Customer Reviews

Sanctuary: The Complete First Season

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I recently watched this entire series, and although the first few episodes start slow, the series is fantastic. The writers have created a show that combines science fiction with mild horror and amazing story telling that will not let you down. If you have only seen an episode, or even just part of an episode, take my advice and watch the series from the beginning. I had seen the show on a few times, but it failed to get my attention because I was wondering what the heck was going on. Sanctuary is the first sci-fi show in a while that I have been really happy watching. Now that I have seen the first season, I will most certainly be watching Season 2.

- Excellent story that combine myths and legends with our own world.
- Great cast of characters that you can relate to.
- Doesn't go overboard with stupendous plots.
- It's a combination of Science Fiction, Horror, and Drama.
- Contains just the right amount of comedy to give a few laughs.
- Some of the scenes are downright amazing.

Hope this review has been helpful, as I think a lot of people will love this show, but either don't know about it, or don't want to risk wasting their time.
I love it, and I think you will enjoy it as well!

Imagine this: a giant gothic building that serves as a "sanctuary" to various strange, freakish and/or dangerous creatures that exist in the world.

That's the concept behind "Sanctuary: The Complete First Season," a fantasy/sci-fi show that started off as a series of webisodes, then got turned into a show for the Sci Fi (Sy Fy?) Channel. The first season starts off shaky and sometimes painfully silly (nubbins!), but the second half suddenly smooths itself into a solid arc of secrets, conspiracies, and a fanatical enemy organization.

Forensic psychiatrist Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) has a pretty rotten life -- his girlfriend has left, his job is a joke, and nobody believes his deductions. But during a bizarre murder investigation, he encounters a strange woman named Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) who offers him a job at the Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary turns out to be a vast cathedral-like structure filled with "Abnormals" -- mermaids, elementals, iguana-men, two-faced dudes, or anything that doesn't fall in the boundaries of known science. But the Sanctuary's residents are now in danger from a charming Abnormal named John Druitt (Christopher Heyerdahl), who has a longtime connection to Helen. And unless he gets what he wants from her, he'll kill her daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup).

Other Sanctuary problems: a trio of amnesiac women who may be the Morrigan, a drug lord among the Folding Men, an autistic boy whose pictures reveal Abnormals, a Himalayan plane crash with a mind-altering monster, a brain parasite in the Bermuda Triangle that threatens to turn Magnus into a psycho killer, the superfertile Nubbins (like carnivorous Totoros), a man who looks suspiciously like Magnus' late father, and a pair of reporters who witness the Sanctuary team fighting rare killer insects. And John Druitt reappears to reveal that an old friend of Helen's has turned against her...

And the Sanctuary has a new enemy -- the fanatical Cabal, who want all Abnormals under their control. When they unleash a biological weapon that turns Abnormals into raving killers, Helen's old study group ("The Five") must reunite to save the Abnormal population.

The first half of "Sanctuary: The Complete First Season" is a severely mixed bag -- most of it isn't really bad, but it's not terribly unique or gripping. And the "nubbins" (tribbles with teeth) episode is just embarrassingly silly. But with the introduction of Nicola Tesla (who is a vampire!), suddenly the entire series tightens up and becomes far more streamlined, complex and emotionally powerful.

Along the way, the writers fill the series with all sorts of freaky creatures (ranging from a Hulk-like supersoldier to a floating snake beastie), slimy body parts, and some gun-heavy action scenes. The writing is rather wobbly in the first half ("Women and geeks first... oh, no, that's all of us"), but the sci-fi edge gives it a quirky appeal ("I guess Ike didn't want to breathe the same air as the Nazi High Command." "Some of them didn't even breathe air").

And "Sanctuary" has a pretty striking look -- half industrial science complex, and half Gothic decay, with vast cathedral-like buildings, grey cloudy skies, and the half-ruined Old City. Most of the backgrounds are CGI, which gives the series a smooth, stylized look.

Despite her awkward accent, Tapping is a powerful presence as the hyperintellectual, immortal Helen Magnus, and Dunne is brilliant from the start as the Daniel Jackson of the series (smart and geeky, with a tragic past). Ryan Robbins is great as the resident techno-superbrain, who is haunted by his own Abnormal secret, and Christopher Heyerdahl does a brilliant two-character turn -- he's the charming, smooth killer John Druitt, and he's also the shy but kindly butler Bigfoot.

The one false note is Ashley -- while Ullerup does a fair job, the character is an urban fantasy cliche -- cocky, gun-happy, and wears a leather catsuit during fights. But the supporting cast is pretty fascinating, especially since the writers start ushering in Victorian literary and historical figures.

