Movie Info
Movie Name: Stargate
Studio: StudioCanal
Genre(s): Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): October 28, 1994
MPAA Rating: PG-13
My face is going where no face has gone before!!!
An archeological discovery in 1928 leads to adventure when Daniel Jackson (James Spader) is contacted to help translate the language on the ringed device. The find is an item called a Stargate which creates a wormhole in space linking Earth to a world in a distant galaxy. Daniel and a military team led by Colonel Jack O’Neil (Kurt Russell) learn that they are trapped on the world until they translate the Stargate to reopen the portal to Earth…but a ruthless god named Ra (Jaye Davidson) could be a threat to the team and Earth if the Stargate is reopened.
If only Steve Martin would show up to do his King Tut dance…
Directed by Roland Emmerich, Stargate was an action sci-fi fantasy. The movie was met with mixed reviews but a strong box-office return which lead to a long-lasting television franchise.
I have a soft spot for Stargate. There were a lot of attempts to recapture the magic of Star Wars after Star Wars, and this movie attempted to blend both Star Wars and Star Trek by having a more science-fiction based fantasy. This works to an extent. Watching Stargate now, you can see its faults, but it still is a fun ride.
Ra’s had his share of the Crying Game
The plot of the movie sets out to explain the classic question of why the Egyptian culture was so advanced by expanding on the idea that the advancements are extraterrestrial based. The rush to get the movie going leaves a lot of questions. The institution had the portal for years, opens it in a couple days with Jackson’s involvement, and then immediately rushed people through it with little study…it doesn’t quite seem realistic. Once on the other side they have generic natives and a revolution plot that seems weak, but the movie also suffers from the “bomb them all” plan to eliminate the threat. Despite, this I like the Egyptian culture aspect of the movie and the director’s cut expanded upon this.
It is funny to see how much Spader has changed over the years watching this movie and how little Kurt Russell has changed. I feel Russell could go back and play his general with little problem but Spader is so far removed from his character that it is funny to watch this movie and not think of his current acting. I also enjoy Jaye Davidson who was hot off his Oscar nomination for The Crying Game and did little after this since he never intended to be an actor.
Oh man a ticking time bomb! No cliches here…
The special effects for the movie are very basic and more traditional than modern movies. Most of the sets and creatures are model based (despite things like the Stargate travel), and I like how the movie has a real look as a result. Many of the actual shots however are repetitive especially when the ships begin to attack…it looks like they almost used the same shots over-and-over (and you can sometimes see the string depending on the transfer)…I do like the yak-like creatures and the jackal guards are also creepy.
Stargate is a movie that I think has some fun. Apparently the makers of the movie also thought so and Stargate started a franchise. A planned sequel was scrapped, but the movie went on to spawn Stargate: SG-1 (1997-2007), Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009), Stargate: Universe (2009-2011), and other merchandise and movies…Stargate as a TV franchise had a much greater staying power and I’m sure that the Stargate will open once again.
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