Way Back Wednesday: Robin Hood: Men in Tights

With the way parodies turn out nowadays (Epic/Superhero/Date/Etc. Movie) I would not blame some one for being hesitant before checking older ones out. But Mel Brooks (Along with Jim Abrahams and David Zucker in the 80's) is the best at making a parody. That being said it is really hard to pick his best one. With films like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, and History of the World Part I how can you pick. This week I decided to review his last parody, 1993's Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Why Brooks hasn't continued this lost art escapes me.

The main point of Men in Tights is to continuously make fun of the big budget Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner. It might not have been too difficult to make this because Prince of Thieves was just ripe for the picking. I mean you have Costner putting on what could possibly be the worst English accent ever portrayed on film. Brooks realizes this and even has his Robin Hood, Carey Elwes, say "Unlike other Robin Hood's, I can do an English accent."

Here is a clip of Costner's accent. Bonus points if you can watch it without either cringing or laughing. (You also get to hear Cristian Slater's "fine" accent)

See what I mean.

With Brooks behind the camera he was able to get the most out of his cast, like he so often does. Carey Elwes, who has almost perfected the art of parody acting by appearing in The Princess Bride and Hotshots! before this, is fantastic in the lead role. He's suave, funny, and can ham it up like no other. We also get Dave Chappelle's fist ever film role. Even though he's younger he's still got that sharp sense of humour and you could tell he was going for big things in the comedy world. The great stand-up comedian Richard Lewis plays the childlike Prince John. But I have to say the star of the movie was Roger Rees as the Sheriff of Rottingham. Rees plays his character with conviction and every misspoken phrase is comedic gold.

I would also be remiss if I failed to mention the late, great, Dom DeLuise in his brief but memorable role as Don Giovanni. DeLuise does his best Brando from The Godfather and will have you in stitches by the end of it.

In this film Brooks does what he does best by writing an awesome screenplay. Unlike parodies these day the jokes make sense and are well timed. Brooks infuses the film with pop culture references such as the Reebok Pump shoes which were all the rage back then as well as various references to his own films. He has the same Undertaker from Blazing Saddles, the line "It's good to be the King!" is taken from History of the World Part I, and even a black sheriff, again from Blazing Saddles. And of course, like any other Mel Brooks film, he has to appear in it himself. This time playing the wise Rabbi who is an expert moyle.

Men in Tights may not be Mel Brook's best film but it is still hilarious. It holds up after all these years and is way better than anything Friedberg and Sletzer crap out. Line after line, scene after scene, you will laugh from be genning to end because that is what a good parody is supposed to do. And this is one good parody.

And for your viewing pleasure,