Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		1.5

Sword of Sherwood Forest Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 22, 2020

Sword of Sherwood Forest is currently available in the twenty film Hammer Ultimate Collection.

When the Sheriff of Nottingham (Peter Cushing) sets in motion a plot to confiscate land, Robin Hood (Richard Greene), the land’s most skilled sharpshooter, is recruited to assassinate him. He’s put to the test by the man who wants the sheriff dead – the Earl of Newark (Richard Pasco) – but Robin quickly discovers a more expansive, and deadly, plot to be in the works. Meanwhile, he enters into a romance with the lovely Maid Marion (Sarah Branch).

The story is little more than a framework for the gorgeous scenery (rendered impotent on a lackluster Blu-ray; see below), traditional costuming, a few decent set pieces, and some fine acting. It's the latter that propels the film to modest success. Even as the story cannot gain any serious traction, the cast devours the material and soaks in the opportunity to essentially enter into a storybook come to life. There's a certain cheesiness at work in the performances, even in serious dramatic scenes. The cast favors theatrics over authenticity, which sometimes clashes with the playful dialogue and action scenes. Yet the two blend well together, in large part because the film's pace, clocking in at a meager 80 minutes, refuses to linger on anything but the most vital scenes. There are a few surprises in this otherwise straightforward yarn that Robin Hood vets will enjoy, but newcomers to the characters are probably better served to start with films starring Errol Flynn for the most classic take or Kevin Costner or Russell Crowe for the most audience-friendly versions.

Sword of Sherwood Forest Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This is one of the worst, if not the worst, picture qualities in the entire Hammer Ultimate Collection boxed set from Mill Creek. Most of the films boast a fairly good, organic, filmic presentation. Here, the limitations are apparent from the opening chase scene. The picture is terribly flat and devoid of all but cursory textures on thick tree trunks, and grasses and leaves are smooth and poorly defined. The same may be said of castle interiors where stone work lacks that sharp, tactile appearance. Skin details offer cursory-at-best definition at medium distance, but close-ups manage a bit more detail, albeit still severely lacking. Some tattered clothing textures fare best, but viewers will not be privy to much more than the most superficial elements. Colors are acceptable. There's not much life to natural greens or Robin's attire. Reds and other brighter primaries lack pop. There are a few momentary fluctuations in color density as well, but these are mostly fleeting. Skin tones are acceptable, as are black levels. The picture shows a few errant speckles but is primarily inhibited by a lack of fine grain and a fairly steady barrage of compression artifacts. It's watchable, but it's not great by any stretch of the imagination.

Sword of Sherwood Forest Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The supplied DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack struggles to deliver a clear audio experience. The opening title score plays with an ungainly edge, a harshness and crunchiness that disallows the opportunity to soak in the score in all of its elegance. Sadly this limitation remains for the duration, as does a firm front-center placement; there's simply no opportunity for the two-channel track to actually spread across the front stage and engage with any sort of width or separation. Action scenes are likewise stymied. The opening chase on horseback can't find any serious depth, never mind natural clarity. Much the same may be said of various swordfights, swooshing arrows, and other critical audio cues. Some light ambience flutters through backgrounds but obviously without any real defining sense of space. Dialogue at least benefits from the front-center imaging. Spoken word clarity is acceptable.

Sword of Sherwood Forest Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplemental content is included.

Sword of Sherwood Forest Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is a peculiar departure for Hammer, known for its atmospheric Horror films but creating here a period popcorn film. It's tonally disjointed but still manages a fair bit of fun thanks to an enthusiastic cast and some decent action scenes. It's short and well paced. Mill Creek's featureless Blu-ray delivers disappointing video and audio.