Robin Hood-Men in Tights (1993)

Cary Elwes made his childhood acting debut at 5 years old as a servant to the Sheriff of Nottingham in a school production of Robin Hood. In inadvertent preparation for his later role, he deliberately tripped in order to create some humor.

Director Brooks also helped create the short-lived 1970s television series When Things Were Rotten, spoofing the same subject."
 
"...certainly good for a few laughs."  Doug Pratt, DVDLaser.com
"...one of the best musicals of the 1990s and one of Brooks' very best..."  Eric Lurio, Greenwich Village Gazette
"...certainly good for a few laughs."  "Doug Pratt, DVDLaser.com"
"...one of the best musicals of the 1990s and one of Brooks' very best..."  "Eric Lurio, Greenwich Village Gazette"
 


Editor's Note

A parody of the much-done medieval English tale of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS also directly lampoons the politically correct ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, which starred the hearthrob of the time, the very un-British Kevin Costner. English hearthrob Cary Elwes gets a turn in the role of the hero of Sherwood Forest who robs from the rich to give to the poor when he returns from the Crusades to find his beloved King Richard (Patrick Stewart in an amazing Sean Connery imitation) usurped by the evil Prince John (Richard Lewis) and his henchman, the Sheriff of Rottingham (Roger Rees). In typical Brooks fashion there is much satire, some gross jokes, a dash of screwball farce, and a Jewish spin put on gentile characters: Hence, Friar Tuck is transformed into Rabbi Tuckman (Mel Brooks), who is eager to perform circumcisions on the dim-witted Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Tracey Ullmann further livens up the ensemble as the witchlike cook Latrine. Those familiar with other Brooks films will also note moments parodying some of the director's own past spoofs, including HIGH ANXIETY and BLAZING SADDLES.


Plot Summary

In this spoof of Robin Hood movies (and his own comedies), writer-director Mel Brooks goes for laughs in his usual way and off-color humor abounds.