and why should the people listen to you
because unlike some other robin hoods
i can speak with an english accent
welcome to watch mojo and today we're
counting down our picks for the top 10
movies and tv shows
inspired by ancient legends we are the
knights who say
no destroy him
release the kraken for this list we'll
be looking at our favorite adventures on
the big and small screens
influenced by pre-modern sagas dashing
feats of daring are described so
consider this
your spoiler alert which of these myths
stirs your 21st century heart
i'll claim your pick in the comments
below number 10
robin hood prince of thieves robin hood
might i have the pleasure of your name
before i have you run through
robin of loxley kevin costner's run as
the proto-marxist archer
still lands a bull's-eye nearly three
decades after heroically swinging into
theaters
partly it's the star-studded cast
including a scene stealing alan rickman
morgan freeman and even an uncredited
appearance by the late great sean
connery
the gory battles stirring score and
stylish costumes also help
the grittier take on this english fable
didn't sit well with all critics but its
charm won the love of the people
just like the old hood himself the
sheriff calls us outlaws
but i say we are free and one free man
defending his home
is more powerful than 10 hired soldiers
plus there's a horde of anachronistic
screaming celts
body highwayman and one very creepy
witch even if this swashbuckler
wasn't your favorite remember without it
we might not have ever gotten the
delightful mel brooks parody
robin hood men in tights and why should
the people listen to you
because unlike some other robin hoods i
can speak with an english accent
number nine oh brother where art thou
the odyssey
yes this may be a rather loose
adaptation of homer's the odyssey but
it's still a delightful take on an
ancient tale
where homer's epic poem told the story
of odysseus's return home from the
trojan war
the coen brothers crime comedy drama
follows george clooney's ulysses as he
escapes a chain gang
i have no name
that right there may be the reason
you've had difficulty finding gainful
employment you see
in the mard of competitive commerce you
seek a great fortune
like odysseus ulysses everett mcgill
encounters a blind prophet as well as
seductive sirens
how to do ladies
he also faces off against the cyclops of
sorts
that's why i invited y'all out here for
this advanced tutorial
what's going on big dad it's all about
money boys both stories end with our
hero overcoming rivals to reunite with
his wife
there are other truer adaptations of the
legends such as 1954's ulysses and the
1997 miniseries the odyssey
but we'd argue that oh brother where art
thou is the most fun
[Music]
number eight hercules hercules
till i find my hero's welcome right
where
[Music]
back in the day this demigod was the
biggest and baddest of them all
disney's take on the tale is definitely
more kid-friendly than the original
considering how messed up the classic
rendition was we think this is a big
plus
for instance instead of battling his
traditional nemesis hera
this time our hunky hero faces off
against the lord of the underworld
what this flick lacks in mythological
fidelity it more than makes up for with
catchy song numbers beautiful animation
and a star-studded crew of voice actors
while the live-action 2014 version
perfectly cast dwayne johnson as the
totally toned toga wearer
soldiers are thrice you followed me in
battle
follow me now danny devito as phil and
james woods as the hot-headed hades
crack us up every time so hades you
finally mean it
our things in the underworld well
they're just fine you know a little dark
a little gloomy and there's always hey
full of dead people what are you gonna
do number seven jason and the argonauts
jason and the golden fleece i have
waited for you
for 20 years and in that 20 years police
has turned my kingdom
from the pride of greece to a savage
evil land
billed as a colossus of adventure on the
original theatrical poster
this feature definitely lives up to the
hype the story follows jason the
rightful king of thessaly as he quests
for the golden fleece
long before you could just stroll into
an old navy on the way our hero battles
sneaky usurpers angry seas and hordes of
monsters
to help out our lead recruits a literal
boatload of heroes including hercules
himself
tell me which champion you want me to
beat no one
i know you can beat us all good thing
too as the rogue's gallery includes
skeleton soldiers harpies and even a
hydra all
memorably brought to life by the king of
clay ray harryhausen
sure the movie is a little dated but its
undeniable charm still warms our hearts
better than any woolly jacket ever could
number six the first king birth of an
empire
romulus and remus
after being swept away by a flash flood
two brothers face off against sadistic
slavers
a murderous band of runaways and finally
each other
you've never seen the story of romulus
the founder of rome and his brother
remus quite so
vividly rendered
this recent italian historical drama is
an underappreciated gem
featuring well-developed characters
visceral fights and a smart but spare
script
the use of an archaic form of latin for
the dialogue further adds to the sense
of realness
these siblings pull no punches and the
filmmakers don't either
