Robin Hood: Men In Tights

Reviewed by Drav3n

Format: Blu-ray

Release: May 11, 2010

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 104 Minutes

The Movie:

Mel Brooks delivers another comedy classic with his 1993 comedy-spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights. In Brooks' parody version, Robin of Loxlet returns from the Crusades and discovers that his castle is gone, and the evil Prince John has taken control and abusing his power. Robin also meets Maid Marian who is looking for the man that has the key to her heart...and also her chastity belt. Robin begins training his band of merry men in tights so they can dethrone Prince John and regain his father's land.

If there's one thing you never have to worry about with a Mel Brooks film, is its cast: Cary Elwes (Saw, The Princess Bride), Richard Lewis (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Dave Chappelle (Half-Baked), Dom DeLuise (Spaceballs), Patrick Stewart (X-Men, Star Trek), Isaac Hayes (South Park) and Tracey Ullman. Also worth noting, this is Dave Chappelle's first film he appears in.

The movie provides plenty of references to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, including a remark aimed at Kevin Costner's portrayal of Robin Hood not having an English accent. There's the normal musical skits and plenty of comedic and racy gags to satisify the fans of his movies. There are plenty of pop culture references and also a lot of references to Brook's previous movies also.

Presentation:

Robin Hold: Men in Tights arrives on blu-ray with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio that actually appears to be the weakest-looking out of his films. While the picture does look strong, there are a lot of soft scenes. Blacks are deep and the colors can be strong but some colors, like the green grass, looks too bright and fake, and can become distracting. Skintones look real oversaturated. There are some details that really stand out that were never noticeable on the dvd. It's not a bad transfer, but it's definitely not as good looking as some of his other films.

Audio:

The real highlight of this disc is the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The audio sounds not just clear, but fresh too. From the opening theme, you should have a good idea of how good this movie is going to sound on blu-ray. The sound effects are very strong and have a good amount of detail coming off of them. The dialogue comes through very crisp and clear. An overall pleasant listening experience.

Bonus Material:

• Funny Men in Tights: Three Generations of Comedy (1080i, Runtime 13:49) - This takes a look back on the making of the film and includes interviews with the actors.
• Robin Hood: Men in Tights - The Legend Had it Coming (480p, Runtime 26:14) - The HBO special that includes cast interviews, behind the scenes action and the creation of the action sequences
• Laserdisc Commentary - Featuring Mel Brooks
• Isolated Score Track
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p)
• Mel Brooks Trailers (1080p) - High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, Silent Movie, To Be or Not To Be, and Young Frankenstein.

Bottom Line:

It's not Brooks' best film, but it still delivers some good laughs. While the image lacks in the presentation, it makes up for it with the very impressive audio track. The special features aren't amazing, but the commentary track is definitely worth listening too. Recommended for fans of Mel Brooks, otherwise give it a rental!