The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men

An expert rendition of an ancient legend that is as pretty as its Technical hues and as lively as a sturdy Western.

For his second British live-action production, Walt Disney took the legend of Robin Hood and translated it to the screen as a superb piece of entertainment, with all the action of a western and the romance and intrigue of a historical drama.

The story is a familiar one--Robin Hood and his band of merry men trying to save the poor folks of Nottingham from Prince John's greedy ways--but, given the Disney treatment, the legendary heroes and events seem even more romantic.

Not as stirring a piece of mythology as the Errol Flynn version (The Adventures of Robin Hood), but a robust, handsome production; made in England, it's a Disney film that doesn't look or sound like one. (That is a compliment.)

Made by Disney, this version starring Richard Todd and a youthful Peter Finch isn't quite up to its predecessor, but zippy nonetheless. Action dominates, sometimes at the expense of the characters. [02 Sep 1993, p.18]

Mostly just a bland, sanitized rip-off of the 1938 Errol Flynn version, offering little in terms of new contributions to the tale, and not improving substantially on anything that was already there.