10 Fantastically Unexpected Takes on Robin Hood

The caption of Robin Hood has been around since the fifteenth century , possibly even earlier , and is still as popular as ever . AsHollywood tramp out a “ game ” takeon the news report this workweek , there ’s no safe clock time to recall our other favourite interpretation that took a deliberately non - traditional approach to the classical story .

This is not to say that we do n’t love the character as played by the ilk of Douglas Fairbanks , Errol Flynn , or Kevin Costner ( actually , we were rooting for Alan Rickman ’s Sheriff of Nottingham in that last one ) . But for the purposes of this lean , we went look for offbeat , strange , unexpected , or just plain weird Robin Hoods . And considering how often this story — which has , obviously , long been in the public domain — has been distinguish on screens big and small , there was a batch to select from . Here are our 10 favourite , in no particular order .

10) Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Qpid” (1991)

Star Trek’ssmarmy surplus - dimensional being Q decides he owesPicarda favor , so when he sees that the Captain and comely artifact hunter Vash have called off their brief Romance language , he decides to play ( ahem ) “ Qpid . ” He transports the yoke — and the rest of the crew — to Sherwood Forest , where Robin Hood - themed hijinks ensue . Worf is perhaps the most horror-struck ( “ Sir ! I protest ! I am not a Merry Man ! ” ) , but nobody is thrilled to be stuck in Q ’s scenario , especially when Q ( who take on the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham , natch ) unwrap that the fantasy ’s moment — like the impending capital punishment of Vash , aka Maid Marian — will be all too real if Picard ( as Robin Hood ) does n’t deliver her in meter . After a routine of derring - do , there are felicitous endings for all involve … most of all for the viewer . The literal storyline does n’t really linger , but who could forget the sight of Picard chivalrously steel fighting up a staircase , or Worf apologetically but emphatically frame an end to Geordi ’s lute - play aspiration ?

9) Princess of Thieves (2001)

This “ Wonderful World of Disney ” made - for - television set production is n’t the first grammatical gender - swapped version of the Robin Hood story . Princess of Thieves seems to take after one in particular : 1959 ’s The Son of Robin Hood , which conceive of that Robin Hood is dead and his son , who is really ( surprise ! ) his girl , arrive in Nottingham to help renew the fight against her father ’s foeman . In that movie , though , a lot of the heavy lifting is handled by the movie ’s immense majority of menfolk . The far more frontward - call up Princess of Thieves let its daughter - of - Robin character reference , play by a pre - Bend It Like Beckham Keira Knightley , take a way more active role in the heroics . There is a star - crossed romance , of course , but there ’s also some nice father - and - girl material , as an age Robin ( who ’s imprisoned for most of the movie ) comes to realize the girl he barely knows — mama was Maid Marian , who somewhat predictably is explained away as having died in childbirth — has inherited his adequate disposition toward courage and insubordination .

8) Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964)

The members of the Rat Pack ( plus Bing Crosby and Peter Falk ) headline this melodic that adapts the Robin Hood taradiddle to Chicago ’s criminal underworld , a spot fill up with cigar , pinstripes , machine gun for hire , twofold - foil chick , do - gooding wiseguys , endearing orphans , gambling , and so many fedoras . Frank Sinatra ’s functioning of “ My variety of Town ” ( wearing a unripe suit that winks at Robin Hood ’s traditional outfit)—a song that would go on to be Oscar - nominate ( it lost to “ Chim Chim Cher - ee ” fromMary Poppins)—is probably the instant in the movie that has the most lasting cultural wallop ; it certainly ai n’t the jaw - dropping number where Sammy Davis , Jr. gleefully sings and tap - dances to express how much he have sex gunman . But if you revisit Robin and the 7 Hoods specifically with the Robin Hood fable in mind , you ’ll be surprised to see it does n’t exactly all exercise out for “ Robbo ” and his crew ( including the perpetually sloshed Dean Martin as the forever splosh Little John ) in the end , thanks in no small part to the flick ’s version of Maid Marian , who ’s reimagined here as the glamorous , avaricious daughter of a lately deposed mob kingpin .

7) Batman, “Shoot a Crooked Arrow” and “Walk the Straight and Narrow” (1966)

Robin Hood is , shall we say , not usually portrayed as a villain , but the first two installment of Batman ’s second time of year found a way to do it . “ The Archer”—a ahorseback - devolve on rogue who speaketh using flowery , old - timey language ( played by Art Carney)—initially direct the richest guy cable in townsfolk , robbingWayne Manorwith the help of his associates “ Crier Tuck ” and “ Big John . ” ( by and by , we meet “ Maid Marilyn , ” who ’s inexplicably champ on a bit of fried chicken in nearly all of her prospect . ) After the Archer makes it rain down liberal cash in Gotham , the city ’s most downtrodden resident physician in brief turn onBatmanandRobin , believing there ’s a raw hero in their thick . But the Archer before long expose he has his eyes on a more selfish award , planning to encourage meg that are stand for for charity with the help of a asymmetrical Wayne Foundation employee . Stealing from the rich to give to the poor is one affair ; stealing from the wretched to line your own pockets is another thing entirely . The actual Robin Hood would not O.K. … and it make Batman pretty raging , too .

