[**** stars / *****]
The Adventures of Robin Hood radiates with the flourish of daring adventure and courage that we identify with every Robin Hood tale we know.
Ageless trendsetter
This is how a Robin Hood movie should be, light, sunny and free-flowing in its telling, conversationally funny, without any dark, psychotic grimness in its villainy.
It's hard to imagine another Robin Hood movie in any other space, after watching this version.
For instance, Ridley Scott's Robin Hood (2010) - though impressive in parts, the dark realistic treatment doesn't go with the Robin Hood's heroic, elevated persona, the origin-tale takes its time to engage.
This is a fable and legend that needs celebrating and directors Michael Curtiz and William Keighley ensure it is so.
The best Robin Hood movie yet
Breathless sword fighting, breezy romance, good-hearted hero vs villain duels, perky background music, crisp dialogues and good performances, The Adventures of Robin Hood is Hollywood at its classic best.
The lead Errol Flynn performance is still cinema magic, it's like Flynn was born to play Robin Hood.
Olivia di Havilland is alluring as Lady Marian, the rest of the cast are in reasonable form, though Flynn charms his way through them all.
There are few movies of the adventure drama genre that lights up with such Technicolor radiance.
The infectious cheerfulness of The Adventures of Robin Hood hasn't aged a day.
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