A Hammer film unlike a Hammer film; based on the cult 1950's TV series "The Adventures of Robin Hood" Richard Green reprises his role as the famous fictitious outlaw in a cheap film spin off movie. While the main star of the series stayed the majority of the cast where replaced, when you consider what they appeared in it makes this seem a whole lot more amusing: Peter Cushing, one time Dr Baron Von Frankenstein and also Sherlock Holmes, stars as the Sheriff of Nottingham meaning that the main face off is one time Sherlock Holmes chasing one time Dr Henry Baskerville. Various other actors don tights and join the story, including: Nigel Green who once played Hercules in Jason and the Argonauts (as Little John) , Jack Gwillim who once played King Aeetes in Jason and the Argonauts (is the Archbishop of Canterbury), Niall MacGinnis who played Zeus in Jason and the Argonauts (playing Friar Tuck). With other stars of famous films littered in this, if you are a fan of film you may certainly recognise a face or two. Hell, even Oliver Reed (Leon "The Curse of the Werewolf", and Athos one of "the three musketeers") features in this despite being overdubbed throughout.Don't expect something epic or convincing as this is a pretty poor rendition of the Outlaw by today's standards but for the time it was well created and received. Like so many other versions this film avoids telling an origin story of Robin Hood, the only origin situation is in meeting Maid Marion (Sara Branch). The film itself though takes a situation from the time line of Robin Hood and runs with that instead, in this instance there are two main focal stories, Martin of Eastwood's (Derren Nesbitt) requital and a plot to kill the Archbishop of Canterbury (Jack Willim) from a deadly plot devised and set in motion by the Earl of Newark (Richard Pasco) and the Earl of Mowbray (played by, not but not credited, Oliver Reed). It all starts with a stranger being chased and killed by the Sheriff's men, he has in his possession a brooch showing a falcon with a daisy in it's talons. Robin try's to find out what the brooch symbolises but before he can find out he takes a job working for Newark as this may or may not help his detection work. This all goes wrong when the Sheriff turns up one day. It transpires that the Sheriff is in league with Newark and Mowbray. Can Robin save the Archbishop, England and the day? Probably with him being the hero of the film ;) This is not the greatest Hammer film by a long way but an easy film to watch on a lazy Sunday - although there are a lot better. This is one of the poorest film's I've seen bearing Terence Fisher's name as director unfortunately. The plot is easy to guess and the script doesn't improve the story in any way. The acting is hammy at best and it's only Cushing that delivers with any authenticity making the Sheriff scheming and sneaky while giving him a regal presence. Despite the downfalls the filming techniques used makes this a very bright and colourful rendition of the outlaw of Sherwood. One thing that baffled me was the title, in the film Robin mentions that his weapon of choice it the long bow and he's seen with it throughout, then why is the film called "The Sword of Sherwood Forest"? He does use a sword, more so towards the end of the film but not much, certainly not enough to warrant the film being called "The Sword of Sherwood Forest". Again this is just a minor thing and you'll soon forget the title when you start watching. 4 out of 10

1960's "Sword of Sherwood Forest" served as Hammer's adaptation of the ROBIN HOOD teleseries just finished by star/producer Richard Greene, casting their greatest asset, Peter Cushing, as the treacherous Sheriff of Nottingham. The excellent first half finds the Sheriff as ruthless as ever with his bogus promises, but an unexpected turn finds him shunted aside for an even more villainous Earl of Newark (Richard Pasco), whose henchman, Lord Melton (Oliver Reed), shockingly dispatches the uncooperative Sheriff before the film's climactic sword fight. The lone holdover from the small screen cast, 41 year old Richard Greene isn't so much too old for Robin Hood, since his use of swords, bows, and arrows are nearly flawless, it's just that the episodic script makes precious little use of either him or his merry band for most of its 80 minute running time. We see the initial mistrust between Robin and Maid Marian (Sarah Branch), who thinks him an outlaw, setting up a surprise meeting with Cushing's Sheriff, who is desperate to cover up any trace of the plot to assassinate the Archbishop of Canterbury (Jack Gwillim). Robin's band of Merry Men feature Nigel Green as Little John, and Niall MacGinnis as Friar Tuck, in an ill fitting bald cap. Oliver Reed was still a bit player at this early stage of his career, but already a veteran of two Christopher Lee titles, "Beat Girl" and Hammer's "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll." As Lord Melton, his lisping performance is difficult to judge, due to his being dubbed by an unknown actor whose effete mannerisms make Reed look foolish. Second billed Peter Cushing is the biggest name in the cast, and he does not disappoint, looking magnificent in period costume, as he also did in 1954's "The Black Knight," but his efforts are sadly misused by the casual way the film dispatches its most dynamic character, unexpectedly stabbed in the back for disobedience. Director Terence Fisher, also retained from the series, shows himself to have little affinity for the subject matter, particularly the few action scenes (filmed at Ireland's Ardmore Studios), sluggishly choreographed and performed. Never really boring, but such a wasted opportunity.

This is not as bad as all that. Terence Fisher as ever does a competent job, there are reasonable production values and some rather fetching photography. I always thought Richard Greene a little too schoolmasterly for an outlaw, and he is here rather portly, but he can certainly handle a bow. Nigel Greene and Niall McGinnis are well cast as Little John and Tuck, Peter Cushing is an excellent Sheriff, and Richard Pasco does well as the ambiguous Lord Newark. Oliver Reed's camp henchman is perhaps less successful.The conspiracy plot unfolds at a relaxed pace and resolves satisfyingly. The weakest element is the tacked on romance with Sarah Branch's rather bland Maid Marion.All in all a rather charming period piece, that gets closer to the spirit of the original ballads than most versions.

This is Robin Hood without any zest...just plain dull.If you're going to do the Robin Hood story, at least a filmmaker should blend in all the proper elements that make the legendary story so popular, as the 1938 film did with Errol Flynn. But here we have Hammer trying to justice to the tale and unable to disguise the fact that it's done on a low-budget scale with less than impressive actors in all the important character roles.RICHARD GREENE would have been a suitable choice if he'd played the role on the big screen some fifteen years earlier, but he's clearly too mature (and a bit tired looking) to be the dashing outlaw of Sherwood Forest and this faulty bit of casting extends to the other roles too. I never saw the television series starring Greene so I can't comment on it or make a comparison.It gets off to a dull start with a meeting between Robin and Marian (SARAH BRANCH) that (as in the Flynn film) has them on less than amicable terms at first sight. The difference here is that she's been bathing in the nude before Robin and his men come along but quickly dresses modestly and has her first rude encounter with the outlaw.There's no "ye olde English" flavor to the dialog--it sounds more 20th Century than anything else. PETER CUSHING turns up as the Sheriff of Nottingham who wants a wanted criminal that Robin Hood is sheltering. He promises Robin a free pardon if he delivers the criminal to him, but Robin refuses the bargain.Just as well. The Sheriff turns out to be untrustworthy and never keeps his word. NIALL MacGINNIS doesn't seem rotund enough to play Friar Tuck but he shows up midway through the film to form an alliance with Robin. A further plot device involves the Archbishop of Canterbury, but it's a muddled bit of plotting that seems insufficiently interesting and takes attention away from Robin and Marian.Summing up: Handsomely photographed in color with some interesting archery scenes, but a lackluster script and so-so performances do nothing to make the film anything but plodding and dull. The story simply has no focal point.Trivia note: SARAH BRANCH's hair-style and make-up looks straight out of the 1960s--a very modern looking Maid Marian.