I wonder if I’m alone in having this thought. I watched Robin Hood (the one with Flynn, not that other “actor”) as part of my recent binge on old movies.
The whole film revolves around Flynn being a jackass and getting away with it. This fits in well with the character as he relates to the Sheriff of Nottingham and the Norman nobility. But he’s also just generally a dick, or at least that’s what I thought.
The odd thing is that this wins him friends and allies. If some guy in green tights with a scruff of a beard and an impish smile jumped on me and smacked me on the rump with his longsword, I think I’d be inclined to despise him. This is in spite of any offers of mutton and wine, Friar Tuck.
As for the romance, I guess it just goes to show you that being a douche is the way to get girls like Ollivia de Havilland.
The color saturation and special effects ensure that this film has no value as a visual masterpiece, and Flynn’s acting I found to be off-putting. On the other hand the sword duels were well executed (if unrealistic—you try waving a real longsword around like that and see how you do) except when Robin’s sword was clearly bent.
Overall this is a good lesson in dickery and a decent cinematic experience.
