading in that direction!!! It could have worked really well: had the scripting been a lot slicker, and the editing not quite so laboured. Brook’s version of comedy hasn’t really changed much since his Get Smart heyday, and although you watch a film like this knowing what to expect, your hopes are dashed when people in the opening moments turn to the camera and yell at the director to get lost! Thus the tone of the film is set, and it never really recovers. People always reacted differently to Robins’ transgender operation scars. There are, however, a few moments that do shine, in amongst the drudgery. The singing dancing minstrels are great, as is the “Men in Tights” song sequence, as the Merry Men emerge from the local forest lavatories. generally, though, the film is a chore to watch, the comedy being as laboured as it is. It lacks the zest and freshness of Brooks earlier work, which is disappointing given the talent on screen trying their hardest. Have you noticed that guy behind you? He keeps sniffing your hair. Weird!

While it passes the time away in a fairly harmless, innocuous way, Men in Tights never really reaches the dizzying heights you might remember it does. It’s no longer as funny, which is a shame. Men in Tights is boring, clichéd and simply inane, with limp-written comedy and barely a decent chuckle to drag you through it. US comedian Mel Brooks turns 90 | All media content | DW.COM | 28.06.2016 Film US comedian Mel Brooks turns 90 The American comedian with Jewish roots broke with a taboo in the 1960s with his parody on Adolf Hitler. That made him world famous and parodies became his trademark. 'The Producers' Mel Brooks made his film debut with "The Producers," which became an instant hit in 1968. The parody on Hitler and the Nazis, embellished with ribald jokes, music, dancing and bitter punchlines, broke all taboos just 23 years after the end of World War II. To what extent the Nazi era may be parodied continues to be an ongoing point of discussion, particularly in Germany.

'Blazing Saddles' His third film, "Blazing Saddles," firmly established Mel Brooks as a master of parody in1974. The film marked Brooks' starting point for poking fun at all kinds of film genres. In "Blazing Saddles," he parodies the most American film category of all: the Western. 'Young Frankenstein' Brooks produced yet another hugely successful film that same year, the horror film parody "Young Frankenstein," shot at the locations used in the famous "Frankenstein" movie of 1931. Like the original, it was also produced in black and white. Mel Brooks, at the peak of his career, got the whole world to chuckle at his version of film's most famous monster. 'Silent Movie' In the1970s, Brooks was so well known in Germany that his name was incorporated into the title of one of his hits.The German version of "Silent Movie" was entitled "Mel Brooks' letzte Verrücktheit: Silent Movie" (Mel Brooks' ultimate craziness). Following his earlier success with a black-and-white film, he had now produced a soundless film which was a loving homage to the silent film genre.

'High Anxiety' In 1977, Mel Brooks even dared to poke fun at cinema icon Alfred Hitchcock, the master of psycho thrillers. Alluding to various Hitchcock works, in particular "Vertigo," Brooks created an intensely funny film with "High Anxiety." 'History of the World, Part I' In the early 1980s, Mel Brooks tackled the genre of monumental film with "History of the World, Part I," offering a wild tour through the history of mankind starting with the Stone Age, and ending before the outbreak of World War II. Here, the main victims of Brooks' parodies were the Bible and historical films. 'Spaceballs' It was high time Mel Brooks took sci-fi to task as well. Following the global success of the first "Star Wars" films, it was almost to be expected that the master of parody wouldn't spare these box-office hits. More than anything else, "Spaceballs" was intended as a parody on the space epics of George Lucas, while also alluding to other popular science-fiction films like "2001" and "Aliens." 'Life Stinks' Mel Brooks' films were, however, not always rewarded with success.

