Movie · 1973 · Animation, Family, Adventure · 1h 23m · G · English
Curator score: 5.7/10 (412.5K ratings)
Meet Robin Hood and his MERRY MENagerie!
Overview
With King Richard off to the Crusades, Prince John and his slithering minion, Sir Hiss, set about taxing Nottingham's citizens with support from the corrupt sheriff - and staunch opposition by the wily Robin Hood and his band of merry men.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.7/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Letterboxd: 3.76/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 58%
Metacritic: 57
TMDB: 7.3/10
Director
Wolfgang Reitherman
Production
Walt Disney Productions
Cast
Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Andy Devine, Monica Evans, Peter Ustinov, Terry-Thomas, Pat Buttram, Carole Shelley, Roger Miller, Ken Curtis, George Lindsey, Barbara Luddy, Billy Whitaker, John Fiedler, Candy Candido, Dana Laurita, J. Pat O'Malley, Richie Sanders, Dori Whitaker
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy, charming Disney adventure with a strong sense of play, catchy character work, and a surprisingly sharp anti-authoritarian streak. It’s light on plot but rich in personality, making it especially rewarding if you enjoy animated comfort watches with a mischievous edge.
Best for
fans of classic Disney animation
viewers who like relaxed, episodic storytelling
people drawn to sly political humor in family films
audiences who enjoy anthropomorphic adventure stories
nostalgic family-movie nights
Skip if
you want a tightly plotted adventure
you dislike older Disney animation rhythms
you prefer modern animation polish
you need high emotional complexity or dramatic stakes
Overview
Robin Hood is one of Disney’s most easygoing pleasures: a movie that values charm, rhythm, and character banter over narrative momentum. Its loose, almost sketch-comedy structure gives it a laid-back feel, but that also makes room for memorable set pieces, warm camaraderie, and a genuinely appealing sense of mischief.
Worth noting
What lingers most is the tone. The film turns a familiar legend into a playful, populist fairy tale, with a clear affection for underdogs and a gleeful contempt for greedy rulers. That political tilt gives the movie a little extra snap, even when the storytelling is more vibe than engine.
Bottom line
It’s not the most ambitious Disney feature, and some of the animation reuse and episodic detours are hard to miss. But the movie’s confidence in its own breezy style is part of the appeal. If you want something light, witty, and comfortably old-school, it still lands well.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Ellie ✨ (4.5★) · 3112 likes
luv u hot fox robin hood.....my socialist hero
Patrick Willems (4★) · 2675 likes
Pretty much no story, no main character. All about the vibe and different riffs and tangents. A movie you just want to relax inside. This is the Disney movie equivalent of jazz.
James (Schaffrillas) (3.5★) · 1214 likes
It's no "YTP: Friar's Rubbing Wood - Fall Of Nottingham" but it ain't half bad
nadine 🔪 (4★) · 1099 likes
this movie said tax the rich and fuck the king - or, alternatively, be gay do crime - and I respect it for that
Branson Reese · 1016 likes
A few thoughts on this bad boy:
1- Making this a low-stakes, episodic Western is a move that makes close to no sense on paper, but ultimately works really well. It's a strong argument for the Disney style of reworking movies long into the animation process.
2- This was originally the story of Reynard the Fox, but Disney scrapped that movie because he thought Reyard was inappropriate or something. That's why everybody in this is an animal. Of course, history… more