Thursday, September 18, 2008

Sanctuary - Film.com: Supernatural and Sanctuary tackle the Big Bads

At Film.com:

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Supernatural and Sanctuary tackle the Big Bads

Susan Young, Sep 18, 2008

For someone who has been to hell and back, Dean Winchester is looking mighty fine.

When last we saw the self-proclaimed smart brother, he was being dragged down into the devil's lair after selling his soul to save his brother Sam. Chest ripped open by the hounds of hell, things weren't looking good for our boy. Jump forward four months, and he's clawing through a pine box before digging his way out of a grave. He emerges with a big, red handprint on his shoulder marking his savage rescue from Hades' halls -- and we viewers have more than a few questions about how he escaped and why he can't remember much about his days down under.

Supernatural pops back up on the CW schedule on Thursday (9 p.m.), right after the series premiere of Smallville. Brothers Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) team up to fight the forces of evil, with their trusty hunter pal and closest-thing-to-a-father-since-dad-was-offed-by-a-demon Bobby (Jim Beaver).

**snippage**

While Supernatural has some cool special effects,the new series Sanctuary, which airs October 3 (9 p.m.) on the SciFi Channel, takes it to a whole new level with green screen sets and a production that comes out of Sin City and 300.

The technology allows the sets to take on a hyper-reality feel, but there's also a slight disconnect with the actors. Some reactions seem more stilted than with the more easy-going vibe out of Supernatural. The two-hour premiere looks promising, yet doesn't have that instant connect that Supernatural had from day one with relatable characters and snappy dialogue.

Sanctuary has a concept and a style that takes front-and-center priority. We would have liked a little more personality to the characters, which may evolve later after the shiny wears off of the new tech toys.

**snippage**

This series started out more than a year ago as internet webisodes, where we were introduced to Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), a scientist modeled after Jack the Ripper. The 157-year-old doctor operates Sanctuary with the help of her new recruit Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), while her tough, beautiful daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup) and tech whiz Henry (Ryan Robbins) dedicate their lives to studying and protecting odd and terrifying creatures that lurk in the shadows.

Some monsters are hideous, others look like everyday people though they may be the most dangerous of all. Case in point is Magnus' nemesis John Druitt played by Christopher Heyerdahl (Stargate Atlantis).



John Druitt (Christopher Heyerdahl)

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