His1991, parody on melodramatic romantic comedies, "Life Stinks," flopped at the box office. It seems that the "originals" - such as "Pretty Woman" for example - didn't really lend themselves to being made fun of. 'Robin Hood - Men in Tights' Parodies on films set in the Middle Ages proved to be more successful. In "Robin Hood - Men in Tights" (1993), Brooks poked fun at the famous friend of all those suffering from poverty and persecution: Sherwood Forest's own Robin Hood. Just two years earlier, the umptienth (serious) film adaptation of that story, starring Kevin Costner, had been a worldwide success. 'Dracula: Dead and Loving It' In 1995, Mel Brooks turned back to the horror film genre, this time to the world's most famous vampire. However, "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" lacked some of Brooks' earlier humor. It became his last film as a director, though he was go on to write and produce a remake of "The Producers" in 2005.

Author: Jochen Kürten / ad 'The Producers' Mel Brooks made his film debut with "The Producers," which became an instant hit in 1968. The parody on Hitler and the Nazis, embellished with ribald jokes, music, dancing and bitter punchlines, broke all taboos just 23 years after the end of World War II. To what extent the Nazi era may be parodied continues to be an ongoing point of discussion, particularly in Germany. 'Blazing Saddles' His third film, "Blazing Saddles," firmly established Mel Brooks as a master of parody in1974. The film marked Brooks' starting point for poking fun at all kinds of film genres. In "Blazing Saddles," he parodies the most American film category of all: the Western. 'Young Frankenstein' Brooks produced yet another hugely successful film that same year, the horror film parody "Young Frankenstein," shot at the locations used in the famous "Frankenstein" movie of 1931. Like the original, it was also produced in black and white. Mel Brooks, at the peak of his career, got the whole world to chuckle at his version of film's most famous monster.

'Silent Movie' In the1970s, Brooks was so well known in Germany that his name was incorporated into the title of one of his hits.The German version of "Silent Movie" was entitled "Mel Brooks' letzte Verrücktheit: Silent Movie" (Mel Brooks' ultimate craziness). Following his earlier success with a black-and-white film, he had now produced a soundless film which was a loving homage to the silent film genre. 'High Anxiety' In 1977, Mel Brooks even dared to poke fun at cinema icon Alfred Hitchcock, the master of psycho thrillers. Alluding to various Hitchcock works, in particular "Vertigo," Brooks created an intensely funny film with "High Anxiety." 'History of the World, Part I' In the early 1980s, Mel Brooks tackled the genre of monumental film with "History of the World, Part I," offering a wild tour through the history of mankind starting with the Stone Age, and ending before the outbreak of World War II. Here, the main victims of Brooks' parodies were the Bible and historical films. 'Spaceballs' It was high time Mel Brooks took sci-fi to task as well.

Following the global success of the first "Star Wars" films, it was almost to be expected that the master of parody wouldn't spare these box-office hits. More than anything else, "Spaceballs" was intended as a parody on the space epics of George Lucas, while also alluding to other popular science-fiction films like "2001" and "Aliens." 'Life Stinks' Mel Brooks' films were, however, not always rewarded with success. His1991, parody on melodramatic romantic comedies, "Life Stinks," flopped at the box office. It seems that the "originals" - such as "Pretty Woman" for example - didn't really lend themselves to being made fun of. 'Robin Hood - Men in Tights' Parodies on films set in the Middle Ages proved to be more successful. In "Robin Hood - Men in Tights" (1993), Brooks poked fun at the famous friend of all those suffering from poverty and persecution: Sherwood Forest's own Robin Hood. Just two years earlier, the umptienth (serious) film adaptation of that story, starring Kevin Costner, had been a worldwide success.

'Dracula: Dead and Loving It' In 1995, Mel Brooks turned back to the horror film genre, this time to the world's most famous vampire. However, "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" lacked some of Brooks' earlier humor. It became his last film as a director, though he was go on to write and produce a remake of "The Producers" in 2005. Author: Jochen Kürten / ad Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Robin Hood: Men in Tights ( 1993 ) PG-13 | A spoof of Robin Hood in general and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) in particular. Director: J.D. Shapiro (story) (as J.

