Movies - Robin Hood: Men in Tights

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	Movies - Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993) is a film parody of the story of Robin Hood, particularly parodying Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
. Other Robin Hood films, such as The Adventures of Robin Hood
and Disney's Robin Hood
, are also parodied. It was directed by Mel Brooks and stars Cary Elwes in the title role. The film is reminiscent of Brooks's 1975 Robin Hood based sitcom When Things Were Rotten.

Plot

Robin Hood (played by Cary Elwes) is captured during the Crusades and is imprisoned. With the help of fellow inmate Asneeze (played by Isaac Hayes), he escapes and makes his way back to England. When he arrives, he discovers that Prince John (played by Richard Lewis) has taken over England while King Richard (played by Patrick Stewart) is away fighting in the Crusades and unbeknownst to him, John is abusing his power. With the help of his bumbling blind servant Blinkin (played by Mark Blankfield) and exchange student Ahchoo (played by Dave Chappelle, in his first major role), he attempts to form a band of thieves to right the wrongs of the Prince. At the same time, he attracts the anger of the Sheriff of Rottingham (played by Roger Rees), as well as the love of Maid Marian (played by Amy Yasbeck). His band of thieves turns out to be a large contingent of village idiots, so he must train them for battle, with great difficulty.

Trivia

The film makes references to Blazing Saddles
(1974) and History of the World, Part I
(1981), both previous works of Brooks. There are also references to White Men Can't Jump
and Malcolm X
.
Matthew Porretta, who played Will Scarlet O'Hara in this film, later played Robin Hood in the television series The New Adventures of Robin Hood.
Patrick Stewart
, who plays King Richard, also previously assumed the role of Robin Hood as his character Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, in the episode "Q-pid" (1991).
Mel Brooks previously parodied Robin Hood in his critically acclaimed but short-lived 1975 TV series, When Things Were Rotten. Dick Van Patten
co-starred in that series as Friar Tuck, and has a cameo in Men in Tights playing The Abbot.
This film parodies Kevin Costner's performance as Robin Hood, in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, in the following quote: "Because unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent."
Instead of Friar Tuck, as it usually is in the legend, because of Mel Brooks' ancestry, Mel Brooks plays the rabbinical counterpart, Rabbi Tuckman.
The "Men in Tights" song uses the same musical score as the "Jews in Space" song from History of the World: Part 1
.
Despite demand from Brooks fans, the film is as yet unreleased on DVD. Even online retailer Amazon.com lists the Danish version of the DVD (that won't work on standard US DVD players) just to satisfy fans. However, a recent review of an unrelated film on the Calgary Sun website lists a Mel Brooks box set becoming available April 4, 2006 that would include Men in Tights, as well as Young Frankenstein
, Silent Movie
, To Be or Not to Be, History of the World: Part 1, The Twelve Chairs, and High Anxiety
.
While most of the film parodies Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
, the archery contest parodies the 1973 Disney
film.
There are a few instances where one of Prince John's men points out that John's mole was on the other side of his face before. This is a clear reference to Brooks' Young Frankenstein
, where Igor's hump frequently switches sides, but he insists it was always on that side.
The gag about Robin being able to speak with an English accent is a reference to Kevin Costner
's performance in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
(1991). Unfortunately viewers who saw both movies in a dubbed version couldn't get this gag. For the German dubbed version the gag was changed to: "because I - unlike some other Robin Hood - do not cost the producers 5 million". The German word "kosten" (cost) was also pronounced to sound a little bit like Costner. In the French dubbed version, it is translated as, "Because unlike other Robin Hoods, I do not dance with the wolves", referring to another Kevin Costner movie Dances with Wolves
(1990).

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