robin hood: Men in tights (1993) review
It’s Dave Chappelle week here at The QC and while his role in Robin Hood: Men in Tights was a smaller one, it counts. I re-watched the Mel Brooks produced/directed comedy for this review and was pleasantly surprised that Chappelle’s Achoo plays into the story more than I remembered. Seeing a then relatively unknown Chappelle garner some of the biggest laughs is a treat and of course unsurprising when you consider the heights he would reach as a comedian and actor. Men in Tights (1993) wisely sends up the timeless Robin Hood-must-save-the-villagers trope and is just as good today as it was back in the early nineties. It’s Spaceballs set during the Crusades. The first hour is endlessly rewatchable and filled with rapid fire sight gags, a few of which went right over my head as a youngling. The first meeting between Robin of Locksley and Little John is comedy gold. I’ll never tire of seeing Little John struggle not to drown in a puddle of water four inches deep. Anachronisms are frequent and played up as only Mel Brooks could, from Prince John closing the castle gates with a car fob to Achoo’s snapback fedora. The third act falters a bit under the weight of expectations set by the first sixty minutes and that is my only criticism. Skip the last half hour. Problem solved.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a cult classic and should be watched by all. 10/10 for the first sixty minutes and 6/10 for the final thirty.