DVD Corner

Sanctuary Season 3 Blu-ray Review

The third season of “Sanctuary” is strictly for fans of the sci-fi series.

The abnormal investigative Sanctuary team (consisting of Dr. Helen, Dr. Will, Kate, Henry, and Bigfoot) is back in the 20 episode season 3. Plots in this season involve: A tidal wave, memories, a bank heist, Nikola Tesla, Kate getting powers, werewolves, a mysterious man named Adam Worth, a map, a search for Dr. Helen’s father, an underground city (Praxis), abnormals, a mutated Will, dates, vampires, flashbacks, time, and Hollow Earth.

When it comes to the sci-fi television, thought provoking shows such as “Star Trek,” “The Twilight Zone,” and the recent incarnation of “Battlestar Galactica” are certainly the cream of the crop. Granted, there’s a place for silly/cheesy sci-fi series, but they are more or less the type of program you want to watch to be entertained. “Sanctuary” definitely feels like a silly, throwaway series whose sole purpose is to entertain. One could argue that the episodes have strong themes, but everything in the series feels like it has been borrowed from other genre classics like “Torchwood” “Stargate,” “The X-Files,” and “X-Men.” “Sanctuary” has the ever familiar “Monster of the week” formula mixed with “X-Men” esque mutant themes (or in this case abnormal themes). The series simply doesn’t have a unique identity and that’s part of the problem.

Unoriginality aside, “Sanctuary” is all over the place when it comes to production values. One minute, the CGI looks impressive when it comes to fire, creature makeup, and certain environments. The next minute, you might cringe at seeing pitiful vampire and werewolf CGI, bad green screen, a goofy bug suit, or cheap sets. It’s all very inconsistent and it often took me out of the show.

On the plus side, the show is not without merit. “Stargate” actress Amanda Tapping literally carries the show here as she is one of the few characters of interest (or with any real personality). Secondly, I have to admit that I found episode 14 to be  very well executed. Without giving away any spoilers, I will just say that the episode is shot via a first person perspective. It was a nice change of pace for the series not to mention an inventive plot device that worked wonders.

Summary: “Sanctuary” season 3 will appeal to fans of the series, but I can’t recommend the show for anyone looking to give it a try.

Note: Sanctuary season 4 begins on SyFy October 7^th, 2011.

Video/Audio:

The 1.78:1 1080p was surprisingly very impressive. Even with the hit-and-miss CGI, this is honestly one of the best looking TV show on Blu-ray I have seen lately. The colors really looked fantastic in hi-def.

The DTS-HD 5.1 audio track is solid all around. The sound f/x, dialogue, and music are as clear as can be.

Extras:

* SyFy and E1 trailers.
* Commentary on episode 1 by Martin Wood, Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne. Commentary on episode 6 by Martin Wood and Robin Dunne. Commentary on episode 7 by Martin Wood, Amanda Tapping, and Damian Kindler. Commentary on episode 10 by Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne and Martin Wood. Commentary on episode 14 by Andy Mikita and Robin Dunne. Commentary on episode 17 by Martin Wood, Amanda Tapping and Damian Kindler. Commentary on episode 19 by Martin Wood, Amanda Tapping and Damian Kindler. Fans who want to hear some behind-the-scenes information and discussions about the episodes will want to check these commentaries out.
* Deleted scenes from episodes 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16 and 19.
* An unfunny blooper reel.
* “Sanctuary For Kids”- Amanda Tapping talks about children’s organizations.
* “Character Profile: Jonathon Young/Nikola Tesla”- A featurette on the character.
* “Behind The Scenes: Normandy”- A featurette on the Normandy story.
* “The Music Of Sanctuary”- A featurette on the composer and his score. 

* “Damian Kindler: In The Director’s Chair”- Damian and other cast and crew members chat about his directorial debut.
* “Amanda Tapping: Directing “One Night””- A featurette about Tapping’s direction.
* “Visual Effects” featurette.

* “Hollow Earth”- A featurette on Hollow Earth.

October 1, 2011 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Amanda Tapping, Bigfoot, Sanctuary Season 4, Stargate, SyFy