Director: Roland Emmerich
Year: 1994
Country: US
Language: English
While Stargate isn't a very intellectually challenging Sci-Fi film, it is a very fun one. In a way it reminds me of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Both films feature archeologists who are after something that may change the very face of the Earth. In Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones was trying to find the Ark of the Covenant, in Stargate Dr.Daniel Jackson (James Spader) is trying to find the Stargate. Jackson has very radical conspiracy theories that suggest the Egyptians weren't the people who constructed the Pyramids. He is eventually contacted by Catherine Langford (Vivien Lindfors) who gives him the unusual once in a lifetime opportunity to prove his theories. He is taken to a remote military facility and given the task of learning how to operate the Stargate, an objective that nobody has been able to do so far. When Jackson figures out how to operate Stargate his is given a mission to travel through it, to a distant planet and search what life is like on that planet.
On paper Stargate screams "bad movie!". I wasn't expecting much of this film when I read the plot, but surprisingly it is pretty good. It's a visual light with special effects that look good even 18 years after its original theatrical debut. It looks more realistic than a lot of Science Fiction films today. Each scene has depth, tone and meaning. The vast deserts and many communities are almost breathtaking. Stargate's mixture of CGI, models and on set effects create a realistic alien world that has rarely been achieved in the realm of Sci-Fi.
I do find a few flaws with this film, the characters are almost cliche and one dimensional. Though that seems to be a flaw with many Sci-Fi films they seem to be technically well made but detached and unfamiliar with what a human goes through emotionally. The plot can also drag on at times and I also felt like there was too much action. However, for the most part it was intriguing and technically well made.The score was memorable and greatly contributed to the overall mood of the film. If you find Egyptian History, Government Conspiracies or both particularly interesting this film will likely have you on the edge of your seat. The concept of this film is creatively designed and well executed,
In conclusion, though I found faults with this film there were a lot of things to like about it. It's not in the same league as Sci Fi greats as Solaris or 2001: A Space Odyssey but it was far more bearable than anything James Cameron or Riddley Scott has made. If I was to make a sci fi I would look at this film for guidance, at least in the technical areas. I have not seen the television series by the same name, but now I have more of a reason to get started. 3/5
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