Beyond Sherwood Forest

• BEYOND SHERWOOD FOREST (DVD MOVIE)

12th Century England: It is a deadly time of dark tyranny, black magic and the outlaw archer known as Robin Hood. But when the Sheriff of Nottingham unleashes a winged monster upon the nearby town and woods to massacre Robin’s men and capture Maid Marian, hearts run cold with fear and streets red with blood. Before he can rob from the rich or give to the poor, can The Prince Of Thieves survive the demonic onslaught of a winged beast from another world? Katharine Isabelle co-stars in this chilling new take on the infamous hero from director Peter DeLuise, filled with valor, vengeance and nightmare creatures that take you behind the legend and BEYOND SHERWOOD FOREST.The Prince of Thieves encounters sorcery and CGI dragons in this action-fantasy hybrid, which aired on the SyFy Channel. The dragon in question is really the enchanted form of a woman (Katherin! e Isabelle) from another dimension, and in her scaly form, she killed the father of young Robin Hood. Flash forward a couple of decades, and the grown Robin (Robin Dunne) suffers a serious hitch in his take-from-the-rich-give-to-the-poor arrangement, courtesy of the evil Prince John (David Richmond-Peck) and the even more wicked Sheriff of Nottingham (Julian Sands, who consumes the scenery with relish), both of whom use the lady/dragon against him and his Merry Men. It's a novel idea, but executed with dreary pacing by actor-turned-director Peter DeLuise, rickety special effects, and dreadful acting by all save Sands and Erica Durance (Smallville's Lois Lane) as an action-ready Maid Marian. The story of Robin Hood has been told numerous times before, and in most cases, better than this. The widescreen DVD includes an original TV trailer and a brief making-of featurette. --Paul Gaita

Stills from Beyond Sherwood Fores! t (Click for larger image)