Robin Hood

Robin Hood (1973) - USA

I was going to start this blog with a more obscure animated movie, but I found myself watching Disney's Robin Hood instead.

Robin Hood is a rather humble movie for Disney standards. It was made during a difficult period for the Disney Company and as such was made on a relatively small budget. It is by no means considered to be one of the Disney giants and isn't as fondly remembered as the more classic films such as Sleeping Beauty or The Jungle Book which came before it. However, with that said this film has a personal meaning for me.

When I was young my cousin had this film on VHS and I would almost always watch it when I visited her. I am pretty sure it is thanks to this film that I still love the 'loveable rouge' archetype character to this day as well as the hero of a story being smaller and not as strong as the bad guys and so has to be smarter and quicker to compensate for it. So although it is by far not perfect, I tend to have a very large soft spot for it.

The only real true problem of the movie for me, even as a child, was the reuse of animation from other Disney films, something done to help the small budget. Although I was still a kid I could tell immediately which sequences had been used in previous Disney movies, particularly the animation lifted from the Jungle Book. Luckily this is only during the one scene.

I adore the character of Robin himself in the film which has a lot to do with his voice (voiced by Brian Bedford) with a true english accent and confidence to it. While on the topic, the dialogue in places is a lot more understated than other Disney films and I found myself laughing at jokes that I don't even remember hearing as a child.

Back to Robin though, I always loved his no compromise attitude in the film. That he isn't just courageous when he's being sneaky and stealing but can also stand up for his opinions even when tied up in front of Prince John with the royal guards' halberds pointed at him. To date he is still one of my favourite Disney male characters despite not having a lot if any character development throughout the movie.

There is only one real sad thing about this movie for me and that's the unused alternate ending as revealed on the "Most Wanted" DVD release of the film. In it, When Robin jumps the burning tower of the castle and lands in the moat he is actually shot by an arrow while escaping. Little John comes to rescue and carries him away to safety. However, prince John and Sir Hiss are hot on their trail, following drops of blood from Robin's wound to Friar Tuck's church. (I swear, I'm not making this up.) They see Little John leave and enter the church where the find Maid Marion attending to the unconscious Robin. He pulls a knife to kill them both when King Richard enters, back from the crusades. Appalled by how Prince John has treated the country in his absence, King Richard wants to banish him but decides not to as to abide to his mother's wishes and instead imprisons him. He then comforts Marion and voices his thanks to Robin for helping to keep the people of the country alive in his absence. We cut to a later date where Robin is knighted, little John is made a duke and King Richard orders friar Tuck to marry Robin and Marion. We end the film with the wedding.

I will never understand why THIS version of the ending was not used! It truly gives the film a lot more weight and fits the rather dark tone the film gets around the end of the second act. My only theory is that it must have been a budget thing. I can honestly not think of any other reason. personally I consider the cut ending to be my headcanon and it breaks my heart it wasn't used.

So perhaps not the strongest animated film ever, but it's enjoyable in its own right, however I admit if it didn't have Robin in it I wouldn't care at all. As it is however, it is one of only 2 Disney films made using the new Xerox style of the 60s until the early 80s that I actually like. (The other being Sword in the Stone.) But then with the lovely animation by Frank and Ollie as well as Don Bluth it's hard to dislike for some reason.

It is far better than it's 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and I am glad in this case to see the audience does not agree with the critics, giving it a 78% on the same site.