Film Review: Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Mel Brooks, due to delivering some classics of the genre, rightfully earned the title of king of Hollywood parodies in 1970s. His attempt to broaden his range with more generic forms of comedy in 1991 led to Life Stinks, the worst film of his career. The fiasco led him to return what he knew best and in 1993 he delivered Robin Hood: Men in Tights, parody that would be his penultimate but also one of his more commercially successful films.

As the title suggest, object of parody are Hollywood films that deal with Robin Hood, more specifically Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which has turned into major hit two years earlier. Like that film, Men in Tights begins in Jerusalem after the Third Crusade, where the protagonist, young English noble Robin of Loxley (played by Cary Elwes) is imprisoned. He manages to escape with help of Muslim prisoner Asneeze (played by Isaac Hayes) who, in return, asks him to return in England and take care of his son Ahchoo (played by Dave Chapelle), who had came there as exchange student. When he comes to his homeland, Robin learns that his lands were taken by evil Prince John (played by Richard Lewis) and Sheriff of Rottingham (played by Richard Rees). Robin, together with his loyal blind servant Blinkin (played by Mark Blanfield) comes to Sherwood Forest where he joins forces with Little John (played by Eric Allan Kramer) and Will Scarlet O’Hara (played by Matthew Poretta). Robin also attracts attention of beautiful Maid Marian (played by Amy Yasbeck), who is in turn object of lust from evil Rottingham.

For Brooks (who appears in the film in small role of Rabbi Tuck), Men in Tights represented definitive improvement compared to Life Stinks, but it is still a lesser of his works. Taking Prince of Thieves as template took the away the need for original or strong plot and the film functions more like a collection of gags, some spoofing Prince of Thieves, some taking aim at the much older, classic Hollywood film The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Eroll Flynn, and some, like in a manner of so many 1990s parodies, spoofing variety of recent films, like White Men Can’t Jump or JFK. This scattershot approach results in great variations in quality; some scenes are truly hilarious, while others are likely to make audience baffled. To truly enjoy some of the humour the viewer had to have experienced or to be very familiar to certain details of early 1990s US politics or popular culture – like in the jokes dealing with George H. W. Bush’s presidency, Rodney King beatings or popular talk shows at the time (like Arsenio Hall and Larry King). In some cases, film is held above the water by dedicated, talented and diverse cast and the general impression is even better when their roles are compared with their Prince of Thieves counterparts. Cary Elwes is very confident in the role of Robin Hood, and easily wipes the floor with Kevin Costner. Amy Yasbeck is much sexier and effective than Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. But, nothing compared with the way Roger Rees outshines Alan Rickman in the role of chief villain. On the other hand, stand up comic Richard Lewis is wasted in the role of Prince John who acts like neurotic New Yorker. Brooks adds few likeable musical numbers to the film that also help carry the film when the jokes don’t. Men in Tights, which had very good results at the box office, is a film that can be best enjoyed by fans of Brooks’ work. They would probably enjoy his usual approach and references to his past successes, but also be saddened with realisation that his best days were behind him.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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