"Sanctuary: The Complete First Season" has some mighty wobbles in its first half, but the second half stabilizes and flowers like a black rose. Watch it, if nothing else to prepare for the second season.

Let me preface this with the fact that getting me 'into' a new tv series is not easy, and add to that that I am not what I would call a sci fi/horror loyalist. I enjoy these genres, but I am not addicted to either one. What I like most is drama.

That stated, Sanctuary took me a couple of episodes to get hooked, but hooked I got. Not sure exactly what did it for me, but I believe it was that the show presents a very well honed mix of horror, sci fi, and investigative action. The balance is interesting, and just when you need a dose of one of the elements, you get it.

Blending the genres, to me, has resulted in a show that is full of surprises and full of fun, but also filled with drama (my fav). I would add to this that the special f/x are stupendous, especially for a tv series.

When forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman encounters Dr. Helen Magnus, he is introduced to a whole new world of creatures from dreams and nightmares. Dr. Helen Magnus has taken the responsibility of providing a safe haven for "abnormals," to protect them from the world and the world from them.

Amanda Tapping stars as Dr. Helen Magnus, the mysterious proprietor of the Sanctuary. Dr. Magnus' daughter Ashley is an expert fighter/sharpshooter and monster hunter, played by Emilie Ullerup. Robin Dunne is Dr. Zimmerman, new to the Sanctuary but with special gifts of his own. Ryan Robbins adds comedy relief to the show as the tech-geek in charge of keeping the Sanctuary safe as Henry Foss. And Christopher Heyerdahl makes special guest appearances as villainous John Druitt, who shares a secret past with Dr. Magnus.

Each episode is a dark, suspenseful, action-packed, and humorous, with a new creature (and mystery) to face. The characters are well-written and brilliantly cast. With each episode, more is revealed about the characters and the overlying arc of the story. When John Druitt comes on the scene, he is immediately apparent as the sinister "bad guy." But even he has a story and a reason for his actions.

With incredibly storytelling, fantastic characters, and stunning visual effects, Sanctuary is now one of my all-time favorite shows. It's one no science fiction fan should miss.

Imagine this: a giant gothic building that serves as a "sanctuary" to various strange, freakish and/or dangerous creatures that exist in the world.

That's the concept behind "Sanctuary: The Complete First Season," a fantasy/sci-fi show that started off as a series of webisodes, then got turned into a show for the Sci Fi (Sy Fy?) Channel. The first season starts off shaky and sometimes painfully silly (nubbins!), but the second half suddenly smooths itself into a solid arc of secrets, conspiracies, and a fanatical enemy organization.

Forensic psychiatrist Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) has a pretty rotten life -- his girlfriend has left, his job is a joke, and nobody believes his deductions. But during a bizarre murder investigation, he encounters a strange woman named Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) who offers him a job at the Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary turns out to be a vast cathedral-like structure filled with "Abnormals" -- mermaids, elementals, iguana-men, two-faced dudes, and so on. But the Sanctuary's residents are now in danger from a charming Abnormal named John Druitt (Christopher Heyerdahl), who has a longtime connection to Helen. And unless he gets what he wants from her, he'll kill her daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup).

Other Sanctuary problems: a trio of amnesiac women, a drug lord among the Folding Men, an autistic boy whose pictures reveal Abnormals, a Himalayan plane crash with a mind-altering monster, a brain parasite, the superfertile Nubbins (like carnivorous Totoros), a man who looks suspiciously like Magnus' late father, and a pair of reporters who witness the Sanctuary team fighting rare killer insects.

And the Sanctuary has a new enemy -- the fanatical Cabal, who want all Abnormals under their control. When they unleash a biological weapon, Helen's old study group ("The Five") must reunite to save the Abnormal population.

The first half of "Sanctuary: The Complete First Season" is a severely mixed bag -- most of it isn't really bad, but it's not terribly unique or gripping. And the "nubbins" (tribbles with teeth) episode is just embarrassingly silly. But with the introduction of Nicola Tesla (who is a vampire!), suddenly the entire series tightens up and becomes far more streamlined, complex and emotionally powerful.

Along the way, the writers fill the series with all sorts of freaky creatures, slimy body parts, and some gun-heavy action scenes. The writing is rather wobbly in the first half ("Women and geeks first... oh, no, that's all of us"), but the sci-fi edge gives it a quirky appeal ("I guess Ike didn't want to breathe the same air as the Nazi High Command." "Some of them didn't even breathe air"). And "Sanctuary" has a pretty striking look -- half industrial science complex, and half Gothic decay, with vast cathedral-like buildings, grey cloudy skies, and the half-ruined Old City.