6) Doctor Who, “Robot of Sherwood” (2014)

Clara really wants to play Robin Hood , whomthe Doctoris passably freaking sure does n’t really exist , but they head to the proper time and blank space and lo and behold , there he is ( toy by Tom Riley ) , even merrier than the metre - wear out narrative suggest . The Doctor ( who at once sword - fight Robin Hood … with a spoon ) has a hard meter putting aside his disdain for the man and his wanton mirth — at least until it ’s revealed that the power - mad Sheriff of Nottingham ’s usual evil schema against the local peasants has been rage up exponentially , thanks to the mien of loom automatonlike knight and a castle that ’s concealing a starship that uses gold as fuel . The Mark Gatiss - script episode has a gleeful time reworking the familiar beats of the Robin Hood story — but especially when it ’s making the sceptical Doctor jar with the saucy Robin Hood , who turn out to be a dead on target hero that even the Doctor admit is desirable of legendary status .

5) Time Bandits (1981)

Terry Gilliam ’s cult - classic phantasy — which was recently picked up fora possible Apple streaming goggle box show — is about an imaginative kid who gets caught up with a lot of time - traveling dwarfs who are supposed to be repair a place - prison term rip , but are instead pinballing through history evading the forces of good and evil in search of valuables . Their goofy and fantastic journey brings them to topographic point like the deck of the Titanic and ancient Greece ( where they satisfy Agamemnon , act by Sean Connery ) , and they also have an encounter with Robin Hood , played by Gilliam ’s Monty Python age group John Cleese . Cleese ’s terribly polite fiber is only onscreen for a few moments , but the darkly hilarious conniption will stay put with you nonetheless … much likea punch right in your grimace .

4) Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Kevin Costner ’s 1991 Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves is the prime aim of this lampoon musical from comedy caption Mel Brooks ( Blazing Saddles , Young Frankenstein , Spaceballs ) , though the whole Robin Hood mythos gets pretty well roasted here . The movie , which was n’t atrociously well - receive upon its initial dismissal but has since become a cult classic , also have a very other turn of events by Dave Chappelle ( encounter the son of Isaac Hayes ) , the sight of Dom DeLuise parody The Godfather , and at least one “ PATRIOT pointer ” joke that reference point what was then the very recent Gulf War . Cary Elwes , of course of instruction , was a lifelike choice to act the hero after his slightly more businesslike ( but still saucy ) turn as a dash outlaw inThe Princess Bride .

3) Rocket Robin Hood (1966-69)

Imagine if — instead of 12th century England — Robin Hood and his Merry Men were living in place , some 3,000 years in the time to come ? The result just might resemble this Canadian animated show , which saw Rocket Robin Hood ( the “ Rocket ” is actually part of his name ) repeatedly dismantle the nefarious design of Prince John and the Sheriff of N.O.T.T. ( which stand for “ National Outer - Space Terrestrial Territories ” ) , as well as whatever other strange outer - place baddies crossed his path . Naturally , this scenario give up a realm of weirdness that only a futurist ( by way of the late sixties ) toon set on and around the “ New Sherwood Forest Asteroid ” could allow . Each episode begin with a ballad - style foundation , then catch right into the starship and scheme and nutty outer space weapons . Here are some delightfully freakish sample episode title , which make the show speech sound like a long - lost time of year ofThe Venture Bros. : “ The Space Wolf , ” “ Michael Shawn the Leprechaun , ” “ Cleopatra adjoin Little John , ” “ The Ghost Pirates , ” “ The Solar Sphinx , ” and “ The Incredible Gem of Cosmo Khan . ”

2) The Muppet Show (1979)

Guest headliner Lynn Redgrave bring the necessary mixture of dependable humor and gravitas to The Muppet Show ’s adorable interpretation of the Robin Hood caption , which casts Kermit the Frog as the title champion , Fozzie Bear as Little John , the majuscule Gonzo as the Sheriff of Nottingham , and Redgrave as Maid Marian . As is Muppet Show custom , the backstage dramatic event interferes with the cavorting onstage when Miss Piggy postulate offspring with her cast as “ Sister Tuck ” and locks the real leading lady in her dressing room , briefly thrust her style into the role she believes should ’ve been hers all along . Hiii - yah !

1) Robin Hood (1973)

It was n’t the first or last Robin Hood adaptation to staranimated animals , but — apologies to Ren & Stimpy — it will everlastingly be the good . It ’s intemperate to pick a favorite element , but for me it ’ll always be honky - tonk king Roger Miller as Merry Men stalwart Alan - a - Dale , rooster , troubadour , and prospect - correct narrator ( “ My chore is to evidence it like it is , or was … or whatever ” ) . For many — apologies to Errol Flynn — Robin Hood as an anthropomorphous fox will forever be the authoritative interpretation of the character . And the movie itself has become just as timeless as the fib it tells .

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