Plot: What’s it about?
To say that Robin and the Seven Hoods is comparable to the classic tale of “Robin Hood” is to say that Frank Sinatra never had a mixed drink in his life! It just isn’t so. Now granted, this is supposed to be a re-telling of the tale where Robin and his gang rob from the rich and give to the poor; but you’ll find now bow and arrows here. Rather, you’ll see that the film is set in 1920’s Chicago during prohibition. Sinatra is Robbo, a valiant little-guy speakeasy owner, who’s locked in battle with Gisbourne (Peter Falk), a more powerful, more ruthless gangster, who’s allied with corrupt lawmen, personified by Victor Buono. We do see Dean Martin get to play the character of “Little John”, while Davis sports the unlikely name of Will Scarlet. Bing Crosby duets with Sinatra (and if you’re like me, you were surprised to find Bing Crosby in a Rat Pack movie), and the production is filled with tunes never performed since, such as “Mr. Booze” and “Don’t Be a Do-Badder.”
We don’t see Peter Lawford in this Rat Pack film, he appears in plenty of others though. But the usual mainstays are all there for the taking. Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin are in fine form as well. Though you won’t see the Chairman in green tights weilding a bow and arrow, you will be treated to a fairly decent movie. While it’s not the type they will remake (and if they do, run for cover), they have a good time doing it and you can tell they had fun making it. It must have been nice to decide to do a movie about almost nothing and get the talent they had to make it. Look for early appearances by Peter Falk and Barbara Rush and even a special appearance by Moses himself, Edward G. Robinson! If you have a few hours to kill, then this might be the type of movie you’d watch on a weekend afternoon with a mixed drink in hand (lord knows, the ‘pack’ had their share). While the features are short, the movie might just be the thing you need to escape from reality for a brief while.
Video: How does it look?
Robin and the Seven Hoods is presented in it’s theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. As with most movies of the time, the DVD does it’s best to bring out the very best of the movie, but it does fall a bit short. Edge enhancement is a bit of a problem here, with some scenes having a very “ghostly” look to them. Then again, the majority of scenes are very clear and free of any such errors. Black levels are very strong, but in some scenes and I noticed a few spots where some digital artifacting took place. On the whole, the anamorphic image looks very good, certainly better than the film has ever looked; but don’t expect a miracle, because this is one good that Robin and his hoods can’t deliver.
Audio: How does it sound?
Original mono is what you’ll get here, and there’s not a whole lot else to say. The songs sound fairly good, as good as Sinatra and Bing Crosby would like to think anyway. The action is very subdued and as this is mainly a dialogue=driven comedy, there is no distortion that I could notice. The track is adequate, to say the least, and that’s about all you can expect.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The film’s original theatrical trailer is shown in anamorphic widescreen. Also, just as in the Ocean’s 11 disc, Frank Sinatra Jr. provides a running commentary throughout the movie. Sinatra Jr. is very knowlegeable of the film and all of his father’s work and it shows here. While insightful, he is alone on the track and there are a few points in which there is nothing. Still, it’s a good track and fans of the movie will welcome this track. A documentary entitled “What they did to Robin Hood” is also included. The title is pretty self-explanatory, it compares the movie with that of the real “Robin Hood” movies and has some behind the scenes footage and such. Some cast bios are also included.
