Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-17 18:50:32

The okay movie that became a really great television series

This review is from: Stargate (Special Edition) (DVD) It is interesting to watch the 1994 "Stargate" film from the perspective of the spin-off television series, "Stargate SG-1," which is on its way to becoming the longest running science-fiction series of all-time. As was the case with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," we have an okay film that becomes a first-rate television series. Once upon a time, 1928 to be exact, archeologists discovered a strange disc buried in the sand of Egypt. The next thing we know we are in the present, and Egyptologist Daniel Jackson (James Spader), is having his colleagues walk out on him as he explains his radical theory about the ancient Egyptians and their language. But then a mysterious old woman (Viveca Lindfors) gives him an invitation to travel to a secret military base buried beneath the Rocky Mountains to do translations. Jackson has nothing else to do, so he shows up, immediately corrects all the mistakes and figures out all the mysteries, and the next thing we know he is being shown the Stargate. He then joins a military group led by Colonel Jack O'Neil (Kurt Russell), who has been recalled back to active duty to find out where you go to when you step through the Stargate. The answer is you go to the other side of the known universe where you discover a desert planet where an alien who was known as Ra (Jaye Davidson) by the ancient Egyptians is lording it over the local humanoids. This movie is mostly eye candy. Being shot on a desert planet means that it has lots of scenes shot in bright sunlight, which really is unusual for a science fiction film, where they tend to be dark and murky. "Stargate" brings back the same sort of ideological tension between scientists and the military that we enjoyed during the 1950s with films like "The Thing From Another World," as Jackson is all excited to explore a brave new world and O'Neill is looking for an excuse to blow everything up with the nuke in the big suitcase.Truth about this movie is that it the ideas are a lot better than than the execution. The idea of the Stargate is a nice way of circumventing the laws of physics that scoff at warp drive and other narrative necessities to a good space yarn. It is not a far leap of logic to get from this one Stargate to the idea that there are others, and there is also the nice corrollary that this system explains why there are so many humans scattered throughout the galaxy where they all live on oxygen breathing planets. Beyond that the television series picks up on the Jackson-O'Neill dyad, reducing it to the idea that one is an academic and the other is a warrior and never the twain shall meet. Of course Richard Dean Anderson's O'Neill is even quirkier than Spader's Jackson, while Michael Shanks's Jackson starts off even more humorless than Russell's O'Neill. But it all works, so why quibble? The original "Stargate" ends up being more about style than substance, which is why it is so interesting that the television series could find something substantial upon which to build a television series. If you have yet to see "Stargate" in any version, then you are strongly urged to proceed immediately from this 1994 film to the first season of "Stargate SG-1." Even if you find this film tedious, just get through it and move on to the good stuff. You could not pass go and head directly for season one of "Stargate SG-1," but you really need to know the players and some of the rules of the game before hand.

2013-05-17 08:21:25

Stargate

This review is from: Stargate (Ultimate Edition) (DVD) Finaly we have time to see the beginning of a great serie.We have all the seasons already but now also the premiere movie and time to watch it ;-)Great work !

2013-05-16 19:52:03

New and Improved

This movie's release has been hexed from the start. When the movie was released on Laser Disk, it had a sound problem that took 3 months to get it replaced. Then when it came out on DVD, it was a straight to DVD transfer, no special features, no enhancment of the quality and it was one movie that was split on both sides of the DVD. If I wanted that, I would have stayed with Laser. I have a copy of this new release, and it has special featuresa, deleted scenes and you can watch it as a directors version. I am very impressed. I am glad they finally gave this movie the attention to detail it deserved. It's fantastic!

2013-05-16 15:34:18

Great Movie

I loved the original, and this one is just as good, if not better. I thought the new opening scenes helped to tie the storyline in later. The other added scenes are subtle, and unless you've seen the original many times, you probably would have a difficult time noticing which scenes were added, but in my opinion, that's how good this movie is. The added scenes help to give the viewer a fuller idea of the entire story. About the extras on the disk, I wish there would have been more, like maybe some "making of" footage or interviews with the actors, producers, director, etc. But I'm not complaining (very few films of that time have many extras when converted to DVD). The one special extra they do have on the disk more than makes up for the lack of interviews, in my mind. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It'll make you think or re-think many ideas. Overall, I'd highly recommend this version to anyone who liked the original Stargate movie.

darkpatriot85 2013-05-16 12:04:21

CLASSIC. Without a doubt.

