Neil Doyle
Any cartoon with Mel Blanc doing the voice characterizations and produced by Chuck Jones has got something going for it, but while ROBIN HOOD DAFFY is not the funniest cartoon about the famous outlaw, it does garner a few laughs when Daffy crashes into more trees than George of the Jungle.The animation though, leaves something to be desired--it's not as pleasing in background layout nor are the characters given the sort of careful craftsmanship that was evident in, for example, the Tom and Jerry cartoons. Perhaps this is due to the newer drawing style of the late '50s which relied on more crudely drawn characters.At any rate, a funny take on the Robin Hood legend, with Daffy getting the worst of things for a change while Porky Pig remains relatively unscathed by any of the over-the-top slapstick. Enjoyable enough, but not one of the funnier Porky Pig/Daffy Duck outings.
ccthemovieman-1
Just seeing Daffy dressed up in Robin Hood's green-and-red outfit and playing the mandolin while singing is pretty funny in itself Porky Pig plays Friar Tuck. Well, he has the build.This Robin Hood is so unimpressive that the Friar is convinced it is "he." Daffy, er Robin, finally says, "Look - I'll prove I'm Robin Hood. See this guy passing by? I'll rob him of his gold and give it to some poor unworthy slob." Ahh, finally a Robin Hood who tells it like it is!From that point, this cartoon was a ripoff of the Road Runner. Daffy trying to rob the guy was exactly like Wile E. Coyote attempting to get the Road Runner. Every thing that happened to him, I've seen in RR cartoons. Did Daffy steal his act here from Wile? Since this came out in 1958, apparently so. The only thing original was the ending when Daffy says "Shake hands with Friar Duck." That was a great closing line.The best thing about this animated short was the color. This is another case in which the restoration job is fully appreciated because the forest colors are magnificent. It can be seen on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three.
Robert Reynolds
This short is an extremely funny teaming of Daffy with Porky as his "straight man" (with Porky's antics the cause of a lot of the funniest bits). I have to talk about something specific in the short, so let this be my spoiler warning: Any cartoon where Porky Pig sings the first verse of "Barbara Allen" is one my permanent list of favorites. When I first saw this cartoon, hearing an old tradition song issuing forth in the dulcet tones of Porky Pigs had me rolling on the floor and it still makes me laugh like a loon to this day.The fun in this cartoon is watching Daffy and his progressively desperate (and increasingly unsuccessful) attempts to convince Porky that he really is Robin Hood, honest and for truly, he is! This has been released on a Looney Tunes Golden Collection on DVD and it (and the rest of the Collections) are well worth having and all most highly recommended!
Squonk
This Daffy Duck short is similar in style to Chuck Jones' Road Runner shorts with its unique backgrounds and fast moving gags. I especially like the scene in which Daffy uses his buck and a quarter quarter staff. Also very funny is the character design of the rich traveler Daffy attempts to rob. The unique shape of this character and his horse combined with the way they prance across the screen is a hilarious visual. This is among the best Daffy Duck shorts.
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