David Shapiro), Evan Chandler (story) | 3 more credits » Stars: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 37 titles created 12 Oct 2011 a list of 28 titles created 17 Oct 2013 a list of 22 titles created 03 Apr 2014 a list of 35 titles created 15 Nov 2015 a list of 36 titles created 1 month ago Title: Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) 6.7/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Planet Spaceballs' President Skroob sends Lord Dark Helmet to steal planet Druidia's abundant supply of air to replenish their own, and only Lone Starr can stop them. Director: Mel Brooks A parody of Top Gun (1986) in which a talented but unstable fighter pilot must overcome the ghosts of his father and save a mission sabotaged by greedy weapons manufacturers.

Director: Jim Abrahams "Rambo" parody in which Topper Harley leads a rescue team into Iraq to save Iraqi war prisoners and all of their previous rescue teams. Director: Jim Abrahams Mel Brooks brings his one-of-a-kind comic touch to the history of mankind covering events from the Old Testament to the French Revolution in a series of episodic comedy vignettes. Director: Mel Brooks Lieutenant Drebin discovers that his ex-girlfriend's new beau is involved in a plot to kidnap a scientist who advocates solar energy. Director: David Zucker Frank Drebin comes out of retirement to help Police Squad infiltrate a gang of terrorists planning to detonate a bomb at the Academy Awards. Director: Peter Segal Incompetent police detective Frank Drebin must foil an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II . Director: David Zucker In order to ruin a western town, a corrupt politician appoints a black sheriff, who promptly becomes his most formidable adversary. Director: Mel Brooks Mel Brooks' parody of the classic vampire story and its famous film adaptations. Director: Mel Brooks An American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that he is not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body.

Director: Mel Brooks Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and 1 more credit » Stars: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen When Robin and his Moorish companion come to England and the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham, he decides to fight back as an outlaw. Director: Kevin Reynolds Edit Storyline The standard story of Robin Hood: Evil Prince John is oppressing the people while good King Richard is away on the Crusades. Robin steals from the tax collectors, wins an archery contest, defeats the Sheriff, and rescues Maid Marian. In this version, however, Mel Brooks adds his own personal touch, parodying traditional adventure films, romance films, and the whole idea of men running around the woods in tights. Written by Jean-Marc Rocher <rocher@fiberbit.net> See All (157) » Taglines: The legend had it coming... Find out where Robin Hood put his Little John, what made Will Scarlet, and what did Friar Tuck into his tights that Maid Marion all of a quiver?

Genres: Rated PG-13 for off-color humor | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 28 July 1993 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Robbin' the Hood See more » Filming Locations: Did You Know? Trivia When Ahchoo first appears, he and Robin fight Prince John's knights with a style Robin calls "Praying Mantis". Praying Mantis is an actual martial art - a style of Kung Fu emphasizing grabbing your opponent and bringing him to the ground - but it is nothing like the slapstick techniques that Robin and Ahchoo use. See more » Goofs When the Sheriff goes into the throne room to tell Prince John about Robin attacking him, John tells the woman in the blue dress "Later...!". She giggles and runs away. In the next shot, she runs away again. See more » Quotes See more » Crazy Credits The opening credits appear after shooting fire arrows. At the end of the credits the arrows are flying into village houses and setting them on fire.

See more » Connections Filmmaker Retrospective: The Parody Cinema of Mel Brooks « Taste of Cinema - Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists 14 June 2015 | Features , Film Lists | by Ryan Anderson 6. High Anxiety (1977) In Mel Brooks first movie as lead actor, producer and director, he made a thrilling homage to the filmography of Alfred Hitchcock. Brooks specifically referenced Spellbound, Vertigo and The Birds. The movie is dedicated to Hitchcock who worked with Brooks on the screenplay. Veteran Brooks ensemble members Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman and Madeline Kahn all appear in the film. High Anxiety follows Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke (Mel Brooks), the newly appointed director of the Psychoneurotic Institute of the Very, Very Nervous. A series of mysterious events occur and several colleagues including militant Nurse Diesel (Cloris Leachman) accuse him of murder. Thorndyke tries to clear his name while battling the condition known as “high anxiety”. There are several direct homages to Hitchcock scattered throughout the film. The shower scene references Psycho.

