As is often the case with Disney films, the characters are the highlights of Robin Hood. Our titular character is legend personified, and Disney does a swell job at balancing the archetypal views of Robin Hood with some new interpretations of the character as well. Robin asking Little John towards the beginning of the film if he thinks they are the bad guys or the good guys is a nice insight to the character that Disney is aiming to uniquely bring to life. Speaking of Little John, the voice of Phil Harris strikes again. Following up The Jungle Book and The AristoCats, his Little John is sly, funny, and the perfect counterpart to Robin Hood. The fact that Harris is not a Disney Legend is mind-blowing to me. Maid Marian is a fine Disney heroine, especially when she interacts with Robin. The citizens of Nottingham, including the infamous Sheriff and Friar Tuck, are nice additions to this character ensemble and afford an opportunity to the animators to work some genuine Disney magic.
However, our villain, Prince John, is one of Disney's weakest bad guys, oftentimes acting like too much of a buffoon to take seriously as a royal with a true diabolical plan. I understand what Disney was going for with this characterization (See the Historical Significance section for more), but Prince John never really threatens Robin Hood. The hallmark of a great Disney villain is that they must make the audience feel as if the leading character's plans/lives are truly on the line. In Robin Hood it always feels as if Robin and Little John are in complete control. What would have made this film infinitely better would have been the addition of a memorable villain, perhaps with a different direction for Prince John or an expanded role for the Sheriff who is relegated to carrying out the Prince's weak plans instead of coming up with some plans of his own.
I have often praised the music in Disney films. Even in a film that I didn't much care for like The Sword in the Stone, I conceded that the music was quite stellar. The music for Robin Hood is, at best, passable. Sure, the tunes are catchy and will leave you humming and singing the words for the rest of the day, but the lyrics never provide any substance other than for the simple fact that they aim to entertain. Even with the film's attempted signature moment when "Love" is being performed while Marian and Robin enjoy an evening together, we feel a connection with the characters, but the song is lackluster and adds nothing to the scene. When I think of Robin Hood, the songs are not what cross my mind.
The animation in Robin Hood is solid, but at times appears rather uninspired. Borrowing and reusing scenes from previous films (See Behind the Scenes below), Robin Hood seems like a film that Disney is exclusively in to make a profit on. The guidance of Walt Disney is sorely missed as there is a great film in Robin Hood somewhere just begging to come out, but at the end of the day, the final result is simply a good film from Disney. All that being said, as I mentioned earlier, Robin Hood is quite entertainment nonetheless. Its leading characters are really solid and the action sequences (the archery tournament aftermath and the final jail break, in particular) are so well done. The voice acting on display here is spectacular (Phil Harris! Pat Buttram! Barbara Luddy!). Once again, though, I hold Disney to a much higher standard, and for me, Robin Hood falls well short of reaching that standard.
Rating: 7.5/10
Historical Significance: Prince John was modeled after the real life prince. In the film, Prince John begins sucking his thumb and pouting at the mere mention of his mother. According to history, John was the favorite and relatively spoiled child of his parents over his brother, King Richard. John was thought to be rather crass and dim-witted. This inspired the characterization of Prince John in the film. Disney wanted to play around with this idea of a spoiled prince aspiring to be king, and the result was what we see in the film. Furthermore, when Richard was king, he did in fact leave to fight in the crusades just as was mentioned in Robin Hood, and John did attempt to usurp the crown while he was away. This information shows that Disney is putting their own unique twist on a character that is already steeped in history and legend.
Behind the Scenes: Robin Hood borrows and recycles sequences from earlier Disney films quite often. One example of this was when Little John and Lady Cluck are dancing in the "Phony King of England" sequence. Little John's dancing is almost identical to Baloo's dancing in the "I Wanna Be Like You" scene from The Jungle Book. Even the voice of Phil Harris is the same. Additionally, in that same scene, Maid Marian's dancing with the forest animals is nearly the same as Snow White's dancing with the dwarfs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Some of the scenes in the forest were also recycled from those two classic films as well. This was due to the fact that these characters and backgrounds were so well done and required such a great amount of time to finish that Disney did not want them to be seen in just one moment for just a few minutes. This act of borrowing and recycling would not be uncommon for the studio to implement in its early days.
Favorite Character: Robin Hood is the star of his own film. When he is on the screen, Robin Hood really thrives. When he is not on the screen, Robin Hood tends to drag. The entertainment level rises and falls with the presence, or lack thereof, of its leading character. Robin Hood is funny, charming, and ever bit of the legend precedes him. His interactions with Little John and Maid Marian are some of the highlights of the film as he becomes a bright spot for the entire film.
Favorite Scene: Robin Hood and Little John's raid on Prince John's parade near the beginning of the film is a truly fantastic scene. From the physical and situational comedy at play to the interaction between these characters, this scene contains everything I wish the entire film was filled with: wittiness, great animation with excellent character animation, and genuine energy. It is an absolute delight.
Favorite Song: I have already expressed my disdain for this soundtrack, but if I had to single out one song as my favorite of the bunch, I would have to say the opening song, "Oo-De-Lally," is a song that is so catchy that it is impossible to resist. In fact, ever since the film ended for me this morning, I have been humming it quite often throughout the day.
Updated Ranking: I do not dislike Robin Hood by any stretch, but I wanted so much more. Here's how it stands against the other twenty animated films up to this point in our Summer of Magic.
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Peter Pan
- Cinderella
- The Jungle Book
- Sleeping Beauty
- Pinocchio
- Lady and the Tramp
- Alice in Wonderland
- Dumbo
- Bambi
- 101 Dalmatians
- Fantasia
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
- The AristoCats
- Fun and Fancy Free
- Robin Hood
- Melody Time
- The Three Caballeros
- Saludos Amigos
- The Sword in the Stone
- Make Mine Music
Remember, I like something about every Disney film, and Robin Hood is no different. While there are plenty of aspects about the film I wish were better executed, I still really enjoy this film. Next up, we'll watch the best Disney offering from the seventies and eighties (until The Little Mermaid in 1989, that is): The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh!
-Cody Fleenor
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