DAC Diary: Robin Hood

After three movies in a row that I really didn't like, it's such a breath of fresh air to come across one that I ended up loving.

This is probably the only version of Robin Hood that I've seen at this point, so I can't speak for any other version, but for what this movie offered, it's damn good. Robin Hood himself is a very likable protagonist, doing the whole "rob the rich and give to the poor" thing while clearly showing a love for doing so. Brian Bedford's performance really sells the character, giving him the right amount of comedy and genuine kindness. Little John is a very enjoyable kind of doofus, having a good heart but not the best when it comes to brains.

The side characters are a ton of fun, but Prince John and Sir Hiss steal the show with every scene they're in. They're much more comedic villains, and I love seeing them argue like they're an old married couple. It's so hilarious for this supposedly dignified person be reduced to literally sucking his thumb and crying for his mommy and acting like the biggest man-child you'll ever see.

The movie has a real good sense of suspense and action, too, surprisingly enough. There's not that much action in the movie, but when it happens, it can be pretty tense. The climax is easily one of Disney's best. Most of it is very quiet, building up the suspense with very little dialogue and minimal music, but when it kicks into high gear, it's very exciting.

Surprisingly, even the repeated animation didn't bother me that much, which is really odd given that that's usually one of my biggest pet peeves. I think it's because this movie tries to do a much better job of hiding it than The Jungle Book did. It's not that I didn't notice it, it's just that the movie did a better job of having you not notice it THAT much.

Overall, this was a very pleasant surprise for me. I don't know if I'd call it one of Disney's best, but it's certainly one that I wouldn't mind watching a few more times.