Walt Disney had long been interested in telling the story of Reynard the Fox, but never could find the way to tell it that he thought would be palatable to kids. Because of that, it kept getting shelved. After Disney’s death, they finally found a way to integrate the anthropomorphic characters into an animated film. It wasn’t Reynard the Fox as it turned out but the story of Robin Hood.
For people growing up in the 70s, this version of Robin Hood is often cited as the one that was the most influential as far as impressions of this tale. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Robin Hood series with Wolfgang Reitherman’s 1973 animated film Robin Hood.
We talk about our memories of the film and whether it’s held up all these years later. We look at the characterizations of the main players and debate whether they should’ve been so simplistic or if it works just the way it was. We chat about the stellar cast and how everyone worked so well (even if we disagree about how Prince John is portrayed). We touch on the animation style that Disney was using at the time and how it affects this film. We look at where this film was pulling from for its references. And we realize that perhaps this film, Chicken Little, and Zootopia are all a part of the same cinematic universe.
It’s Disney lite with this film, something that’s fun but also a bit forgettable. Still, we have a great time discussing it. Check it out then tune into this week’s show! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.
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Film Sundries
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- Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon • YouTube
- Script Transcript
- Original theatrical trailer
- Original poster artwork
- Flickchart
- Letterboxd