Stargate is one of those great movies that hasn't got the respect itdeserves. At first I thought the movie was about time travel since theygo to a place that is like Ancient Egypt, which didn't really interestme at all. Then I caught an episode of the T.V. show and got curious.When I saw the movie I was blown away. The special effects were ones Ihad never really seen before (such as opening the Stargate for thefirst time). I was getting tired of seeing sci-fi movies where everyalien race spoke perfect English and I thought I would experience thatuntil the team met with the villagers which I thought was better. It'salways cool to see Kurt Russel kicking ass in films. It was alsodifferent to see James Spader play the semi-nerdy guy instead of theasshole he mainly plays. I was also amazed when Roland Emmerich choseone of the simplest villains for a movie, an ancient Egyptian god. Iwatch this movie every week and I never get tired of it.

kersus 2013-05-15 19:25:55

Potential!

What grabbed me about this movie was the potential it had. There wasjust so much that could be done with this dynamite idea. That alonemade this an essential part of my movie collection.The movie itself is quite average and while worth seeing, isn't goingto knock your socks off. The acting is from adequate to good; theeffects were well done and quite nicely not overdone.So it's a fantastic idea that wasn't ruined, but isn't spectacular. Theactors carry themselves well and this is a worthy addition to anysci-fi collection (especially those who like the idea of alternatehistory for mankind - See Alien vs. Predator).I normally don't write such quick reviews, but this is what I feltabout the movie and I think that much more would give away too much forthose who haven't seen it.

2013-05-10 16:48:51

I Love this Movie!!

This movie is great and you should do yourself a favor by watching it!

2013-05-09 23:25:02

Good Time-Waster

I pointed out to my daughter that the same person who directed "Independence Day" also directed this movie. She replied, "Is that why they're both so good?" Well, truth to tell, I thought Independence Day was a pretty good movie because it didn't pretend to be anything more than a good earth vs. bad alien movie made to entertain people. Stargate attempted to be a bit deeper but ended up being silly. No more so than the old black and white sci-fi movies I used to watch on weekend afternoons or late Saturday nights, I guess. I liked those and I liked Stargate as long as I accept them for what they are- implausible and somewhat silly. But they're fun, too. My two kids really liked this movie and found it fascinating, and I'm sure I would have felt the same way when I was their age.

2013-04-30 07:12:00

Perfect blend of Egyptology and Sci-Fi

This is one of the best Sci-Fi films I have ever seen. The story revolves around an Egyptologist (played brilliantly by James Spader) who is recruited by the military to help unravel the secret of an ancient artifact (the Stargate). Once he solves the mystery, he and a team of soldiers (led by Kurt Russell), enter the Stargate (a portal to other worlds), and find a society of people who appear to be descendants of the ancient Egyptians. They worship gods (including Ra the Sun God), who in reality, are an alien race. Jaye Davidson (of THE CRYING GAME) gives a stellar performance as Ra. Once our heroes figure out Ra's scheme to destroy Earth, they set out to turn the tables on him. It all adds up to a fascinating film that is visually stunning, and leaves the viewer pondering the possibility that maybe the ancient gods were in fact aliens. A great 2 hrs. of entertainment.

chris-1876 2013-04-29 11:36:58

a new classic

Stargate the movie :- superb atmosphreric music, great special effects,excellent cast, intriguing story but - not surprised it launched asuccessful TV series which has run and run. I cant believe there are socalled sci fi fans out there who didn't like it - must beintellectuals!!! I still enjoy the film now 1o years later althoughdisappointed they never made a sequel as it was set up for one. Neverreally liked the ending - should have included the return to earth. TheTV series has moved the story along nicely - even changes to the casthave worked well and i particularly enjoy the dry humour of the TVseries.

damari123 2013-04-27 07:00:24

Classic. Original ideas.

