a_chinn Interesting Hammer Films production of the oft told Robin Hood story. Similar to what they did with their adaptations of Dracula, they added some additional grit to their version, which makes it stand apart from prior film adaptations. However, this is still a family film and not filled with the blood and heaving bosoms of the Hammer Horror pictures, which left the film not gritty enough and instead rather dull at times.

beresfordjd Christ this is beyond awful!! I do not mind old,low budget, cheesy adventure yarns but this is chronic! Hammer Productions outdid themselves with this one! I mean any movie that has Alfie Bass has special guest star has not got a lot going for it. The actors really do look like 20th century bankers dressed up in cod-medieval dress!! As for their performances - well they can say the lines quite convincingly but they just do not look right. The "star" of this debacle is a Barry Ingham (yes I hear you say, "Who?") . I suppose it was work of a sort for the poor sod. James Hayter manages to be James Hayter as always. The "writer" has managed to re-imagine the story and origins of the Robin Hood legend, which is neither here nor there, it just seems a bit desperate. I kind of enjoyed it because it was so bad it was good.

ubercommando A ropey version of the Robin Hood legend replete with stock medieval cliches. It's period acting 101 with fake hearty laughing, thigh slapping, people taking one bite out of a chicken leg before throwing it away, roughly handling serving boys, dodgy wrestling, cringeworthy ballads being sung by the Merry Men and improbable feats of archery (in one scene Robin, with a hood over his head...get it?...manages to fire an arrow into a red ribbon attatched to a pidgeon), and it has to be the only Robin Hood movie with a custard pie fight. But there's great bad dialogue to savour as well: "I'll savour those morsels intended for Sir Roger's table!", "Then we'll build a wall around this forest with thicket and thorn" and "You'll hear a lot more before you swing from a gibbet". This is one to watch with your friends, half drunk, and trying to spot the cliches.

JHC3 Hammer Studios, best known for a long string of excellent (and later, not-so-excellent) horror films, also produced adventure films. "A Challenge for Robin Hood" is one such example.Robin de Courtenay (Ingham) is a Norman nobleman falsely accused by his cousin Roger (Blythe) of murdering his other cousin Henry. Forced to turn outlaw, Robin flees the castle, joins a band of Saxon outcasts, and is dubbed Robin Hood. The fight for justice begins.This version of the Robin Hood legend features a number of twists, not the least of which is that Robin is a Norman and his close friends, Little John and Will Scarlet, are Norman retainers. Maid Marian (Hamilton) has a rather limited role when compared to most other adaptations. Most, but not all, of the characters generally associated with Robin Hood are present in this version.This well-made film is well worth a look, particularly for those who enjoy the Robin Hood genre or classic adventures. The cast is solid though Barrie Ingham simply lacks the charisma of others who have played the role (notably Errol Flynn, Richard Todd, and Richard Greene). James Hayter is excellent as Friar Tuck, a role he had previously played in the wonderful "The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men" (1952).