the bird droppings refer to The Birds, and Nurse Diesel is a caricature of Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca. Those are just a few examples of the homage to Hitchcock in the film.The film was somewhat well received and Hitchcock sent Brooks several cases of wine as a token of his gratitude. 7. History of the World Part I: “It’s Good to Be King” (1981) Human history is traced through a series of vignettes from the Stone Age to a preview of coming attractions in this film. Brooks directed, wrote, produced and starred in five roles, Moses, Comicus, Tomas de Torquemada, Louis XVI of France and Jacques le Garon de Pisse. Brooks regulars Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, and Dom DeLuise are among the cast members. Beginning with cavemen being struck by their own amazement, the story then switches to Moses receiving the 15 commandments and Emperor Nero (Dom DeLuise) presiding over Rome with wife, Nympho (Madeline Kahn).

The Spanish Inquisition softens repression with song and dance, and a few centuries later Madame Defarge (Cloris Leachman) is fomenting revolution in France. Then there are the coming attractions, which features a teaser trailer for History of the World Part II, which has never be released. This trailer featured Hitler on ice, Jews in Space, which is a parody of Star Wars, which was used later, and a Viking funeral. One of the lasting legacies of this film is the phrase “It’s good to be king” which is used repeatedly during the French Revolution section of the film. Brooks as King Louis XVI says this into the camera, breaking the fourth wall, in order to justify his behavior. The line was later used in his films Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights . 8. Spaceballs (1987) This is a rich parody of Star Wars trilogy and other sci-fi franchises including Star Trek, Alien and The Planet of the Apes. This cult comedy classic was co-written, directed by, and starred Mel Brooks. The film initially received mixed reviews, many commenting on the fact of a Star Wars parody ten years after the start of the original trilogy seemed pointless.

However, the film has gained a cult following and has grown into one of Brooks best known works. Brooks plays President Skroob, the leader of the Planet Spaceball which has depleted its air supply. President Skroob orders the evil Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) to capture Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) of the oxygen-rich planet Druidia in exchange for air. Help arrives for the princess by way of renegade space pilot Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half-dog sidekick Barf (John Candy). The film also featuring regulars Dom DeLuise and Rudy DeLuca in cameo roles, as well the voice of Joan Rivers as Dot Matrix. Brooks wanted his parody to be as close to the original as possible so he made a deal with George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars. The deal allowed Brooks to do as he wished as long as no Spaceballs action figures were made. Brooks also had Lucas’s company handle post-production to make sure that the film was approved by Lucas and his team. They, like many others after them, loved it. 9.

Life Stinks (1991) Directed, co-written and starring Brooks, this departure from his normal work was not a success. The film is not a parody of anything and does not break the fourth wall, a rarity in the Brooks cannon. The film was a critical and commercial failure, unable to recoup its cost and receiving mostly poor reviews. Brooks plays Goddard Bolt, an affluent and arrogant business man who bets his business rival Vance Crasswell (Jeffrey Tambor) that he has the wits and street smarts to survive on the streets of L.A for 30 days. Bolt has an awakening when he realizes he can’t handle it but finds a silver lining in his romance with a Broadway dancer who has fallen on tough times (Lesley Ann Warren). If there is a silver lining to this project, it is that the film has gained a cult following for this experimental film by Brooks. 10. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) Mel Brooks returned to parody with this version of the classic Robin Hood tale.

