[.ca] The Adventures of Robin Hood (2 Disc Special Edition)

From Amazon.co.uk:
Dashing Errol Flynn is the definitive Robin Hood in the most gloriously swashbuckling version of the legendary story. Warner Brothers reunited Michael Curtiz, their top-action director, with the winning team of Flynn and Olivia de Havilland (Maid Marian) and perennial villain Basil Rathbone as the aristocratic Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and pulled out all stops for the production. It became their costliest film to date, a grandly handsome, glowing Technicolor adventure set to a stirring, Oscar-winning score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The decadent Prince John (a smoothly conniving Claude Rains) takes advantage of King Richard's absence to tax the country into poverty but meets his match in the medieval guerrilla rebel Robin Hood and his Merry Men of Sherwood Forest, who rise up and, to quote a cliché coined by the film, "steal from the rich and give to the poor." Stocky Alan Hale Sr. plays Robin's loyal friend Little John (a part he played in Douglas Fairbanks's silent version), Eugene Palette plays the portly Friar Tuck and Melville Cooper is the bumbling Sheriff of Nottingham. Flynn's confidence and cocky charm makes for a perfect Robin Hood and his easygoing manner is a marvellous counterpoint to Rathbone's regal bearing and courtly diction. The film climaxes in their rousing battle-to-the-finish sword fight, a magnificently choreographed scene highlighted by Curtiz's inventive use of shadows cast upon the castle walls. --Sean Axmaker

Amazon.com essential video:
Dashing Errol Flynn is the definitive Robin Hood in the most gloriously swashbuckling version of the legendary story. Warner Brothers reunited Michael Curtiz, their top-action director, with the winning team of Flynn and Olivia de Havilland (Maid Marian) and perennial villain Basil Rathbone as the aristocratic Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and pulled out all stops for the production. It became their costliest film to date, a grandly handsome, glowing Technicolor adventure set to a stirring, Oscar-winning score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The decadent Prince John (a smoothly conniving Claude Rains) takes advantage of King Richard's absence to tax the country into poverty but meets his match in the medieval guerrilla rebel Robin Hood and his Merry Men of Sherwood Forest, who rise up and, to quote a cliché coined by the film, "steal from the rich and give to the poor." Stocky Alan Hale Sr. plays Robin's loyal friend Little John (a part he played in Douglas Fairbanks's silent version), Eugene Palette the portly Friar Tuck, and Melville Cooper the bumbling Sheriff of Nottingham. Flynn's confidence and cocky charm makes for a perfect Robin Hood, and his easygoing manner is a marvelous counterpoint to Rathbone's regal bearing and courtly diction. The film climaxes in their rousing battle-to-the-finish sword fight, a magnificently choreographed scene highlighted by Curtiz's inventive use of shadows cast upon the castle walls. --Sean Axmaker

Additional Features:
Never has Warner Bros.'s Technicolor classic looked as vibrant and lush as it does on this DVD. The restoration alone is worth the DVD's weight in stolen booty. But adding to its wealth are the pertinent extras that support the film's story, its historical background, its technical achievements, and the Robin Hood legend as a whole. Notable extras include Rudy Behlmer's commentary, which will tell you more than you ever thought you needed to know about the film. The "Welcome to Sherwood" documentary nicely balances the historical state of Warner Bros. studio in the late 1930s, the decision to make the film, its production, and its continuing success. There's even an hourlong documentary on the history of Technicolor, which is interesting and surprisingly scandalous. In closing, (and maybe the best of the extras!) are two classic "Looney Tunes" cartoons based on the merry prankster from Sherwood Forest. Simply stated: a great package for a perfect film. --Rob Bracco

great movie ....second DVD is amaaazing!:
This is more a review of the package than the movie , which is a classic and extremely well presented on disc one....vivid colors , crisp images....not a complaint there....and the bonus features are very good....a comprehensive set of Errol Flynn movie trailers...WB night at the movies....(an exhausting Rudy Belmer commentary track that will have you gasping for air). the SECOND disc is just ridiculous in its amount of archival coverage.. a wonderful documentary on the movie a great feature on the history of Technicolor.... two very fun looney tunes cartoons with a Robin Hood theme... outtakes from the movie! home movies shot during filming! a long lost Errol Flynn movie about yachting.. and a positively thrilling short film about archer Howard Hill... and more. HOURS of fun and informative viewing on disc two alone! Warners should be congratulated for such a comprehensive set ....buy this and encourage them to keep this type of content coming!!!

Robin Hood by Richard Greene is the real thing:
I am 52 and when i was younger my idol for Robin Hood was Richard Greene. But i think i will still buy this film as reffering to customer critics it looks very good.

great fun for everybody(1938 version):
i really liked this movie.it has pretty much all you could ask for.it's funny,action packed,with good dialogue.the acting is probably better than in a lot of today's movies.that may be to do with the fact that back then(1938)there weren't a lot of things to distract the audience,like special effects.so the focus is on the actors and the story.also,talking movies were relatively new,with many of the actors coming from the 'silent film' school of acting.you had to communicate everything by gesture, body language or facial expressions.the fighting scenes may seem a bit hammy,but that's how they did it in the era this movie was made.anyway,for me,this is a great movie for pretty much any age group.the violence is minimal,and there are no bad words.there is a bit of romance,but i don't think there's anything inappropriate for kids.and the DVD itself,(the 2004 35th anniversary edition)has a crisp,clean, sharp picture and sound.i give "The Adventures of Robin Hood" a 5/5

One of Errol Flynn's best films:
As I said before, there had been many film adaptations based on the famous tales of the English folk hero Robin Hood and his Merry Men since 1908; and all of them very different too. It is difficult to choose which are my favorite Robin Hood films...but I would I say that Disney's and this version are the best Robin Hood films EVER! it has all the adventure,humor and romance;and this film is what got me to love Errol Flynn. I love the scene where Robin (Errol Flynn) climbed up the ivy on the steep Nottingham castle wall to the chamber window of his beautiful lady love Marian (Olivia de Havilland), to express his gratitude for her daring part in his rescue. She was surprised when he entered through the chamber window, high in the castle wall. She was embarrassed to realize that he had overheard her confession of love to her maid Bess. Denying her feelings of love, she excused her thoughts as a "game." In an amorous conversation exhibiting one-upmanship, the two bantered and jested with each other. They shared a tender, innocent, storybook romantic scene on the open balcony - they were equally in love with each other, and shared an embrace and kiss.

I SAW A CAR!!!!:
Love this film! But did you know I saw a car pass by in the film itself!! Check the scene where in MUCH is having a fight with one of Prince John's men and lost. He was then helped by one of Robin's men. In that scene in the forest where they were talking..just the two of them..you see in the back a car PASSED by!! This is the scene right before they reported to Robin Hood near the end of the movie..I checked it many times..it is a car..after watching the documentary where they said they filmed the movie in a park...I was sure of it..But help me confirm it!!! tell me!!