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Parents' Guide to

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

By Shannon Lucas, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

'90s slapstick spoof has lots of cursing, innuendo.

Movie PG-13 1993 105 minutes
Robin Hood: Men in Tights Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 5 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 20, 2022
age 13+

Uninspiring, lazy writing and boring

I had somehow missed seeing this film, which came out my senior year in high school. I saw the source material (Prince of Thieves) in 1991, but somehow missed this Brooks debacle. I cannot say that I care for this film at all. The relentless homophobic and fat jokes are unfunny and just plain lazy writing. The gender jokes are tired and worn and the charm that Elwes exudes is wasted and I fell asleep multiple times trying to get through this film. I found the film to be uninspired and boring.
CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
November 24, 2018
age 10+

The butt review

Robin Hood men in tights is one of my favorite movies. There is some sex and little nudity. There is some cussing like a**, and sh*thouse, b*tch and pissed off. There is violence with a bunch of people ripping there ears off(In a funny way and not on screen, it just shows a bunch of people throwing there ears at him). There is arrows firing and sword fights. There is a part in the archery contest where it shows the blind guy putting his hands on the guys fake breasts.
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A spoof of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and other Robin Hood films, Mel Brooks' slapstick ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS is chock-full of Brooks' emblematic humor. Robin, played by Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), returns from Africa only to discover that his ancestral home has been confiscated for failure to pay taxes. He vows to fight the corrupt king and help the poor with his merry band of men. Eventually, Robin meets Maid Marian (Amy Yasbeck) and the two fall in love. The rest you probably already know.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (19 ):

While there is nothing new or particularly innovative about this Brooks film, it's still entertaining. Teens who like Mel Brooks movies will definitely want to check it out. The traditional Robin Hood theme is all but lost in the slapstick gimmicks and sexual innuendo, but if you like screwball comedies or spoofs, you might enjoy Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Mel Brooks movies. How did Brooks use parody, satire, and slapstick to provoke laughter? How does he use puns, sexual innuendo, and double entendre?

  • Discuss women's place in society during medieval times, including the practice of forcing women to wear chastity belts.

  • What do you think about the film's stereotyping of African Americans, particularly noticeable in the opening song-and-dance routine? What were the filmmaker's intentions by including these scenes in the movie? Parents might want to discuss how older films portrayed black characters without irony, for example, The Jazz Singer.

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