Rating: Summary: The Definitive Swashbuckler. Review: It is a given that "The Adentures of Robin Hood" is the the film by which all other swashbucklers are measured and it could be argued that this IS the perfect movie.A magnificent screenplay with the perfect cast in glorious Technicolor and a soundtrack composed by a true master. Worth the price even without the oustanding special features! This is definitely a MUST HAVE!
Rating: Summary: A Dream Come True! Review: A fan of classic films, this is one film with which I actually did not become familiar until I started dating my husband about 10 years ago. This is an all-time favorite of his. He was turned on by the great score by Korngold, but became a true fan once he experienced the charm and hilarity of the dialogue, exquisite cinematography, and respect for the actual history upon which the Robin Hood legends are based. Thanks to him, this treasure is now a favorite of mine as well! We could barely wait until it came out; we rushed out the first night it was available and stayed up until the wee hours looking through the special features included in this 2-disc edition. The features are fun and informative, but the greatest gift this DVD gave to us was a realization of the Technicolor. We put our VHS tape in and syncronized the two versions and the result was staggering! Did you know that the dress worn by Lady Marion when first she meets Robin actually sparkles? The Sheriff's cloak is purple?! It was as if a new movie had been released. The extra-special treat for me was the addition of the classic Warner Bros. cartoons starring Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny: 2 bits of fun I wasn't even expecting. A must for any collection; this is a GREAT film and a fantastic DVD!
Rating: Summary: Welcome To Sherwood Forest! Review: "Get it!" That is my two-word review for this DVD Special Edition. I saw this classic film as a child with my parents in maybe 1968 or so. Much of childhood movie-memory is hazy, more of a 'feeling' than a movie critique, but if the movie was fun, that feeling stays with you into adulthood, and prompts you to consider buying the movie on disc. Since The Adventures Of Robin Hood had such a far reaching appeal, people may remember all of the satire and spoofs it later generated. There was even a Bugs Bunny episode that borrowed a clip of Errol Flynn swinging into the scene at the end, and the gallant Daffy Duck had his very own WB spoof as Robin Hood. When I heard that "The Adventures of Robin Hood" was being remastered for DVD, I instantly thought of all those memories, naturally. Are you ready for the good news? All of that is on Disc Two of this package!! And we also have the movie trailer, not only for THIS movie, but for other Errol Flynn vehicles like Captain Blood, and The Prince & The Pauper. And a documentary on the history of color in the movies called "Glorious Technicolor" a full HOUR on the history and magic that is "technicolor". It is almost embarrassing to admit that the special features alone are worth the price of this Special Edition! (I really don't mean to use so many exclamation points, but I spent two nights enjoying various parts of this presentation, and I haven't even gotten to the film itself yet!) Back on Disc One, the film boasts a commentary from a film historian, and Leonard Maltin presents the masterpiece with a short, a newsreel, and a cartoon just like they did back in 1938! You can relive that era pretty much just by pressing play and popping some Jiffy-Pop. The only difference might be an improvement on picture and sound: they have restored the picture, and also the audio. Apparently they still had the dialogue and the music as seperate audio elements, which allowed for truly pristine renovations! This film looks and sounds so great, and is so well done, it would warrant the purchase of a DVD player (if you don't have two already) Welcome to Sherwood Forest my friend, and enjoy! --mf
Rating: Summary: FANTASTIC RESTORATION OF A CLASSIC ACTION ROMANCE Review: Errol Flynn's at his swashbuckling best in a breathtakingly restored ROBIN HOOD, the cream of the crop in a Warner Brothers DVD set that also includes a grizzled, paranoid Humphry Bogart in THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE and a dancing Jimmy Cagney in the patriotic George M. Cohan biopic YANKEE DOODLE DANDY. Robin Hood (1938) was originally directed by Bill Keighley and replaced by Michael Curtiz. The romantic action adventure of the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest who rob the rich and aid the poor also stars Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian. She has terrific screen chemistry with Flynn, who got away with wearing green tights and a feather in his cap while not becoming a joke. (Kevin Costner in the inferior remake refused to wear tights and still became a joke.) The two disc set is loaded with extras. The magnificent score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (Austria's "second Mozart") can be enjoyed in isolation. And there's a dense, amusing commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer that alone is worth the price.