Love this movie, among the few I watch from time to time. True classic(has all the "components"), excellent soundtrack, excellent graphics-and sound effects, original ideas why or how humans came to any certainplace. Why pyramids exists or why they're shaped the way they are.Another perspective pictured in this movie is how mankind has beenruled by a demagogue, typically given the properties of a god from theobservers perspective. This usually resolves in revolt as people aresuppressed, much like our history.Great atmosphere and artistic filming. I especially like theintroduction, mid- and ending scenes. The ending feels very muchaltruistic for the main characters. This movie has same caliber as StarWars IMO.Some scenes could have been given more time to evolve and not been socropped as they where. It does give you the impression it had to be cuthere and there to fit some framework. Sure, acting could been somewhatbetter, but elegance is for tailors.

budmassey 2013-04-26 21:25:06

The convergence of science and myth is beautiful.

There is a disturbing trend in science fiction movies. More a history thana trend, since it dates back to the 1970's with Star Wars, where it wasevery bit as disgusting as it is today. They take great sci-fi films andadd stupid muppets to create aftermarket opportunities. The big slobberycreature? Is that a snuffleupagus from Dr. Seuss or what?But wait. Hold the presses! Did he say great sci-fi? You bet your PhillipK. Dick. The first half of this film is magical. James Spader is wonderfulas the unappreciated genius who can read ancient tablets like you'd read abillboard. He singlehandedly deciphers the greatest mystery of all time; aninstruction manual for a space portal left behind by none other than the godRa himself.The convergence of science and myth is beautiful. The Stargate may be thegreatest movie artifact since the Maltese Falcon. When Spader solves themystery of its operation, what should have been the greatest adventure ofall time begins.Once on the other side, we find the obligatory retrograde civilizationenslaved by the evil god. A mining colony? Are you kidding me? The lastsurviving member of an ancient super-race, and they still need to dig ore upby hand? I must admit, the pyramid guards are a brilliant touch, but thathokey village? Please!But never fear, Jaye Davidson to the rescue. The ultimate crossdresser is asupreme being who pulls this movie back from the brink of Sesame Street? Why not? He drips with arrogance and attitude. He's perfect as themenacing deity inhabiting the body of a human boy. Sure Kurt Russell, armedwith his crew cut and zippo lighter, is bound to kick his 10,000 year oldass, but not before we see what he's really made of.I would rather have seen a great sequel than the lame cable series thatfollowed, but this movie stands on its own, and does it well. Thank god forDVD. I watch the first half of this movie regularly, skip over the middle,and watch the grand finish. The special edition DVD is much better, not tomention being a single sided disk, unlike the original.It would be a sin not to mention the magnificent Vivica Lindfors, who lendsan unexpected style and grace to the film. She passed away a year after thefilm was released, and her talent and beauty, never fully appreciated inHollywood anyway, are greatly missed.

2013-04-24 22:15:57

Stargate

This review is from: Stargate (Ultimate Edition) (DVD) I Love This Movie.My Favoerite Actor Is Kurt Russell.I Highly Recomend The Movie.Denise

2013-04-24 13:47:58

StarGate SE Alot better than old flip disc!

This special edition of Stargate is a very good dvd. It's picture quality may be a little bad at times but the added footage, not having to flip the disc, and the edition of the directors commentary which is pretty good makes this a dvd woth buying if you are a fan of the movie!

