As a fan of Hammer, as a fan of Peter Cushing, as a fan of director Terence Fisher, and as a fan of Robin Hood, this one should have easily clicked for me -- instead, it's a rather tired rendition of the saga.

Terence Fisher... seems at a loss to make sense of the confused story and weak script, and all thumbs when it comes to widescreen Technology and simple action direction...

Marian. Catch! Sword of Sherwood Forest is directed by Terence Fisher and written by Alan Hackney. It stars Richard Greene, Sarah Branch, Peter Cushing, Richard Pasco, Nigel Green, Oliver Reed and Niall MacGinnis. Music is by Alun Hoddinott and cinematography by Ken Hodges. One of Hammer Films’ Robin Hood movies that reinvents the legend with some lively swashbuckling glee. Plot is kind of incidental, this really is about some good honest family entertainment involving sword fights, bow and arrow skills, political machinations and some costume malarkey. There’s a good story here, based around a dastardly assassination plot that Robin and his merry men get dragged into, this part of the pic is well written and directed with assuredness by Fisher, one of Hammer’s greatest directors. Richard Greene reprises the role of Robin that he played in the popular TV show The Adventures of Robin Hood, and whilst he is unlikely to be at the top of anyone’s favourite Robin Hood portrayal lists, he’s comfortable in the tights and engages heroically enough in all the right places. Cushing is the class act on show as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, and Branch is fetching as Marian, though the sparks never fly between herself and Greene. Sadly there’s irritants that stop the film pushing through the forest to breathe fresh air with the best of the other Hood outings. So much focus is spent on…

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