The jokes and gags in Robin Hood: Men in Tights are certainly plentiful, though they aren't consistently funny. For every gut-buster, there's a joke that will elicit a groan, or even be worthy of a forehead slap. Watching Chappelle pause during a fight to pump up his sneakers or listening to Robin recite a Winston Churchill speech aren't exactly highlights. Adding to that are recurring gags that are amusing at first, but grow stale as time goes on (John's moving mole, and a "bless you" whenever someone says Ahchoo's name, for example). There are even jokes that are set up that don't go anywhere such as Robin of Loxley getting with Marian of Bagelle. Get it? Bagel and Lox? Yeah, it's about that funny.
What does work here are the subtle bits of humor and quirks of the cast that were written into the script. The Sheriff's dyslexia forces him to spew some funny lines; Robin's cockiness is narcissistically charming, and Blinkin's occasional misunderstanding will put a smile on your face. Cameos are abundant here as well and you can expect to see Dom DeLuise, Tracy Ulman, and Patrick Stewart pop up at various points. Mel even appears as Rabbi Tuckman for the Jewish role of Friar Tuck. There are also references to other Brooks films such as Blazing Saddles and History of the World, Part 1.
Though Robin Hood: Men in Tights isn't nearly as successful or funny as his other efforts, it is decidedly a Mel Brooks comedy. The brand of humor is his own and for every whiff there's a joke that will force you to crack a smile. It's certainly not the highlight of the collection, but Brooks fans will find an entertaining film here that's worth revisiting from time to time. Consider it recommended.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights is presented on Blu-ray with a full 1080p high definition and AVC encoding. The film comes with its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and presents itself with a solid transfer that is definitely better than the previous DVD edition. The picture quality here is sharp all around with some nice definition in terms of detail, though some grain and softness holds this release back from being truly spectacular. Colors are vivid all around and black levels are okay, though not great. The transfer here is better than average, but it's not showcase material.
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Article comments
1 - Nancy
Of course it's stupid. Mel Brooks doesn't write films meant for anyone to take seriously. Still, this is one of my favorites. Elwes is solid as a comedian.