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Storia di Arcieri, Pugni e Occhi Neri
Robin Hood: Arrow, Beans and Karate
Robin, Frecce, Fagioli e Karate / Y le Llamaban Robin Hood / Zwei linke Brüder auf dem Weg zur Hölle
Italy / Spain 1976
produced by Arco Film, Scale Film
directed by Tonino Ricci
starring Alan Steel (= Sergio Ciani), Cris Huerta, Victoria Abril, Iwao Yoshioka, Eduardo Fajardo, Sergio Smacchi, Ria De Simone, Pino Ferrara, Tito García, Rafael Albaicín, Fernando Baeza, Charly Bravo, Manolo Cal, Francesca Romana Coluzzi, Fabián Conde, Tony Conti,
written by Jaime Catena, Sergio Ciani (= Alan Steel), Victor Comas, music by Guido De Angelis, Maurizio De Angelis
Robin Hood
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Robin Hood's (Alan Steel) men stop friars Tuck (Chris Huerta) and
Moikako (Iwao Yoshioka) as they want to collect tax for the passage
through Sherwood Forest, but the friars refuse to pay and give Robin's men
a good beating - something that impresses Robin Hood himself so he asks
the friars to join the gang. And the gang soon has its mission, too, as
the Baron of Sherwood (Eduardo Fajardo) has taken Alan, rightful heir of
Sherwood, and his sister Anne (Victoria Abril) captive, and righteous that
he is, Robin of course has to free them. Now freeing Anne is simple
enough, but liberating Alan proves to be a whole more difficult, as when
Robin and company pretty much save him from the gallows, they have to
realize they haven't freed the actual Alan but a random guy in Alan's
guise planted as a mole with Robin. Now to lure Robin out into the open,
the Baron of Sherwood holds an archery competition, figuring Robin would
be too proud to not have one of his men participate. He's right of course,
but when Robin himself shows up on the scene, it seems the Baron has
forgotten to set a trap to spring, and ultimately Robin and his men have
little difficulties punching their way through the Baron's soldiers ... In
the 1970s, action comedies were produced in Italy pretty much a dime a
dozen, many set in modern times or the Old West, but with some period
pieces like this one thrown into the mix. These films usually relied on
the good guys punching the bad guys in more or less original or funny ways
- meaning they relied on a rather violent version of slapstick comedy,
even if the violence, just like in cartoons, only rarely has any serious
consequences. Now there sure were some masterpieces within this genre, but
most films were at best mediocre to poor. And mediocre to poor describes
Robin Hood: Arrow, Beans and Karate rather well, it just doesn't
tell enough of a story to spark much interest, the action is rather
shoddily handled and becomes repetitive before long, even the inclusion of
a karateka adds little excitement to the action (and don't even get me
started on the rather racist depiction of friar Moikako), and Alan Steel
doesn't make the best of Robin Hoods, nor is he all that fit for comedy.
It's still somewhat enjoyable for its obscurity and nostalgia value, but
far from being a good film or a camp classic.
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