Den of Geek just ranked eleven Robin Hood films, and though many of these feature big budget special effects, the 1938 Errol Flynn version still took the top spot. “There are Robin Hood movies, and then there are Robin Hood movies. And then there’s The Adventures of Robin Hood. As perfect a swashbuckler as there’s ever been…it’s a masterpiece…made by a studio system at the peak of its powerful craft.”
I agree. It’s also probably the most libertarian version, with dialogue like this from the merciless king’s tax collector: “Our men can’t even lay a hot iron on the eyes of the tax dodge without getting a [knife] at the throat. It’s an outrage!” More on the 1938 Errol Flynn version here.
The newly-released Taron Egerton telling of the Robin Hood tale took last place in the ranking. Den of Geek called it “a failure on every level.” So did most critics.