Movie Review: Disney's Robin Hood

Disney's Robin Hood by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Recommended For: All Ages

Rating: G

Join Robin Hood, his trusted companion Little John and his hilarious band of Merry Men as they outfox greedy Prince John to save the good people of Nottingham. Dashing from one daring deed to the next, Robin won’t rest until he wins the hand of Maid Marian and restores King Richard to the throne.

Is it bad that of all the Robin Hood retellings I've read or watched, this one is my favorite? I'm just not that big a fan of Robin Hood for multiple reasons, though not as bad as my sister, who went downstairs to sew in the middle of this movie. Yes, I just now saw this, and yes, it's my favorite. Because it's a Disney movie, I can put the rather large moral problems of stealing taxes back from the government behind me (I'm sorry, no matter how bad your government is acting, that isn't how you go about fixing the problem.)

Technology: 5/5

Simply put, it's a Disney movie. It's going to be well-done. I enjoyed the familiar voices from other beloved Disney movies, like Baloo from The Jungle Book as Little John. It was funny to see the animation scenes they recycled from Snow White and The Jungle Book. I really enjoyed the fact that they had Robin and Marian's wedding at the end and King Richard coming back from the Crusades and setting everything to rights, including punishing his brother Prince John and Hiss. Another great job by Disney in this department.

Setting: 5/5

Set in an animal version of England during one of the Crusades, it's rather hard to rate this setting. However, I think it was rather historically accurate, for an animal Disney movie, that is. It was a well-rounded setting, that's for certain.

Plot: 4/5

I'm not exactly sure what the plot was...still, for a Disney movie, it was good. It was exciting and mature, yet childlike. Just as a Disney movie should be. I don't remember any plot holes, and while it wasn't the most spectacular plot it could have been, it was still pretty good.

Character Development: 4/5

While not as developed as they could be, Disney never fails to make even their most minor characters interesting. The vultures were a familiar friend, for instance, and just as nutty as ever. Prince John was entertaining; he was evil, yet cries of "Mummy!" accompanied by thumb-sucking frequented his conversation. Robin Hood was adventurous, yet sometimes serious, and completely in love, a good balance. Little John was a funny supporting character, and Maid Marian was a nice character, although Disney seemed to be under the delusion that Maid was her first name and Marian was her last name. The characters, in review, while a little Disney-typical, were still enjoyable.

Although most of the people out there probably won't understand me not being a fan of anything Robin Hood, I will brave the confusion and thrown things. Meanwhile, I will enjoy Disney's Robin Hood and gather ideas for my Robin Hood/King Arthur mashed retelling. I recommend this movie to children of all ages. This is a good one for family movie night.