Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

 

Could this very well be Mel Brooks' best known spoof/comedy? It just might.

Is it also his best? No. The biggest reason for this, is that 'Men in Tights' is too close a spoof of 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' and is therefore by default dated, whereas something like 'Blazing Saddles' or 'Young Frankenstein' will always remain timeless.

Nevertheless, this is a hoot if you are in for some silly shenanigans and (at times) lowbrow jokes. 

This film actually is a mesh of both 'Prince of Thieves' and the Disney variant and runs amuck with all kinds of silly gags, both visually and verbally. Robin of Locksley returns home from the crusades, finds some sidekicks and then fights against the sheriff of Rottingham and Prince John, all the while wooing Maid Marian. 

If you are familiar with Mel Brooks, you'll find a lot of his tropes here. Of course there are anachronisms galore; fourth-wall breaking; sexual innuendo and the obligatory Jewish jokes, because that is Brooks' schtick. 

Yes, that was an intentional use of a Yiddish word. If you think I'd pass up that opportunity, you might be considered meshuggah. 

Alright, enough with the horrendous puns.

This film is enjoyable, mainly thanks to Cary Elwes who plays Robin much like Erroll Flynn did, with a massive nudge and a wink to the audience. Most other characters pretty much dwarf in his presence. Sure, the Sheriff or Rottingham gets a couple of laughs, mainly thanks to his speech impediment where he constantly switches around words in a sentence (and his looks are clearly based on Alan Rickman), but there are also some problems. Dave Chappelle is pretty much a throwaway character and the rest of the cast gets some cracks at jokes, but nothing much. 

The writing is also hit-and-miss at times. Some jokes and gags are pretty awful or fail to land completely. The musical number that the 'men in tights' bring is memorable, but also a bit cheesy to the extreme after so many years. And Brooks' minor role as the rabbi just falls flat. 

So, this film undoubtedly has problems, but it isn't a failure. It still has a load of good jokes and it's sure to get most people laughing. It's major downside is that it feels dated, which is a real shame. If the script had focused more on the story instead of taking pot shots at another film, it would have aged better, as a lot of jokes directed at that other film fall flat if you have never seen that one. 

Still: give it a go.