Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #758 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-08-04
• Rating: To Be Announced
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 5
• Running time: 864 minutes

Synopsis
The STARGATE universe is exhilaratingly expanded and the epic feel of the franchise is perfected in this acclaimed spin-off of the STARGATE SG-1 series, itself spun-off from the 1994 blockbuster from director Roland Emmerich. In STARGATE: ATLANTIS, an international crew of scientists and soldiers finds yet another Stargate...one which leads to the Lost City of Atlantis. This Stargate, though, isn't on Earth but in the far-away Pegasus Galaxy, and the secret city holds a formidable new enemy--the Wraith. With this fourth series of the hit sci-fi series, things take a turn in a bleak new direction, with team leader Dr. Weir injured and captured by the evil Asurans as the damaged city of Atlantis drifts through space. Meanwhile, McKay reprograms the Asuran base code, causing the alien race to wage a war with the Wraith. Finally, hybrid Michael plays against both the humans and his own former Wraith race as this electric season hurtles toward its thrilling conclusion.

Customer Reviews

good fourth season It's a pity the show has been cancelled
Good fourth season except maybe one or two episodes. great characters development, good actions. The show become more mature. The relationship between the characters become interesting. I like the relation between John Sheppard and Rodney Mackay. Many plots have been created and deserves to continue in a fifth season and more. The cast give depth to the characters. congrat particularly to Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett. Now the actors possess more their character and bring a lot to them.
I'm waiting for the fifth season.
I'm sad to know MGM, SCI-FI and producers decided to cancel the show when the current rates are good and the quality become better and against the viewers opinions and petition signed a lot.

Good but I still miss Carson
Of all the characters that they killed off within the first three series' Paul McGillion's character Dr Carson Beckett was the one I missed most of all. He was in at the very beginning and although Jewel State's character Dr Keller is engaging and credible Carson was the sort of character you could laugh at but still empathise with. It's a real tribute to the writers and to Paul that the character is so interesting and entertaining to watch.

One character I could do without is Ronan Dex. For some reason despite the writers attempt at putting in a history he always comes off (to me) as one dimentional. You can sum him up in just three words, violent, impulsive and uncommunicative. There's an episode when Teal'c and Ronan are paired up and the difference in the depth of characters are apparent. His apparent lack of discipline makes you wonder how he acquired so much martial art prowess. Maybe the writers for his character need to do more than just default to stereotypes

A Welcome Improvement
After what I felt to be a disappointing third year, `Stargate Atlantis' considerably ups its game with season four. But it's not with particularly clever or imaginative stories that the shows writers and producers manage to bring about this change; it's actually in the areas of character development and action that this season really excels. Events simply move too fast to criticise and before I was even aware- the season had ended and I found myself in eager anticipation of yet another action-packed season.

With the (implied) deaths of inarguably my favourite two characters in season three, I wasn't expecting their replacements to integrate perfectly, or right away into the Atlantis team, but both actors are given such great material to work with that it's impossible not to be engaged with their individual story-arcs. Sam carter is (of course) as brilliant as always, but unlike Doctor Weir, doesn't appear in nearly as many episodes, or seem to be involved as deeply in the decision-making processes on the base. She just feels like any other member of the team and fits right in almost immediately. Doctor Keller is initially unconvincing in her role as chief medic, but before long she too blossoms into a really intriguing and multi-layered character. Where as fans of Ronan Dex will be relieved to know that his character develops not one iota in season four, but remains as infuriatingly/reassuringly dense, rude and one-dimensionally violent as always.

While there are more than a handful of solid Replicator and Wraith-based episodes to enjoy in this twenty-episode season, it's the character-based stories that stand-out for me as the best examples of this season. Episode 7- `Missing' (8/10), episode 13- `Quarantine' (9/10) and episode 16- `Trio' (9/10) are each so gripping that it's hard to believe you're probably watching the three most cheaply made episodes of the season. The action largely takes place on only one set per episode, but it's just fantastic to see the main characters doing what they do best i.e. acting-out in their familiar personas, but slowly coming to realize their own short-comings and question their relationships with one another. `Missing' has two characters stranded on a single planet for the duration of the story in an episode that finally sees Teyla awarded some meaty material to enrich her character, while Keller becomes a much more well-rounded character along the way. `Quarantine' imprisons each member of the Atlantis expedition into their own unique hell, allowing them to develop in satisfying ways. While the third is all about characters (who are supposed to be geniuses in their particular fields) being forced to think outside the box, literally!

The final stand-out story for me would be the concluding episode- `The Last Man' (9/10), which finally breaks out of the mould of the finale's of previous seasons and doesn't involve an unprovoked attack on the city, or a multi-episode build-up. It's pretty self-contained on the whole and mixes well themes of time-travel, action and season four's despicable mystery nemesis.

Miscellaneous comments- the Genii appear hardly at all (good thing), Teal'c puts in an appearance in the episode `Midway' (9/10) (great thing) and characters who you thought dead & gone for good...may not be (awesome thing)!!