zerozx "...that this movie deserves a solid 7even." It offers the mainstream things that you would expect from a solid middle class Action-thriller.D The story centers around Luke Novak (protrayed by Mark dacascos), a former secret underground CIA killer who has escaped his past life as a killer, to lead a life as a peaceful priest, only to get caught up again with his past, upon meeting a former ally who asks his help. His former boss and his henchmen soon find out about his whereabouts and are starting a merciless vendetta against their former soldier...The plot and the setting of the movie, plus the action displays a very solid atmosphere and entertainment.The lead actor Mark Dacascos shows his versatility and demonstrates that he is more than simply just a Martial Artist, while exactly this aspect is actually his real talent which over the years hasn't been promoted for a greater main stream public. Yet in this case, and considering the Genre of being a dramatic Action thriller, this tiny little flaw can be overlooked, and be promoted into a solid B. The role of Luke fits remarkably well for Dacascos, since he seems to have a rather peaceful personality, and hence indicated in one of his interview that he intended to be a monk, something that really reflects that priest character that he displays.Sanctuary is a movie that is worth buying. A Solid 7even...

Thormod_Morrisson Pretty impressed with this thriller. Mark Dacascos has a good on screen presence as the CIA killer-turned-priest-turned-killer-again. The story holds interest and the director steers clear of the usual mad machine gun frenzy Hollywood imagines its action viewers want to see. This is a movie with some style, of an almost modern Gothic feel. Dacascos performs with all the intensity expected of a man facing his past demons. The action is sharp and straight to the point, with no unnecessary flourishes. My only criticism was the standard showdown between hero and chief villain at the end, which was a tad too long. It would be refreshing if this formula was altered to an extent by having the chief villain getting it maybe a lot sooner, and then having the rest of the enemy polished off after as they panic. Instead we have martial arts expert Dacascos pitted against the Schofield Kid from Unforgiven, and the Schofield Kid holding his own for more than ten seconds. This is a minor blip however in an otherwise engaging thriller. Nice little twist in the tail at the end, and as other viewers have observed, it leaves the door open for a sequel, although hopefully not Sanctuary 3, 4 and 5, as that would just kill the original concept. All in all this is a good movie and much recommended.

actionmoviestar I thought this was going to be an all action, shoot em up, kickin' arse type movie. This was totally the opposite. The movie kind of moves slow and lags behind at times. I expected a lot better from Mark Dacascos because I totally enjoyed the movie "Drive." I felt like it was beautifully well done and the action scenes were astounding. I don't get why this movie would be listed under "Action" because it hardly had any action in it. It was more of a "lite thriller" type movie. I felt like this film could've been much better. This movie is only for people who enjoy movies like this. If possible, I would highly recommend that you skip this Mark Dacascos entry, unless you're a big fan of him.

bob the moo Luke Kovak is part of a covert group within the CIA that works on illegal black ops involving blackmail and assassinations. When his boss orders the murder of one of the team, Luke realises how expendable they all are and gets out (taking proof of their activities with him). He now lives as a priest until the group start to get close to tracking him down.I'm a big fan of Dacascos, and I'm constantly at a loss as to why people like Seagal have had big hits but he remains very much part of the `direct to video' stable. This film has a pretty standard plot in that an ex-CIA agent is on the run from the very group that he was once part of. The plot is still passable, what it lacks in originality it makes up for by being pretty dark and gritty. The film has a few action scenes but these too manage to be quite dark and work the better for it, coming off as more than just the usual bangs for the sake of bangs.The direction is pretty good and the use of a gritty film stock makes the dark subject matter feel a lot better for it. A downside is that Dacascos doesn't have too many chances to do his martial arts stuff, going for more traditional action instead. That said, he is still quite good in the lead role. Aside from being moody in the first bits of the film, he is actually quite charismatic despite his character. The rest of the support cast is not so good, they are workmanlike but there are a few really poor performances in there.Parts of the film don't work that well, and this isn't a blockbuster or class act – it is just an above average video thriller. The flashbacks are a little confusing early on, and those that flashback to Luke's childhood are poor and too simplistic. Despite this I enjoyed the film – it isn't anything new but it has a good gritty feel and the dark nature of the film makes it feel a cut above the usual video thriller things.