Continuing our look at anthropomorphic animals, inspired by Disney's just-released Zootopia, we're looking at Robin Hood today! Part of the Disney Dark Age, Robin Hood is one of the only other animated fox protagonists to compare with Zootopia's Nick Wilde. A quirky and quotable musical, Robin Hood is a classic kind of film that feels its age but continues to entertain with smooth writing, fun music, and memorable characters.
The animation is traditional with the added sketchy style introduced by the use of Xerox copying. In fact, quite a few of the scenes will look familiar as they're reused from films like The AristoCats and Snow White. I always liked the Xerox style; it shows a lot of the artistry behind the film, reminding the viewer that several animators spent a lot of time to make a wonderful film. CG films don't reveal that work as overtly. The animal character designs are also in the classic style - bipedal and clothed (in some sense of the word).
The film also follows several stereotypes in choosing which animals portray what characters. The lions, as regal creatures, take up the royal parts - King Richard and his brother, Prince John. Rhinos, alligators, weasels, and vultures make up Prince John's royal guards, while the Sheriff of Nottingham is portrayed by a rather rotund wolf. Friar Tuck was going to be portrayed by a pig, but that would have been seen as rather offensive to the church (though no offense was meant), and so he became a badger. Robin Hood, finally, as cunning and clever, took on the form of a fox; to match, Maid Marian was a vixen, despite the biological impossibilities of being related to the royal lion family. Either way, the character designs fit the mold of the type of character they were meant to portray.
A really fun example of anthropomorphic animal animation, Robin Hood is a Disney classic. Next week, an appreciation post, St. Patrick's Day fun, and a new Film of the Week! Stay tuned!
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