Rating: Summary: ok version Review: but doesn't compare to the classic Kevin Costner flick.
Rating: Summary: A Classic Review: The Adventures of Robing Hood is best Robin Hood movie ever made. Hands down with second place for away. Errol Flynn plays the classic hero in a tail that will leave you saying "Wow." I first saw this movie when I was three years old and was so excited to see it on DVD. The movie is the classic tail of the hero Robin Hood, steal from the rich and give to the poor. Stop Prince Richard and save Maid Marian. They play it to perfection and this is a must own for any DVD collection or Robin Hood fan. You haven't seen Robin Hood if you haven't seen The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Rating: Summary: Fantastic DVD, just a couple of quibbles Review: I love the extras on this DVD set, especially the isolated score and the piano tracks of Korngold playing many of the themes he composed at Warner. Documentary and other extras are great, and as usual Mr. Behlmer peovides interesting facts about the film and its historical context. I will say that I actually prefer the film transfer that I have on a Criterion laserdisc. Purely a matter of taste, but the Criterion disc has much more vibrant color, and to me the color on this DVD appears to be a bit muted. I especially noticed this when looking at the stunningly beautiful Olivia de Havilland in the archery tournament sequence...the blue veil stands out much more in the laserdisc. She is so beautiful in that scene it almost hurts. Aside from wishing the colors were a little more vibrant this is a fantastic set, well worth the wait. I can only hope that Errol Flynn's entire Warner Brothers work is released on DVD.
Rating: Summary: Eat your heart out, Kevin Kostner! Here's Errol Flynn! Review: The digitally restored "The Adventures of Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn & Olivia DeHaviland is a real treat! Join Robin & his merry band in this swashbuckling movie as they steal from the rich & give to the poor & liberate England from Prince John. Marvelous restoration! Includes 2 "Looney Tunes" of Bugs & Daffy in their versions of "Robin Hood" (Yoiks and away! SLAM!)
Rating: Summary: Fantastic DVD Transfer of a Great Movie Review: The Adventures of Robin Hood remains one of the best adventure stories ever put on film. In this new DVD, the viewer will see it in a better version than did the theatre goers of 1938.The transfer to disc has to be seen to be believed: there is a depth to the picture that is almost 3D like. The colors are crisp and vivid. The audio is monaural; there wasn't too much that could be done to change that. Of course the movie remains an excellent telling of the Robin Hood legend with Kudos to all involved. I have not gotten to the second "special features" disc yet, but after watching the movie, which arrived today, I wanted to tell all just how great an experience this is. No film collection should be without it.
Rating: Summary: The long wait is over... Review: Warner Bros. took forever to produce this DVD from their classic library, and by gum, it was worth the wait. My copy arrived only last night and I've already watched the film, and about 1/3 of the voluminous bonus materials. The print is the best you've ever seen of this glorious Technicolor effort. As others have noted, there is some grain, especially in the early castle interior scenes, but once we're taken to the forest, the colors burst from the screen. There's so much here to rave about, but I'll highlight a few of my favorites. Disc two is loaded, boasting a retrospective with commentators like Maltin, Behlmer, and Osborne. It is a terrific companion piece to the film and well worth the 35-minutes investment. During that feature, make sure to pause the DVD to read the actual letter from Erich Wolfgang Korngold asking to be let off the project as musical composer. Unfortunate affairs in his native Austria changed his mind, leading to one of the great scores in American cinema. Nice touch that you can isolate that Oscar-winning score on the feature disc. Don't miss the outtakes either... and the home movies shot by Rathbone and others during filming. My only regret is that the never-so-beautiful-as-she-is-here Olivia de Haviland was not interviewed. At age 87, she seems as elegant and eloquent as ever, based on her appearance at this year's Academy Award telecast. I'm sure her memories of Flynn in general and Robin Hood in particular would have made this an even more revealing look back at this magnificent film.
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