Very best movie i ever watch

Too much of everything

The acting in this movie is really good.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Not even a couple of hours of watching Erica Durance could save this movie. It had all the potential to be a fun and entertaining Sci-Fi flick but fell flat on its face. The actors gave credible performances, the accents weren't too distracting, and the story twist had some promise as well. None of it could breathe life into the amateur production levels. Action scenes looked like they were choreographed in a high school drama class. There's no flow to this movie. Sequences are choppy and the direction lacks vision, passion and accepts uncharacteristic shoddy work from cinematography, to lighting, to sound, etc., etc. Unless you have nothing productive to do with a couple of hours, this is one to be skipped.

I have to say, I bought this film for two reasons after I stumbled upon it at a Silver Platters store. I am a self-professed Robin Hood junkie- every film adaption I can get my hands on, I willingly try to buy- ranging from the 1930's Errol Flynn version to the BBC series...I think I have about 10 different movie versions at the moment. Secondly, Erica Durance is in it as Marian and I absolutely loved her as Lois Lane on Smallville- she was everything in this that she is in Smallville: beautiful, feisty, spirited, yet compassionate. I have to say, I found this film very, very entertaining. Its not by any means an Oscar worthy movie with A-list acting and a Christopher Nolan script- but its entertainment value is endless, especially for a made-for-TV movie. I mean, come on, its Robin Hood vs. a dragon!? It's got adventure, romance, sci-fi, monsters, beautiful scenery, a fun cast- what's not to love? I thought the actors did a fine job, the special effects were good, and I thought the interplay between the characters was great- from the flirtation between Robin and Marian, to Little John complaining about being hungry, to the tense relationship between Robin and Will, to Alina's pleading to the unfeeling Malcolm. I think you have to give credit to the writer's too for creating a unique plot for such a frequently adapted tale; its definitely unlike any other Robin Hood adaption- it goes beyond (like the title) your typical rob-the-rich-to- feed-the-poor Robin Hood plot. They found a way to create a new twist and I really appreciate that about the film. Even the way Robin Hood questions himself (as do the other characters) is a bit different- in other adaptions, Robin usually has no qualms about what he's doing and is a bit roguish and cocky, and everyone is pleased with him, rather than angry with his provoking the monarchy. This Robin almost seeks approval in a way, while still maintaining those lovable snarky swashbuckler qualities. I have to say, Robin Dunne may be one of my favorite Robin Hood actors (and also one of the handsomest ;) )- up there with the likes of Richard Todd (the Disney live-action version), Errol Flynn, and Jonas Armstrong (of course, my opinion). So, if you are looking for just simple entertainment, this is for you. If you are expecting Inception or Gladiator- you will be disappointed.

There are four reasons to watching this film-- the CGI were-dragon, Katherine Isabelle as Alina the were-dragon, the CGI wolf-lions, and Erica Durance as Marian. The were-dragon sequences are incredibly well done and very realistic. The creature's design is distinctive, with a body like a winged puma. The transformations are very well done, limited only by Katherine Isabelle's refusal to do more than bare her shoulders or back for scenes where she should be nude. The animators get around this fairly well although it is obviously the nude Alina at the beginning of the transformation is a Poserette. Katherine Isabelle, who played the title character from the GINGER SNAPS series, is great at playing troubled, distressed, terminally sad characters. She's right up her alley here. She really does steal the film with her portrayal of the tragic Alina. Okay, her refusal to do nude scenes did limit the filmmakers somewhat. In scenes where she is ostensibly nude and vulnerable, Miss Isabelle is only shown from the shoulders up. The filmmakers couldn't afford to pay for her usual body double? The lion-like wolves in "Beyond" section of Sherwood Forest are quite believable as well. They are a nicely executed hybrid of natural wolf and magical hell-beast. Their interaction with their would-be human victims is spot-on. Erica Durance..... anything from her post-Smallville debut is worth watching just for a chance to watch her. She gets a few action scenes in, either practicing on a helpless dummy or fighting the were-dragon Alina. And she looks great in a medieval pantsuit.Bad points? Robin Dunne, Robin Dunne, and Robin Dunne. He was at best phoning in his performance. Apparently no one taught him how to believably fire an arrow. The few times you see him fire an arrow, it is obvious the arrow only flew a dozen feet before dropping to the floor. All in all, there was no reason to call this "Robin Hood" aside from the chance to skip over explaining who these various characters were. Friar Tuck for example shows up, talks to Robin and Marian a little, then gets killed. By calling him "Friar Tuck" the filmmakers spared themselves the five minutes or so of screen time they'd've needed to set him up as an original character.

Beyond Sherwood Forest is set during the year 1174 in England as King Richard is way fighting the Crusade, his brother Prince John (David Richmond-Peck) has been left in charge. In order to further international diplomatic relations with Norway the beautiful young Maid Marian (Erica Durance) is to be married of to some Prince, an idea on which Marian is not keen & runs away deep into Sherwood Forest where legendary thief Robin Hood (Robin Dunne) lives with his men who steal from the rich to give to the poor. Prince John is annoyed on both counts & orders Malcolm (Julian Sands) the Sheriff of Nottingham to find & hang Hood in a public display of power, Malcolm uses a cursed girl who can change into a ferocious Dragon to find Hood. Robin sets out on a quest to the Dark Woods to find a cure for the girl & stop her turning into a Dragon while trying to protect his friends & Maid Marian...Also known under the title Robin Hood: Beyond Sherwood (I saw it under that title) this Canadian production was directed by Peter DeLuise & is watchable Sci-Fi Channel fare but ultimately not that good. The biggest draw about Beyond Sherwood Forest is that it features the fictional British outlaw Robin Hood & gives the story a Lord of the Rings make over with Wizards, Dark Woods (so-called because they are woods & they are always dark...) & a huge Dragon. This whole film is fantasy, Robin Hood is as much fiction as any Dragon in any film & why the character of Robin was used her is a mystery, even more so considering the title was changed to Beyond Sherwood Forest & makes no mention of Robin Hood. At 90 odd minutes it feels longer, there's not much going on here & there's the typical romance between Robin & Marian, there's the bad guy, there's a few sword fights, a few arrows are fired & not that much else happens really. It's all rather bland & forgettable, it's watchable in a silly way but nothing that will stay with you for long. The mixing of adventure & fantasy has no real balance, Robin is seen stealing some money at the start but then doesn't again during the film while the Dragon seems rather random & doesn't quite sit that well alongside Robin Hood. At the end the bad guy is defeated & there's a happy ending for everyone as expected. This is maybe slightly better than the average Sci-Fi Channel creature feature but not by much.The one thing tat did impress me about Beyond Sherwood Forest were the CGI computer effects, Sci-Fi Channel films are notorious for their awful CGI but the Dragon & growling Wolves effects are rather good all things considered. The fight scenes are bland as are the fantasy elements overall, there's just nothing here we haven't seen before & the novelty of Robin Hood appearing alongside a Dragon can only go so far before it becomes old. There's a few splashes of blood as the Dragon slashes a couple of people & rips one in half along with a ripped out heart but otherwise there's no gore here.Filmed in Canada one forest looks much like another so it not being shot in England isn't a major problem although some of the accents are poor. I didn't recognise anyone in the cast myself apart from Julian Sands who is slumming it here.Beyond Sherwood Forest is an OK time waster that has the gimmick of pairing notorious outlaw Robin Hood with Dragons, I've seen worse but I've seen better as well.