Produced, co-written and directed by Brooks, the film stars Cary Elwes as Robin Hood and includes plenty of references to past Robin Hood films, such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves upon which the film is loosely based, Disney’s version of Robin Hood and The Adventures of Robin Hood. It also features Brooks in a minor role, being the first time since Young Frankenstein in which he acted in one of his own films and did not receive top billing or play a leading role. The plot is similar to most Robin Hood stories but with a few tweaks. Robin of Loxley (Cary Elwes), escapes from prison and returns home to find that evil Prince John (Richard Lewis) has confiscated his estate and is abusing the citizens. Robin enlists blind attendant Blinkin, his friend Will Scarlett O’Hara and Little John to help him rectify the situation. Robin also wants to woo Maid Marian, but her chastity belt gets in the way. The film received mixed reviews, with many noting that the film lacked as high a quotient of comic scenes as were present in Brooks previous works. It was also not one of Brook’s highest grossing film at the box office.

However, the film, like Spaceballs, has developed a cult following, especially on DVD. 11. Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) The most recent film to date that Brooks has directed, this 1995 release is a parody of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula and some of the films the novel has inspired. Brooks co-wrote the screenplay with Steve Haberman and Rudy De Luca and stars as Dr. Van Helsing. Leslie Nielsen stars as the titular character while Brooks regulars Harvey Korman, and Brooks’ wife Anne Bancroft have roles as well. Similar to the classic 1931 Dracula, the plot deviates from the novel. The film follows Count Dracula as he relocates from Transylvania to London in search of new blood with his slavish assistant Renfield. He finds blood in two young attractive women. When one of the woman’s fiancees notices his future bride’s odd behavior he calls his mentor, vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, to investigate. A bomb critically and commercially, Dracula: Dead and Loving It is the low point of Brook’s career and may be the reason he has not directed another film to date.

One bright spot is that the film, like other Brooks films, has gained a cult following. Author Bio: Ryan Anderson is a sophomore at Miami University in Oxford Ohio, where he is studying Zoology and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies. His love of classic cinema and film history keeps his love for film strong and ever-present in his life. Star Wars Is Great and All, but There’s a New Spaceballs Movie in the Works « WXRT ONXRT LIVE FROM THE ARCHIVES : Pick Up Your Copy Of Volume 18 NOW! Full Details Star Wars Is Great and All, but There’s a New Spaceballs Movie in the Works December 18, 2015 10:38 AM By Jason Thomas Filed Under: Joan Rivers , John Candy , Mel Brooks , Rick Moranis , Spaceballs: The Search For More Money , Star Wars , The Force Awakens Actor/Director Mel Brooks poses for photographers at the ceremony to unveil his Hollywood Walk of Fame star in Hollywood on April 23, 2010. Mel Brooks began his distinguished career during television?s Golden Age as a writer for Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows, the first of many comedy series for which he would write.

He has created a remarkable string of hit comedies: The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, To Be or Not To Be, Spaceballs, Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. Like The Producers, Young Frankenstein also made a successful transition to the Broadway musical stage. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images) Star Wars is all the rage this week, so we won’t pile on to that bandwagon in this post. There’s endless amounts of The Force Awakens news this week, so it might be a good time to let people know about Mel Brooks confirming that a Spaceballs sequel is in the early stages of development. Blastr is reporting that in an appearance on Adam Carolla’s podcast, Mel Brooks said that the new film is tentatively titled Spaceballs: The Search For More Money and that he hopes to start filming in 2016, after the release of The Force Awakens because, well, you need to see what you’re spoofing before you spoof it.

Also mentioned in the piece is the fact that he hopes to get as much of the original cast together as possible. Obviously, John Candy and the voice of Joan Rivers are out of play, and Rick Moranis might be tough to rope in because other than a few voice acting gigs, he’s been out of the film business for quite a while. He says that he’s not retired from acting, he’s just being very selective about which projects to take on. Will Mel be able to convince him? Has he already done so? We’ll find out soon. Read the full Blastr piece here . Jason Thomas facebook Monday – Friday: 4-8pm Host: The Big Beat So, it may not always sound like it, but I've been yakking into a mic between records for almost 20 years now, if you count my time at student-run KVHS in Concord, CA in the late '90s... Yeah, I was bo...

Question: What film director has parodied Frankenstein, Star Wars, and Robin Hood?
Answer: Mel Brooks