6/10
This Hammer production results to be a passable version based on the legendary character with spectacular fights and average production values .
18 September 2020
Swashbuckling , action , romance and dueling in this entertaining adventure movie . Robin Hood, also known Robin O'Locksley and the Earl of Huntingdom, is probably and sadly a creation of romantic imaginations . If Robin Hood did exist, it's almost certain that he was not a Saxon , though his enemies may well have been the Norman sheriff of Nottinghan and Prince and later king John Lackland . In 13th century England, Robin Hood (Don Taylor) , the World's Most Renowned Swordsman , along with band of marauders as Little John (Leslie Linder) , Friar Tuck (Reginald Beckwith) , Will Scarlett and confront local corruption and lead an uprising against the Sheriff that will forever alter the balance of world power . Robin lives again , a hero of every villain , friend to those who have friends . The movie now opens with a prologue : 1194 A.D. England is a troubled land . King Richard the Lion Heart is a prisoner in Germany with but half his ransom paid at home . His brother Prince John is intriguing to obtain the crown himself . In the county of Nottingham Robin Hood and his outlaw band take toll from Richard travellers . And it is a bold voyager indeed who ventures to ride through Sherwood Forest . Robin riding into the forest on horseback and his identity is never revealed , being mercilessly chased by the Sheriff's men . Robin Hood pretends to avoid the killing of the King Richard and disguised as a minstrel or troubadour enters at the enemy stronghold . Robin Hood formulates a plan to rescue Richard ,but being discovered his masquerade , as he is captured himself and while the sheriff plans to eliminate him .

The movie has acceptable action sequences well staged with stylish and vitality , adventure , romance and is pretty entertaining ; however being realized in TV style and a lot of scenes set at castle interior. There are some nice action sequences including the battles in forests and the ending confrontation at the climax of the film . The movie was shot on natural sets , but mostly in studio : Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England with functional production design by Elder Wills . Colorful cinematography by Walter Harvey , it fact it was the first color film by Hammer .

The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Val Guest . He was a craftsman expert on terror genre for Hammer production , . Val's directorial debut came in 1943 with Miss London Ltd. (1943). He has since been responsible for some of the best, mediocre and indeed worst British films of our time . He made nice science fiction movies as Quatermass experiment (1955) and sequel : Quatermass 2 , The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth(1970) , Hammer follow up to One Million Years B.C. (1966). And other movies as The Abominable Snowman (1957) , The Camp on Blood Island (1958), Expresso Bongo (1959) ,Where the Spies Are (1966) ,The Boys in Blue (1982), among others .

Other versions about this famous character are the following ones : ¨Robin Hood and his Merrie men ¨(1952) by Ken Annakin with Richard Todd and Peter Finch ; ¨Robin Hood price of thieves (1991) ¨ by Kevin Reynolds with Kevin Costner , Alan Rickman and Morgan Freeman , the same year was exhibited ¨Robin Hood¨ by John Irvin with Patrick Bergin and Uma Thurman but was a flop though the critics considered best adaptation . The classic rendition is ¨The adventures of Robin Hood¨ by Michael Curtiz with Errol Flynn and Olivia De Havilland and recent rendition Robin Hood by Ridley Scott with Russell Crowe , Oscar Isaac and Cate Blanchet.
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