Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cary Elwes, Roger Rees, Richard Lewis, Amy Yasbeck, Dave Chappelle, Mark Blankfield, Tracy Ullman, Eric Allan Kramer, Matthew Porretta, Mel Brooks, Isaac Hayes, Megan Cavanagh, Dom DeLuise, Patrick Stewart. [PG-13]

Mel Brooks’ amiably goofy spoof of the Robin Hood story (especially the most recent cinematic rendering, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) is a second-tier effort from the comedy legend, but should satisfy the less-fastidious among his faithful. Elwes is well-cast in the lead role (after all, “unlike some other Robin Hoods, [he] can speak with an English accent”), returning from the Crusades to battle tyranny and rob from the rich to give to the poor and yada yada yada. The story is told in a perfunctory fashion, and the pic misses a lot of opportunities for more clever, culturally-specific, and character-based jokes—and trots out plenty of groaners and lazily recycled “moldy oldies” from the old vaudeville routines that have always flavored the director’s work instead—but the zingers, off-hand wordplay, and game performers compensate satisfactorily. Several segments became instantly dated from the short time between theatrical release and its arrival on home video (the Merry Men rappers, a nod to Arsenio Hall, etc.), but it was in the latter form that the movie became a minor cult fascination as possibly Mel’s most underrated offering. A few choice sight gags succeed despite an overall flat visual presentation. Rees scores consistently as the buffoonish Sheriff of Rottingham, and Blankfield’s blind sidekick, Blinkin, gets a lot of the best lines (“It’s good to be home, ain’t it, Master Robin?” “Did you say ‘Abe Lincoln’?” “A Jew? Here?” and so on). Chappelle’s film debut; Brooks semi-regular Dick Van Patten cameos.

66/100