# Why it's actually a GOOD thing Disney likes to pretend Robin Hood never existed



## Wolf-Bone (Sep 1, 2008)

For real, would you _want_ them to fuck up Robin Hood with a sequel? I'm pretty sure most if not all the voice actors who played main characters are all dead now. They'd probably try to give Maid Marian an attitude. Sure, that could work beautifully - if someone _other_ than Disney tried to define "attitude", which by their definition is void of sex appeal. The thing is, iirc every incarnation of Robin Hood post-furry has given Marian an edge or at least attempted to, and they've been more mature thematically across the board, so in a way, that version of Robin Hood was the end of an era for reasons other than it being the first Disney movie without Walt's oversight/input and (again, iirc) Don Bluth's last work for Disney. And I'm wanting to see an animated, furry Robin Hood like that. Dark, mature, just _a little_ violent, just _a little_ morbid and with just _a little_ bit of the social and political satire/criticism it's become known for. In other words what a sequel to a kid's movie ought to be. And I just can't see Disney doing it, at least not as a cartoon.

*My Idea:* First off, what a lot of people criticize and use to justify Disney letting this one sit on the shelf for so long is the mix of medeival Britishiness and the wild west in everything from the voice acting to the music to even the art, but for me, that worked beautifully and otherwise, I'd probably never see the parallels between those two places/periods. But I just couldn't see it working a second time unless they could bring Johnny Cash back from the dead and get him to play a main character or at least be the narrator and get him to do some new material for it. Me, I'd still keep it British but just replace the Country with Reggae, but obviously, being a Rasta man, I'm biased. It makes perfect sense to me, but probably no one else that I see the Robin Hood archetype as the first non-African or at least first British example of the Rastafarian ideal (but think about it - he's basically a bushman who was forced to live on the fringes of his society, loves his people like he loves his woman, dodges and fights the law at the same time he undermines them for the benefit of the poor, and at the end of the day, it ain't him that really saves the day, it's the rightful king, the *Lion*-hearted elect of God. Plus if you wanna follow the oldschool/80's version of Robin Hood that combines ancient British paganism with its Christian themes, well, Rastas have always tended to blend their Judeo-Christian "roots" with their _other_ roots.) Now, I wouldn't give Robin and the Merry Men dreads and spliffs in their muzzles, and I damn sure wouldn't have no mystic negro Nassir/Akeem/Achoo, but that's not to avoid stereotypes and cliches. That's because mine wouldn't even _need_ that shit. See, I'd want the Reggae music and African/Jamaican accents (if I even bothered with that, which I'm not sure I would or if it'd even be necessary) alone to confuse those whome it _should_ confuse and make sense to the rest of us.

One thing "the original" was definitely missing was Will Scarlet, and I'd most definitely portray him as a wolf (he's often portrayed as a close relative of Robin's, which is what wolves and foxes are - plus the wolf archers in "the original" had a cool design. It just sucked that you saw so little of them and that there wasn't at least one good wolf). He would basically be the hot-headed Peter Tosh to Robin's more calm and collected but still very passionate Bob Marley. There'd be a snake, but he wouldn't be Hiss. He'd be more of a Rasputin type (I know that's actually Russian, but believe me, _every_ doomed monarchy had at least _one_ Rasputin. You just only ever _heard about *that*_ particular one) and he probably would be a "snake in the grass" on both sides (which iirc is essentially what "the Witch" in Prince of Thieves was). I dunno if he'd be a mystic, but Marian definitely would be, and as such come within seconds of being burned at the stake for something involving medicinal herbs (not weed, not shrooms, *just herbs, okay?!*). Robin's gotta save her, but it's gotta be for a better reason than the damsel in distress bullshit when I'm trying to make her at least _slightly_ badass (remember that drastic character change in the final act of 28 Days Later that was pretty much _the only thing_ wrong with that movie? Yeah, shit like that is what I'd want to avoid). Besides, I never saw much _good_ reason for those two to even be interested in each other. It should be obvious - they both want to help the sick and poor, and like the Princess Diana type I'd portray her as, Marian would use her position to that end and pay the price for it - if you buy the conspiracy theories, that is, which I don't, but it makes for good fiction at least. No joust match on the bridge between Robin and Little John - a drinking contest where Robin, being a lightweight manages to water his shit down unnoticed, *every* shot, which only gets easier as Little John gets progressively more drunk is definitely more his style. But Robin's gotta get at least drunk enough that they can have a decent, intoxicated debate about the true economic value of gold and speculate about the skeletons in the Monarchy's closet. "Dude, for real, they had a wood-carving of it in The Moon and everything - Prince John's got a son locked up in the dungeon with a beak, antlers and _tits!_ What the Hell did he _sleep with?!_" That's another thing. No wanted posters. Tabloids. And I mean more tabloids than actual news, but apparently even people with brains and/or a life take it seriously. *That is England*. I'm sorry, I don't make the rules, I just call said rules on their bullshit. Now, Skippy and all his family/buddies, they'd be in it or at least similar characters/roles, but they'd come from a different "clan" for want of a better term than The Merry Men, who'd mostly/all be predatory animals. These guys would all be prey. What makes a guy like Robin give a shit about them in the first place? Not his conscience, because this, as many Robin Hoods were, is a flawwed hero who has his priorities straight as far as doing what's right for himself, his lady and his immediate family and crew but just needs _a little_ boot in the arse from time to time to remind him his causes ain't just _his_ cause. The latter clan's wisest elder would be that boot. A disproportionately tall deer who wears the bones and skins of predatory animals as if to say "You fuck with them, you fuck with me. Fuck with me, this is what happens to you." But this guy is even more chill than Robin (because it would be hinted he's been doing the same shit as him, only much, _much_ longer) and actually works for Richard and acts as sort've a counter-Rasputin to the snake. Now, the way I'm describing him, he probably _sounds like_ the same mystic negro I've been trying to avoid. Perhaps, if you're familiar with the old BBC version, he even sounds like that weird-ass Magic Indian dude they had. Actually I was thinking the first Mortal Kombat movie, Lord Raiden when I thought this guy up, except I'd only _imply_ that he's a god (everyone from his clan or with close ties to it would call him "Prophet". The distinction can be blurry between shaman, prophet and god, just as Morgan Freeman has so elloquently demonstrated how blurry the line is between quiet genius, mystic negro and God. It's a fine line to tread but again, it's cliches I'd want to dodge, not good ideas that _work_ that _become_ cliche, if that makes any sense).

