Robin Hood: Men in Tights vs. Don Martin in Sherwood Forest

I grew up in a time when the legends of Robin Hood were common knowledge.

I had access to the book The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle.  I’ve read the Classics Illustrated version of Robin Hood.  I’ve read the Marvel Classics Comics version of Robin Hood.  I’ve seen the movie The Adventures of Robin Hood with Erroll Flynn.  I’ve seen the movie Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner (Haha!) as Robin Hood.

I even remember a short-lived television show from the 1970s called When Things Were Rotten. The theme song still gets stuck in my head, even though I haven’t heard it for close to 50 years. I could probably hear it again if I wanted to, but I kind of like my version of it and I don’t want it to be ruined by the cheesy 1970s reality.

I guess my point is that there used to be a bunch of stuff about Robin Hood when I was growing up.

Despite my familiarity with Robin Hood, I’ve never seen the movie Robin Hood:Men in Tights by Mel Brooks. I’m not a fan of Mel Brooks movies.  I think I’m the type of person who’s supposed to like Mel Brooks movies, but I just think they’re okay.  I’d rather watch the original Frankenstein movie than watch Young Frankenstein.  I’d rather watch (the original) Star Wars than watch Space Balls.  I’d rather watch a real western than watch Blazing Saddles.

And I’d rather watch a real Robin Hood movie, even one starring Kevin Costner (Haha!) as Robin Hood than watch a Mel Brooks Robin Hood: Men in Tights movie.

I don’t want to say anything bad about Mel Brooks. If you say bad things about Mel Brooks, people get mad, and I’m not that kind of blogger. Still, I watched this scene from Robin Hood:Men in Tights, and I don’t think there’s anything special about it. It kind of feels like a high school skit.

As far as Robin Hood parodies go, Mad Magazine’s Don Martin in Sherwood Forest is far superior.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

This version doesn’t necessarily have a happy ending.

Again, I don’t want to say anything bad about Mel Brooks, but Mel Brooks isn’t fit to sniff Don Martin’s… um… yeah, I guess that would be saying something bad about Mel Brooks.  I don’t want to do that.

Mel Brooks is alright, I guess, but I prefer Don Martin’s style of humor.  If you like high school skits about Robin Hood, watch Robin Hood: Men in Tights. If you like satirical masterpieces, then read Don Martin in Sherwood Forest.