Hey guys! Gerawallstar here, and I am here to review the 21st Walt Disney Animated Film called Robin Hood, which was released in 1973. In my opinion, I like this movie. Its an all around good Disney film.
Story:
This is based off of Robin Hood, but this version uses anaphormorphic animals. Robin Hood receives money from Prince John/Sherriff whom steals money from the poor. Robin Hood and Prince John have a duel. R.H. winning results P. J. and the Sherriff to raise taxes, putting Nottingham resients in jail. So Robin Hood saves them from prison. The story overall is solid. I loved the execution and the writing. What I loved about this version of Robin Hood is that despite being very kid friendly, it is faithful to the classic Robin Hood stories. The classic duel scene was entertaining. I loved the romantic scenes between Maid Marin and Robin Hood. The climax is fin, intense and thrilling. The ending is also very strong. As amazing as the story is, I will admit, the pacing while great, is very slow at times. There where times throughout the movie that I got bored. An example is when a bunch of animals were talking. Aside from that flaw, the story is great and entertaining. I give the story eight stars.
Animation:
I know that this movie was made during the dark ages of Disney. Hence why the animation looks ridiculously cheap. I’ll give the animators some leeway. The visuals and designs overall look ugly and scratchy. What I dislike the most about the animation is the recycled animation in the movie. It was used a lot in one of the songs of the film where the scenes from there are reused from classic Disney movie i.e. Snow White. I find it inexcusable for Disney to be recycling so much animation in this movie. It is not only used in that one song, but it is used in some scenes of the movie as well. The only thing I liked about the animation is just how colorful the movie is. The animation is poor and it looks like something from a Hanna-Barbara cartoon. I give the animation three stars.
Characters:
These characters are a blast. They are what makes this movie so good. The titular character Robin Hood is great as this hero of Nottingham. I loved his personality, likeability, and his determination in helping his town. I liked Little John as the sidekick of Robin Hood. I will not lie, he reminds me so much of Baloo. Prince John is hilarious as a villain. He is comical in every scene he is in. I always get a laugh each time he throws a tantrum. Sherriff is another excellent antagonist. I loved how cold and vile he is towards everybody, and how greedy he is when taking everybody’s money. The other characters are memorable and likeable. The characters I don’t like are the kid characters and Maid Marian. The kid characters are boring and dull. As for Maid Marian, I like her as a character. But I’m sorry. She doesn’t do anything that much in the movie, where she disappears in the second half of the film, while only returning in the end. The voice actors are terrific in their roles and perforances. Phil Harris gives this amazing performance as Little John. Brian Bedford was great as Robin Hood, and Pat Buttram gives us this great performance as the Sherriff. His performance in the movie makes it sound like a mean Sherriff. The characters are amazing, I give the characters nine stars.
Songs:
The songs are another highlight of the movie. I loved the southern feel the music from this movie offers. The opening whistle song is a classic. Fun fact: the Hamster Dance song was based off of this song. The other song “ooo-de-lally” is a fun song introducing Robin Hood and Little John. It gives a banjo vibe to it. “Love” is a sweet romance song between Robin Hood and Maid Marian. It puts you in a romantic mood. “Not in Nottingham” is also enjoyable. “Phony King of England” is a blast to listen to, but it is kind of distracting with a lot of recycled animation. The songs are enjoyable and fun to listen to. I give the songs nine stars.
Verdict:
Robin Hood is a decent film from Disney. It may have some issues with the characters and animation. It does however, have a unique story, fantastic voice performances and catchy songs to make this a fun film to watch. This is a film that is a textbook example of a perfect film for kids to watch, I give this movie 7.5 stars out of 10.
