Stargate: Director’s Cut
An archaeological dig in 1928 unearths a strange artefact that is decorated with indecipherable symbols, buried near the Great Pyramid in Egypt. Years later, Dr. Daniel Jackson (James Spader), an Egyptologist working in the USA, is recruited by the military to study the symbols and work out the artifact’s function. It turns out to be a ’stargate’: a device that allows instant travel between distant planets. Dr Jackson and a team of US soldiers led by Colonel Jack O’Neill (Kurt Russell) are sent through the stargate to explore what lies on the other side, and encounter a civilisation ruled by an alien race who threatens the safety of human life back on Earth.
Many sci-fi fans are familiar with the Stargate franchise in the form of the long-running Stargate: SG-1 series, but this film was the feature that started it all: directed by Roland Emmerich, it makes for some great action/adventure escapism. For a film that is over a decade old the SFX are pretty impressive: the Stargate itself uses the same ‘rippling fluid’ effect that would later be used on Emmerich’s later film, the blockbuster Independence Day, and shows some of the ambitious set-pieces that he would use in both that and later films. Despite the slick GCI and interesting premise of Egyptian civilisation being influenced by an extraterrestrial force, Stargate is however a rather formulaic and derivative film.
Although there is much in this film that action junkies and sci-fi buffs have all seen before, that does not mean it is not entertaining though: Russell plays the tough military guy with a troubled past very well, and Spader is perfectly cast as the bumbling academic. There are the obligatory love interests and a few other clichéd characters, but also plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments once the mysteries of the story begin to become clear. The dramatic orchestral soundtrack is fitting for the feel of the film in general, in that it adds a bit of gravity to the proceedings and compliments the Egyptian theme.
The historical aspect to the story may be something of a gimmick to make Stargate stand out from similar films, but it is based on an interesting theory and is a convenient springboard for many of the film’s best visuals and ideas. There are plenty of books and texts relating to the ancient civilisation, some of which involve extraterrestrials and the like so it was only a matter of time before a Hollywood film used some of them for inspiration. In this case it is wrapped up in an enjoyable package that is by no means a bad way to while away a couple of hours.
In Summary
While it does not quite keep up the intelligence and mystery of its premise, Stargate is an action-packed sci fi flick that makes for some great undemanding entertainment with some interesting Egyptian imagery sitting alongside the high-tech weaponry. If you are only familiar with the SG-1 incarnation, this is especially recommended for seeing how it all began: the Director’s Cut adds a few minutes of extra footage that, while not affecting the story to a great degree, make things progress a little more smoothly than the original edit did.
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