we're very excited to see what director
matteo rivera does with other tales from
the past in the future
number five monty python and the holy
grail the quest for the holy grail
i fought in your general direction
your mother was a hamster and your
father smelled
of elderberries few fables are as retold
as often as those of king arthur and the
knights of the round table
of these many adaptations none is
funnier than this version by britain's
favorite comedy troupe
we are the knights who say
no not the knights who say the same
ostensibly following the mythic monarch
and his retainers on a quest for the
world's most famous cup
this film is about the journey and not
the destination much like life
look just a flesh wound look stop that
chicken
there are loads of memorable bits from a
knight who doesn't know when to quit
to a very scary rabbit well
what behind the rabbit is that
despite a limited budget these comedic
giants succeeded in crafting something
both amusing and absurd
their timeless wit continues to crack up
audiences almost a half century after
they first
pretended to ride horses onto the silver
screen number four
dragon ball journey to the west now the
boy
known as goku is on his own and has
become the sole guardian of his
grandfather's most
mystical possession his dragon ball
this beloved japanese franchise was
actually inspired by a chinese novel
from the 1500s called journey to the
west
which was in turn based on the
adventures of a wandering monk
one of the books characters sun moo kong
the monkey king was the model for sun
goku which is the japanese
version of the name
[Music]
from his unmatched strength to his
kryptonite tale goku owes much to his
simeon forbearer
even our favorite fighter's supernatural
origin bears some resemblance to the
prime primates birth
albeit with a pinch of superman added
for good measure from archaic text to
comic book to cartoon to global
phenomenon
the original series not only has the
epic fights of later installments
but also solid character development
world building and humor
[Music]
number three the clash of the titans
perseus
i demand justice
justice
this sword and sandal classic
incorporates a number of greek myths
most notably those surrounding the
half-man half-god perseus
we follow the hero's journey from birth
to triumph as he battles claymation
monsters like medusa calibos and the
non-greek but nonetheless unforgettable
kraken
equally indelible are the mechanical owl
bubo and the winged horse pegasus who
both provide
crucial assists this film's energetic
cast creative script and magical special
effects brought
all these ancient wonders to life in a
time before cgi
the 2010 version reimagines the story on
a grander cinematic scale yet it doesn't
quite worm its way into our hearts like
the original did
though liam neeson crying release the
kraken still gives us the chills
release the kraken number two
black orpheus orpheus and eurydice
french director marcel camus romantic
comedy black orpheus reimagines the
greek legend of orpheus and eurydice
against the backdrop of carnival in rio
de janeiro
in the original myth orpheus descends to
the underworld to rescue his dead love
uredesi
[Applause]
[Music]
he draws out hades with music from his
liar music also plays a key role in
black orpheus thanks to a killer
soundtrack that introduced bossa nova to
the world
inspired and bewitching it's an
adaptation that captures the passion and
tragedy of the original tale
while also making the story feel
completely new before we unveil our top
pick
here are a few honorable mentions the
sword and the stone
before becoming king arthur he was just
an orphan called wart
why'd you boy
[Music]
better leave it alone
[Music]
[Applause]
the trojan women a tragedy by greek
playwright euripides is adapted into
this powerful film
ten years ten times the seed was sown
before troy fell perished
beneath greek spears mulan
way back in the 6th century bards
already sang of this heroine's courage
citizens i bring a proclamation from the
imperial city
the huns have invaded china
order of the emperor one man from every
family
must serve in the imperial army the ten
commandments
from a basket baby to splitting the sea
charlton heston vividly brings moses to
life
[Applause]
[Music]
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number one excalibur king arthur
the legend of king arthur has been
adapted many times even in musical form
and there's a legal limit to the snow
here in camelot
but none quite evokes the epic nature of
the tale like john borman's underrated
1981 medieval fantasy film
featuring an incredible cast of british
thespians including nigel terry nicole
williamson
and helen mirren it's perhaps the most
ambitious adaptation of the story
surrounding this legendary leader and
his knights of the round table
i need you now more than ever no
this is the moment that you must face at
last to be king
alone it also served as a significant
stepping stone for now famous actors
such as liam neeson gabriel byrne and
patrick stewart you dare accuse the
queen queen
i do yes it's sometimes a messy film
groaning under the weight of its own
grandeur and gravitas
but it's also an engaging and satisfying
adaptation that crams in much of the
original myth
[Music]
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