Robin Hood

One of the worst animated films ever produced by Disney, Robin Hood reimagines the iconic title character as a feisty fox and details his ongoing adventures in Sherwood Forest alongside such familiar figures as Little John, Friar Tuck, and Maid Marian. It’s a well-worn tale that’s told with as little energy and momentum as one could possibly imagine, with the movie progressing at an almost impossibly sluggish pace and suffering from a serious lack of compelling sequences. It is, as a result, not surprising to note that the episodic narrative is devoid of elements designed to hold the viewer’s interest, with the uninvolving atmosphere compounded by a selection of hopelessly underdeveloped characters that are, for the most part, impossible to root for. The bright, vibrant animation is Robin Hood‘s sole saving grace, although even this aspect of the proceedings rarely manages to impress as much as one might’ve expected (ie there’s just something mechanical and by-the-numbers to the film’s look). Filmmaker Wolfgang Reitherman’s decision to gear the movie primarily towards small children is evident in virtually every frame, as most sequences are lined with bottom-of-the-barrel jokes and simplistic characterizations – which, in turn, prevents the viewer from forming any kind of connection to the material. By the time the noisy, frenetic climax rolls around, Robin Hood has completely snuffed out any potential its premise may have possessed and cemented its place as a justifiably forgotten Disney endeavor.

* out of ****