7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The enigmatic Dr. Helen Magnus and the Sanctuary team are back and again on their quest to study and protect the strange and terrifying creatures that secretly populate our world.
Starring: Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, Christopher Heyerdahl, Ryan Robbins, Agam DarshiSci-Fi | 100% |
Mystery | 7% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (4 BDs)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Originally conceived as a 2 hour webisode series by the creative mind of Damian Kindler, Sanctuary quickly blossomed into a full-fledged series on the syndicated channel Syfy. Spanning two seasons thus far (with a third on the way), the Canadian-based production has acquired quite the cult following among the science fiction community, thanks to the involvement of actress/producer Amanda Tapping (Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis) and the sure-handed direction of Martin Wood (another Stargate veteran). Released concurrently with the season one box set on Blu-ray, this edition contains the entire 13-episode season two run of the series, spread across four discs. The packaging consists of a cardboard outer box protecting a cardboard fold-out with plastic housing within. The discs are held in place using overlapping storage that utilizes pressure from small plastic pieces to hold them in place. Once secured, I was rather impressed with this new method of multi-disc housing, though it’s important to note my copy arrived with two discs loose in the case (thankfully unscratched).
A daytime view of the digitally-rendered Sanctuary.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 23Mbps), Sanctuary: Season Two offers increased consistency in comparison with the visual quality of the season one box set, but still suffers from several of the same deficiencies. It's amazing how the shift from green screen to real sets has helped in the strength of fine object detail -- no longer requiring the hazy image smoothing often found throughout season one. Even during scenes when green screen backgrounds are utilized, the melding of real actors on digital backgrounds provides a strong sense of depth, revealing an increased budget and more effective use of computer generated imagery. From a color standpoint, the palette incorporates a vivid spectrum full of naturalistic tones that never descend into drab territory. Likewise, black level depth rarely wavers into gray territory, creating wide differentiation between the lighter and darker shades within the image. There are still occasional moments of minor aliasing found within the digital backgrounds of a handful of scenes, but aside from that one problem, I never noticed any obvious anomalies in the digitally sourced image.
Taken as a whole, the visual quality of the Sanctuary: Season Two comes much closer to reaching the heights I anticipated from the use of RED camera technology (with 4 times the resolution of Blu-ray), though there are still minor set-backs that prevent this from hitting the upper echelon of Blu-ray treatments.
Continuing with the wildly entertaining sound design that's become a benchmark of the series, this box set incorporates a lossless audio mix that's sure to rattle the light fixtures of your home theater. Between mammoth underwater monsters wreaking havoc, hordes of zombie-like humanoids prowling a future wasteland, and multiple run-ins with vampire-like soldiers, there's rarely a moment to be lost on such trivial things as dialog. All joking aside, this is a fantastic mix that really nails the epic scope of the series, while never failing to extend the influence audio can have on one's enjoyment of television entertainment. Unlike season one, I hadn't witnessed this second Sanctuary outing during the initial television run, removing any point of reference for comparing the highly compressed lossy version and the one we're given here. However, it's not difficult to suggest the result is revelatory, allowing the robust lows to combine with precise clarity for an end product that ranks quite high among broadcast fare. Moving on to spatial separation within the mix, you'll notice an effective level of immersion during gun battles and fist fights, though the true strength of the rear channels can be found in the creative environmental effects utilized in the series. As we'd assume, the budgetary constraints of a show such as Sanctuary prevent the audio design from rivaling a theatrical summer blockbuster, but I've remained impressed at the lofty stabs at high-level creativity shown over and over again.
Sanctuary International (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 3:22 min): Damian Kindler, Martin Wood, Amanda Tapping and several members of the cast discuss the expansion of the series into an international network of Sanctuaries all over the world, enhancing the scope of the production.
Amanda Tapping Directs "Veritas" (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 3:40 min): Stepping behind the camera for one of the episodes in season two, Amanda Tapping is shown taking the reins in a brief series of behind-the-scenes footage.
"Next Tuesday"-Anatomy of an Episode (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 16:44 min): This episode was the "bottle show" of the season (confined space), taking place entirely within the water filled smoke-stack of an oil well. The creative minds behind the series discuss the origins of the episode and how the story developed.
Sanctuary Visual Effects (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 8:53 min): The evolution of the visual effects courtesy of Anthem are chronicled through behind-the scenes green screen footage and interviews with members of the crew that worked primarily on the computer generated backgrounds or effects.
Sanctuary for Kids (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 2.0): Amanda Tapping stars in a PR spot for fundraisers sponsored by the Sanctuary team that go toward charitable organizations centered on kids.
Sanctuary Goes to Comic-Con (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 8:05 min): Travelling to the Comic-Con 2009 convention, Damian Kindler, Martin Wood, Amanda Tapping, and Robin Dunne dish up a panel interview session for a crowd of fans.
Will Vision-On Set and Behind the Scenes (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 13:19 min): Robin Dunne completes a video tour of a typical episode, beginning with set design and ending in post-production. Without a doubt, this is one of the stronger supplements included on the disc.
Will Vision-Sanctuary Goes to Japan (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 10:47 min): The second video diary by Robin Dunne follows Damian Kindler, Amanda Tapping, and Martin Wood as they complete location scouting in Tokyo.
Dancing in Mumbai (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 12:34 min): In preparation for the final two episodes of season two, the parking lot of the Sanctuary production studio was turned into a Mumbai slum. As part of the finale, we have a Bollywood dance sequence starring Robin Dunne, which is dissected in this featurette.
Bloopers and Outtakes (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 5:05 min): As the title implies, this is a hilarious collection of clips showing the actors having a blast on set.
Rounding out the extras, we have a behind the scenes slide show that runs just over four minutes in length.
The second season of Sanctuary offers adequate reason to weather several of the weaker episodes in the opening season. The scope is larger, the writing more focused, and the emotional tone is finally consistent. There are still some aspects that detract from the series in subtle ways, but those who consider themselves fans of sci-fi/fantasy television productions could do a lot worse. After all, it's not every day you witness a Neanderthal side-kick, a werewolf tech nerd, and a teleporting Jack the Ripper working in unison.
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