Tapping is a powerful presence as the hyperintellectual, immortal Helen Magnus, and Dunne is brilliant from the start as the Daniel Jackson of the series (smart and geeky, with a tragic past). Ryan Robbins is great as the resident techno-superbrain (with his own Abnormal secret) and Christopher Heyerdahl does a brilliant two-character turn -- charming, smooth killer John Druitt, and shy but kindly butler Bigfoot.

The one false note is Ashley -- while Ullerup does a fair job, the character is an urban fantasy cliche -- cocky, gun-happy, and wears a leather catsuit during fights. But the supporting cast is pretty fascinating, especially since the writers start ushering in Victorian literary and historical figures.

"Sanctuary: The Complete First Season" has some mighty wobbles in its first half, but the second half stabilizes and flowers like a black rose.

I normally don't convert my sets from DvD to Blue Ray (movies yes, but not tv sets), however, since this show is so unique in its presentation (Green screen), I just had to see the difference. All three seasons I purchased are outstanding. I highly recommend converting this set to Blue Ray if you like the high quality of high tech.

Forgetting the fact that it feels a little like a Stargate rip, this show was much better than I expected. The plotlines were more sophisticated, the CG more adventurous, and the characters were more appealing. It's like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets Stargate SG1. Being a television series, heavily laden with CG, that, while good enough for broadcast, probably wouldn't hold up on a large screen, I watched the Blu-rays on a modest 52" 1080p in our living room, instead of in the dedicated HT. At that size, it generally looked great, and the CG was believable enough, though use of green screens became more obvious in massion interiors, forsaking the illusion to some degree. Still, overall, the shows ambition was worth a look.

The studio includes both lossless surround as well as basic stereo, which usually provides better clarity for people without surround sound, as downmixing in many players can be degrading, if not deleterious. And intelligibility of the stereo mix was excellent. There's a redundant DD 5.1 mix included as well, which is completely uneccessary as DTS HD includes an even better lossy core that every BD player should be able to extract. Having auditioned the show in our living room instead of our HT, I won't comment on either surround mix. I would like to caution about the packaging though. E1 has chosen a cheap cardboard and plastic packaging solution that's rather annoying to use, as two of the discs are stacked atop the others, meaning you have to remove disc 1 to get to disc 2 and you have to remove disc 3 to get to disc 4.

Disimilar to other cheap cases, however, this case uses a disc retaining system that I've never seen before and frankly hope to never see again, as it apparently doesn't work. Despite good packaging by amazon, all four discs arrived loose in the case. Fortunately, these aren't DVDs, which would have been scratched by the packaging for sure. Thanks to Blu-rays scratch resistant coating, the discs appeared to be undamaged. However, the second disc froze in one spot, either due to unseen damage or replication error at the factory. Cleaning the disc with a lint-free microfiber camera lens cleaning cloth did not help, either. In case it is a production issue and not a result of the discs coming loose in the case or an isolated occurance, I'd suggest watching the series, at least disc two, before the return window closes, to avoid getting stuck with a defective disc - especially if your discs arrive loose too, but whether you see any damage or not.

Sanctuary is by far the most interesting series I've seen since Stargate SG1. Amanda Tapping and Martin Wood team up to provide a fabulous and unique storyline embellished by the most incredible computer graphics. The first few episodes appeared a bit strained but later episodes became more and more polished and quite fascinating. Great acting and writing makes the "unbelievable" believable. Season 2 episodes are even better, so I'm really looking forward to the June release on DVD. I wholeheartedly recommend Sanctuary.

Sanctuary is a wonderful realistic fantasy with likable characters, engaging episode-to-episode (as well as season-arching) plots, superb writing and gifting acting. Definitely for the Sci-Fi fan, as well as anyone interested in genuinely good story telling of very human characters and character interaction.

5/5.

First, it's compelling. Sure, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense - a staff of what, five or so? The action sequences, especially shootouts, are poorly done - Magnus just stands there shooting, for the most part. Ludicrous. The CGI, at least in this season, is not great, but it's the stories that carry you along - some are quite surprising and complex, especially the one with Drawing Boy. The characters are great fun and well written, what with the James (Sherlock) Watson and Jack the Ripper and company. I wish they didn't kill off main characters with such frequency, but it sure makes for real suspense.