Who'd narrate this shit? I dunno. Except Johnny Cash.
Can I do Johnny Cash? Hell yes! Should I? I dunno.
Who'd sing the shit? *All* the reggae legends, at once.
Can I do them? Hell yes! Should I? Why the Hell not?!
Could I do this? Sure as Hell not by mysef. Same deal I'm going through with Tribe Omega right now.
Could I legally get away with it? If it was stylistically different enough from Disney, probably.
Again, should I? I dunno.
Does it suck being the kind of guy who thinks shit like this up and happening to _not_ be Disney? *Hell* yes.
Would I ever work for Disney to _become_ Disney? *Hell* no.


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## WolfoxOkamichan (Sep 1, 2008)

Meh, never really liked Robin Hood... and I especially despise Disney Book.


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## Foxstar (Sep 8, 2008)

It's always best to leave well enough alone.

There is also the fact that even with all that high powered voice talent, Robin Hood did craptastic at the movies when it was released. So far everything Disney's releasing a follow up to did very very well.


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## Wile_E2005 (Nov 27, 2008)

I love the movie, it is one of my favorites (along with "Pinocchio," "Lady and the Tramp," "The Great Mouse Detective," "The Little Mermaid" and many others).

But I must admit, Disney obviously pulled a Hanna-Barbera when making this movie, and cut many corners animation-wise. For one thing, the dance sequence was traced over dance sequences of other Disney films (one of Maid Marian's dance moves mimics Snow White's dance moves!) And you always kept seeing the same clips of the rhino guards over and over (especially shots of them all marching, or when they're all running toward the screen). They also often kept reusing the same clips of the Sheriff of Nottingham, and a clip of Skippy and his friends running happily.


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## TwilightV (Nov 27, 2008)

An almost necro?


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## Ty Vulpine (Nov 27, 2008)

BAD NECRO! BAD!


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## WolfoxOkamichan (Nov 27, 2008)

But yeah, go blame Disney for kiddyfying Robin Hood.


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## TwilightV (Nov 27, 2008)

I've never seen Disney imply that they're ignoring it. Now the Duck Tales movie, on the other hand...


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## Ty Vulpine (Nov 27, 2008)

TwilightV said:


> I've never seen Disney imply that they're ignoring it. Now the Duck Tales movie, on the other hand...



Well, considering Robin Hood has never "gone into the vault" (out of circulation), I think it's safe to say they don't care about it's value.


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## Hyenaworks (Nov 29, 2008)

Movie will always be a personal favorite even if it's not Disney's best.   Duke of Chutney... Come on.


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## Ty Vulpine (Nov 29, 2008)

Hyenaworks said:


> Movie will always be a personal favorite even if it's not Disney's best.   Duke of Chutney... Come on.



You should see some of the fan-made music videos of Robin Hood made by Hoodfan89 on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/hoodfan89). Very well done.


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## Digitalpotato (Dec 1, 2008)

If they also made a sequel to Robin Hood nowadays they'd likely try to make it all in CGI and it'd wind up looking like the characters are all made out of latex rubber. This is supposed to be Robin Hood, not Rubber Hood.


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