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"We're men / We're men in tights / We roam around the forest looking for fights"

1993 PG-13 / Comedy Spoof Directed by: Mel Brooks Starring: Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Dave Chappelle

Tagline

The legend had it coming...

Summary Capsule

The 90's dates itself in a big way with this Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves parody

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Justin's Rating: Yes, leave me alone as well, Mel Brooks!
Justin's Review: Mel Brooks has a way of making ardent fans of movies that aren't really that great. Hey! Stop throwing things at me! Sure, movies like Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs and Blazing Saddles are certainly entrenched as eternal comedic classics, but Brooks comes from a comedy era where only the most base and broad humor was permitted, or else J. Edgar Hoover would arrest you and force you to wear women's clothing for his amusement. If you're the type to like fart jokes and extended running gags and characters all but winking and mugging for the camera, then you probably idolize the man. If you require a bit more sophistication and clever wordplay, then his films are a desolate wasteland to you.

"Did you know that blind people cannot tell the difference between a statue and a real person? 'Tis true!"

Or let me put it this way: Mel Brooks' movies always make me feel like there's a slightly daffy old gentleman sitting behind me, constantly nudging me and going, "Do you get it? Do you get it?"

For the record, I've always wallowed in the middle of the Brooks spectrum, liking a few of his movies a lot and hating the rest even more. What's most surprising is that I honestly remembered Robin Hood: Men In Tights as one of his better comedies, a memory which fell apart once dashed upon the rocks of cruel reality when I bought a discounted copy the other day.

Admittedly, one of the biggest enemies of this film was nothing Mel could prevent: time. Although Men in Tights is a loose satire of many Robin Hood screen legends, about 90% of it is a direct parody of the 1991 Kevin Costner opus Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. POT was one of 1991's big event films that got a lot of replay at my friends' houses, a sort of compromise party movie that everyone would like in varying degrees. So, a parody showing up two years later was just timely enough to make everyone chuckle at all the clever "twists" on the Costner version (Morgan Freeman's Azeem became Dave Chappelle's Ahchoo, and so on).

So, kind of funny, but largely irrelevant today. Prince of Thieves might still be a watchable film, probably because of Alan Rickman's incredible performance as a nasty tool, but it's long since left the pop culture of its 90's birthplace. Ergo, Men in Tights immediately loses 90% of its relevance, and all of the zings! become zorks.

Granted, there are still some good things going for it. This was Chappelle's first film, and aside from the embarrassing early 90's rap scene that he brought to it, he has fun being the blackest brother in the whole damn forest. Cary Elwes generally aquits himself as Robin Hood - the man could always do comedy well. Still, he does an awful lot of exaggerated faces and lines, which stand in stark contrast to his sublimely sarcastic Wesley in The Princess Bride. There's also a really funny blind guy who makes bold strides forward to represent the serious struggles that his handicap presents. Did you know that blind people cannot tell the difference between a statue and a real person? 'Tis true!

Before the end credits arrive, however, you'll have to wade through a bargain bin of mediocre jokes. Mel kind of fell flat in the 90's, with stinkers like Dracula: Dead and Loving It and Life Stinks. Men in Tights starts to unravel and show that he used most of his good jokes about ten years before, and it's been all about maintaining and recycling since then. I particularly could've done without the musical numbers - why do comedies keep thinking musical numbers are funny? They're usually not, in the same way that funerals are usually not that chuckle inducing.

At least this all made me laugh as a kid. Now… now I just blink as the salt from my tears stings my eyes.

"I'm afraid you misheard me. I want to marry your hand. And only your hand." A little chop fooey goes a long way... Okay, I officially don't miss the 90's any longer.

Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

• Patrick Stewart! Have you ever sold out!
• Mel Brooks says "It's good to be the king" when King Richard kisses Maid Marian. This is a reference to a line Brooks spoke as King Louis XVI in his History of the World: Part I.
• Throughout the movie, a mole on the face of Prince John changes position
• 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
• Malcolm X parody
• There is a quick shot of the prince's guards coming out of a hallway. The camera angle and marching drums are almost exactly like the opening credits of the TV series "Hogan's Heroes"
• The hangman in this film is played by Robert Ridgely, who played the hangman in Blazing Saddles

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

Nah.

Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]

I don't know why I noticed this, but on the cover/poster, where Robin Hood's drawing back a bow with five or so arrows in it, the heads of the arrows are obviously drawn in.

The scene where the Sheriff (Roger Rees) falls through the roof of Latrine (Tracey Ullman) and she tries to get him to have sex with her was completely improvised by Rees and Ullman.

There is a rumor that the idea for this film came when a studio executive turned to his son and jokingly demanded "Give me an idea for a sure-fire hit, or else!" The boy replied "That's easy. Do a parody of Robin Hood."

While most of the film's Robin Hood parodies come from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), the banquet scene and a few other elements of the movie also parodies Errol Flynn's film, The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), and the archery contest scene parodied Disney's animated Robin Hood (1973).

This wasn't the first Mel Brooks Robin Hood parody. His previous attempt was the short-lived TV series "When Things Were Rotten" (1975).

None of the actors actually sang their own parts. All of the singing was done by professional singers.

Groovy Quotes

Sheriff of Rottingham: A chastity belt! That's going to chafe my willy!

Ahchoo: Hey, Blinkin!
Blinkin: Did you say "Abe Lincoln"?

Little John: Let me introduce you to my best friend: Will Scarlet.
Scarlet: Scarlet's my middle name. My full name is Will Scarlet O'Hara. [pause] We're from Georgia.

Robin Hood: Prepare for the fight scene!

Robin Hood: Blinkin, listen to me. They've taken the castle!
Blinkin: I thought it felt a bit drafty. Cor, this never would have happened if your father was alive.
Robin Hood: He's dead?
Blinkin: Yes.
Robin Hood: And my mother?
Blinkin: She died of pneumonia while... oh, you were away...
Robin Hood: My brothers?
Blinkin: There were all killed by the plague.
Robin Hood: My dog, Pogo?
Blinkin: Run over by a carriage.
Robin Hood: My goldfish, Goldie?
Blinkin: Eaten by the cat.
Robin Hood: [on the verge of tears] My cat?
Blinkin: Choked on the goldfish.
[pause]
Blinkin: Oh, it's good to be home, ain't it, Master Robin?

Sheriff of Rottingham: Over that boy hand! [pauses, looking confused] Hand over that boy!

Robin Hood: I lost. I lost? Wait a second, I'm not supposed to lose. Let me see the script.

Merry Men: [singing] We're men / We're men in tights / We roam around the forest looking for fights / We're men / We're men in tights / We rob from the rich and give to the poor / That's right! / We may look like sissies / But watch what you say / Or else we'll put out your lights / We're men / We're men in tights / Always on guard / Defending the people's rights / We're men / Manly men! / We're men in tights / Yes! / We roam around the forest looking for fights / We're men / We're men in tights / We rob from the rich and give to the poor / That's right! / We may look like pansies / But don't get us wrong / Or else we'll put out your lights / We're men / We're men in tights / *Tight tights* / Always on guard / Defending the people's rights / When you're in a fix / Just call for the men in tights / We're butch!

Angry Villagers: LEAVE US ALONE, MEL BROOKS!

Ahchoo: Man, white men can't jump.

Robin Hood: Oh, Marian, if only 'twere me.
Maid Marian: Oh, if 'twere you, 'twould be... twerrific.

If you liked this movie, try these:

• The Princess Bride
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
• Blazing Saddles