2013-04-23 21:54:50

Just A Great Sci-Fi Film

Being a huge fan of Science Fiction, I have to say this film is one of the best out there. I don't understand why so many people think it's second rate. Personally, I think the last few Star Wars theatre releases are terrible, containing some of the worst acting and unimaginative plots I've seen in some time, so perhaps there's a different audience praising those and leaving Stargate in the dust.The acting in this film is fantastic, the plot is complex and compelling, the special effects are quite adequate for the story, and the musical score is nothing short of tremendous. But essentially, this film is not entirely about far out adventure and action, although the characters are obviously brought through significant experiences. The film is about the puzzle of language and understanding, communication being the predominant message here. And with the solving of messages on many levels, the humanity of this film is perhaps it's greatest value.

shanaboxer 2013-04-23 14:37:26

The Best film I have seen

I first saw this film when I was 17 years old. It had such an impact onme that it inspired me to want to become a scientist. Which I am now.Seriously this film is incredible a true masterpiece of its time. Andgets no where near the credit it deserves. This film has it all1)Really likable good guys 2)really evil bad guys 3)fantastic storywhich is original and creative 4)fantastic costumes and scenery5)fantastic acting. Seriously If you want to watch a film that will letyou escape into another world for 2 hours then watch this. I just wishthey could have made a sequel with the original cast. Definitely a 10out of 10 for me. and I would recommend anyone to watch it forthemself.

2013-04-22 14:34:05

Belivable SciFi

The team of the movie been so perfect in all aspects, The story is kinda believable comparing to any other SciFi movie. Actors been selected and did their work perfectly with the director's excellent job. Audio / Video effects are stunning also.As interesting as this film is, I recommend the StarGate SG-1, which I also purchase the first 7 seasons.

Luke Hoffmann 2013-04-22 03:28:37

One of the greatest Sci-Fi movies of all time, leading to one of the greatest Sci-Fi series of all time.

Stargate. What can be said?The plot is well written and well played from, start to finish. It hasbecome one of my favorite movies.It begins when a large, mysterious ring is found. Scientists try tofigureit out, but have a difficult time. In comes Daniel Jackson, who decyphersthe symbols. They realize that it is a stellar travel device. Troops,including Daniel Jackson and Colonel O'Niel (Played by Kurt Russel, anexcellent actor) From then on, the action begins. But you'll have to seethe movie for that.

2013-04-20 02:45:37

Good idea, bad execution.

I bought this because I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Any original cinema release that can impregnate network television is worth checking out. As a writer, I was enthralled quite a bit at the idea running under the picture but somehow the chemistry was all wrong. I don't know - Kurt Russell playing a role absolutely straight was something that I'd never seen before. He lacks his wry smiles and one liners. The inhabitants on the other side of the portal were hard to accommodate mentally also. The enslaving villains made for some fearsome moments with their gadgety armour but eveybody looks too good. I could hear echoes of 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' when I watched the middle part of this film: too much put into empowering downtrodden feral adolescents. From here on, the movie drags excruciatingly. While realistic and well intended, 'Stargate' just seems to fall far short of another film based upon a similar premise, 'Contact', but it's worth watching once and perhaps (just to scrape the insides of the jar for anything you'd missed on the first go) twice. To that end, you shouldn't want to part with your silver over it for ownership; my copy lasted just one month before I traded it for a 'Star Trek - Original Series' tape. Don't go and make the same mistake.... this release is mightily mediocre, I'm sorry to say.

leonlouisricci 2013-04-19 20:50:39

Ancient Astronaut Theorists and Fans are Still Waiting

The Ancient Astronaut thesis definitively started in the late 60's withErich Von Daniken, was matured and intellectualized by Zecharia Sitchinstarting in 1976, and is here today in a plethora of TV shows,documentaries and extensions of previous works. It is a fascinating andtotally believable subject that has limited, if any big screenincarnations. Thus speaks Stargate.The movie starts off great with the whole thing collapsing under itsown weight of misunderstanding the concept and turning it into a goodlooking but incredibly inept military exercise with dull action scenesand unbelievably uninteresting cultural exchanges.The Alien look is outstanding as are the sets, but it shamelessly usesa deep concept and ridicules its insights. It has no taste for theintellect and the cartoonish presentation of the Marines is clichéd anddated. There is still a great movie to be made with this subject matter and ifit is handled in a respectful manner it could be the biggest brainyblockbuster of all time. Ever since 2001: A Space Odyssey (which hadundertones of the theme) fans of the Ancient Astronaut theory have beenwaiting and one hopes that Hollywood is listening.