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Reviews
Robin Hood (1991)
Tongue gently in cheek
This film is not nearly as historically "accurate" as some would have it, and thankfully so. It winks, it nods and nudge-nudges, but ever so gently. (If you want outright yucks, turn to the Mel Brooks version.) What it is is a delicious entertainment.
Bergin plays it (mostly) straight, Prochnow goes over the top (as he should in this role), Thurman adds sex (which she can't avoid), and Krabbé broods. Fox adds to the deliciousness with his wily vileness. Friar Tuck gets some of the best lines (without having to resort to mohel jokes). The Will Scarlet and Little John characters are boring (David Morrissey has had better roles, including Ripley in the recent Viva Blackpool series on BBC America), but the character actors playing the "little people" like the carpenter, the maker of long bows, the court jester, etc., strut their stuff and add greatly to the finished product.
For a TV movie, the photography isn't bad; the fog and dankness work well on the small screen. And, as others have noted, it's nice to see clanging broadswords in play. And the best part of Prochnow's death scene are the final words he hears from Friar Tuck.
The Twelve Chairs (1970)
Serious Comedy
A "serious comedy" from Mel Brooks. "The Twelve Chairs" borders on farce but is relatively restrained. This restraint is all the more remarkable in light of Dom DeLuise's manic attempts to take over. Ron Moody (who is best remember as Fagin in 'Oliver' on film and on the West End and Broadway)is superb. Frank Langella is less impressive, but he does bring the necessary character to the role. If you expect and want "Blazing Saddles" this movie is not for you. Nor is it as perfect a picture as "Young Frankenstein". But this Brooksian take on a Russian comedy of errors is well worth your attention. The belly laughs are few and far between, but the tugs on the heartstrings (along with some slapstick) suffice. If I am spare on the details, it is only because I have not seen this motion picture since its theatrical release in 1970; it's definitely one to which I have to renew my acquaintance.