Robin Hood: Men in Tights - Comedic Style

Comedic Style

Many anachronisms are incorporated into the film for comedic effect, such as the "Hollywood"-styled sign upon Robin Hood's arrival in England, a rental horse, Ye Olde Port-o-Privy, an "EXIT" sign appearing when Robin escapes from the castle, an impression of Winston Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech (immediately followed by an impression of Malcolm X's "You've Been Had" speech), a pneumatic jackhammer, a handheld semi-automatic crossbow, a remote-control portcullis, a man sounding like Lou Costello yelling "Hey, Abbot!" in greeting the abbot (a gag re-used from When Things Were Rotten), Robin Hood making a crack about how the Sheriff of Rottingham avoided participating in the Crusades by having his father get him into the National Guard, a Life Savers candy used to save the life of the Sheriff of Rottingham, Ahchoo taking a "time out" while being attacked to pump his sneakers, Robin's merry men practicing jousting on dummies with Campbell's Tomato Soup, and V8 among other food products as the dummies heads, Prince John saying that Robin in his disguise "looks like Mark Twain!", a Twelfth Century Fox, etc. There are other anachronisms which may not have been intentional, such as the coat of arms on King Richard's tunic which would not have been used until the Tudor family came into power, particularly during King Henry VIII's reign.

During the wedding ceremony of the Sheriff of Rottingham and Maid Marian, the abbott sings the hymn in Pig Latin, calling it the "New Latin".

Will's full name is Will Scarlett O'Hara, which is a direct reference to Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind, and his being from Georgia is an indirect reference, since that's where Scarlett O'Hara lived.

There are also many references to Brooks's previous films, especially Blazing Saddles (including a direct mention of the title), History of the World, Part I, and Young Frankenstein; Brooks himself appears as Rabbi Tuckman, a Jewish parody of the Friar Tuck character, who blesses people with Sacramental wine and offers circumcisions ("They're the latest craze! The ladies love it!").

There is also a small reference to Home Alone when Robin encounters the poaching boy, in his introduction, he runs toward the camera, placing his hands on his cheeks and screaming like the main character (Kevin Mccalister) in the movie. There is also an indirect reference to the title in the boy's final line ("I'm going to go home, alone.").

Several plot and character references point to a previous film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Elwes's line, "Unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent!", is a reference to the fact that Kevin Costner as Robin in an earlier film used his own (American) accent. References to Errol Flynn's actions in the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood are included as well, such as when Robin enters with a boar on his shoulders, and also during the film's shadow fight, which was a gimmick Flynn often used.