Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17224 in VHS
• Released on: 2002-06-03
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Director's Cut, Dolby, PAL, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Norwegian, Swedish
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 125 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
A self-consciously epic sci-fi adventure of Cecil B DeMille-sized proportions, Stargate refreshes and combines several well-worn sci-fi and sword 'n' sandal genre conventions with some Erich von Daniken-style Biblical Egyptology. The directing-writing-producing team of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin had previously collaborated on B-movies Moon 44 (1990) and Universal Soldier (1992), but handed a significantly bigger budget they were able to give their Steven Spielberg pretensions free reign here ("Indiana Jones and his Close Encounters with the Chariots of the Gods" might be a suitable subtitle). James Spader is endearingly dithery as the fish-out-of-water academic who finds himself teamed with taciturn tough guy Kurt Russell: the two excellent leads are largely responsible for imparting what depth there is to otherwise two-dimensional characters. British composer David Arnold makes his major studio debut in the grandest fashion with an outstanding score that pays suitable homage to epic film music (John Williams' CE3K and Maurice Jarre's Lawrence of Arabia in particular). It's all done with such unabashed enthusiasm that viewers will happily forgive the film's derivative elements and even overlook the high-camp theatricality of Jaye Davidson's bizarre bad guy. Despite subsequent huge box-office hits (Independence Day, Godzilla, The Patriot), Stargate remains Emmerich and Devlin's freshest, most satisfying film.

On the DVD: This special edition version adds approximately seven minutes of additional footage, much of which is in the form of slightly extended scenes, but does also include an opening sequence in Ancient Egypt, a scene with Kurt Russell and the fossilised Horus guards, and Ra's bath scene. These are also collected in a bonus "Promo Reel". The anamorphic widescreen presentation of the 2.35:1 Panavision picture looks sharp and clear, although some of the additional footage is degraded; the sound is suitably spectacular 5.1 or DTS. Devlin and Emmerich provide a relaxed, chatty commentary ("We have nothing to do with the TV series"!), although you have to access this from the Set Up menu not the Special Features menu. There's a photo gallery and trailer, but sadly no "making-of" documentary. --Mark Walker

Synopsis
A hidden threshold is discovered which, when the code is cracked, reveals a gateway to another time. A team passes through and becomes trapped in a dangerous unknown world. They must find the key to return home or remain forever...

Customer Reviews

A movie that really grows on you
Back in ancient Giza a large circular artefact is buried under some capstones. Later in the 1920s an archaeological dig uncovers the 'stone' ring and various items of jewellery all dedicated to the Egyptian sun god Ra. Then in the 1990s, Dr Daniel Jackson, a radical Egyptologist who is widely disbelieved by the academic community is co-opted into a project run by the USAF, a project researching the large ring. Jackson with his differing interpretation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs rapidly solves the problem of the ring showing it to be a transportation device, a Stargate. Together with a USAF commando team lead by the recently returned from retirement Colonel Jack O'Neill, Jackson and co. head through the Stargate to another world; a world populated by 'Egyptians' and their gods. Can they return home? Can they prevent Ra from his plans of domination?

On the theatrical release of this movie I have to say that I was under whelmed, and to be quite honest disappointed with the whole experience. I watched it again, and perhaps on my initial viewing I wasn't particularly attentive but it seemed like a different much better movie. I've since been given the Directors Cut on sale here and once again I've found my enjoyment to be greater still. So what is it about this movie that takes time to engage with? Maybe the slowish middle after the initial excitement of Daniel Jackson (ably played by James Spader) solving the riddle of the Stargate had something to do with it. Maybe the wooden and often lacklustre performance by the supporting cast was the problem (excluding of course the excellent Kurt Russell as Jack O'Neill and the typecast Viveca Lindfors as the venerable Dr Catherine Langford). Maybe there have been so many theories about the Ancient Egyptians that we think, "Ho hum, here we go again". I just don't know. In the end, I've found myself really enjoying the film, especially in the light of the release of Stargate SG-1 on TV.

The Directors Cut version (theatrical version also on the disk) is a more rounded story providing a better story flow, but as a previous reviewer has noted, the production quality of these restored scenes is not quite as good as the theatrically released scenes. Some sequences were unnecessary, but others vital - why would the USAF include O'Neill "Just in case the project succeeds" if they weren't aware of a potential threat as shown in the Directors Cut? The DTS soundtrack is pretty good too - if you've a decent rig, crank it up when Ra's ship is landing and make the house shake!

All in all an excellent movie (now it has grown on me) and one I recommend to Sci-fi fans wholeheartedly. A pity about the extra scene quality hence the four stars. One thing though, it can damage your knowledge of Egyptian history - I did watch opening sequences of "The Mummy Returns" and then wonder why the Jaffa weren't using their staff weapons to fight the Scorpion King!

A worthwhile purchase for any Stargate or indeed DVD fan
When I first saw this film I instantly loved it. I own it on VHS too, and when I recieved this DVD I was quite surprised while watching it. The picture quality is nothing short of superb. The improvement with the transition from VHS is ludicrous - it's really sharp and clear with great colours, even for a DVD. The only bits that are not so crisp are the extra scenes added for the directors cut edition. The sound quality is also fantastic - having only watched the VHS edition previously I was pleasantly surprised while listening to the full DTS version. Incidently, Dolby 5.1 is also incuded. The acting in the film itself is also pretty good - particulary the scenes with James Spader and Kurt Russell together. Buy it if you have a DVD player - it's an excellent film made better.

great film, poor reviewers
I have seen many reviews for this film. There are some good ones that take the film for what it is, but these are short and unhelpful. The longer reviews tend to find holes in the plot, and complain about pace of the action. First of all I would like to say to those people, if you would like all the science and backstory explained to your satisfaction, we'd have a film that you'd only get half way though if you watched it walking to Abydos. Secondly the pace of this film lets you take in what's going on and gives it a much more realistic feel, as you are not being force fed action and useless information just to get it all into the two hours.
My advice is take this film for what it is, a relaxing feel good movie that can inspire your imagination. This more than your average blockbuster. Finally do not try and compare this to the TV series as they are very different, you'll only be disappointed they are not what you were expecting as they have different actors and a whole different feel about them.
This is truly a Sc-Fi movie that rises above the norm, not just an excuse to use lots of special effects.