SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

lasttimeisaw Having laid the foundation of a nexus of television spin-offs thenceforward (persisting two and a half decades and ongoing, with a possible reboot in gestation), Roland Emmerich's filmic progenitor is de facto less a hardcore Sci-Fi adventure than a thinly veiled propaganda piece of colonialism, which nominally transports a contingent of earthlings (all American soldiers bar one scientist) into a terra incognita through a wormhole generated by Stargate, a mysterious instrument disinterred in Egypt. A classic pair of brain and brawn, Daniel Jackson (Spader, when he is personable to a fault), an Egyptologist and Colonel Jack O'Neil (Russell, sporting a neat crew-cut) takes the leads, what they discover is a desert planet inhabited by Ancient Egyptians, enslaved by Ra, the God of Sun (an epicene Jay Davidson in his second and last film role before retiring from the showbiz altogether), a big question mark should be alerted for the ethnic semblance here, which can be readily construed as a crass fable boasting USA's heroic inference of a less developed nation here on earth, liberating its downtrodden people and debunking the truth of their God (or any totalitarian figure), tellingly, the film's atheist and scientific stance looks promising, but soon a sweeping whiff of smugness and self-congratulation will swamp everything and tenacious to dissipate. As it turns out, the real identity of the so-called Ra, is an alien hosting a human body (thousands of years before he hijacked early humans to this remote planet and started his draconian rule), and what he presides over is a pretty tinpot reign (in spite of his stately pyramid-shaped spaceship), not only is he doomed to be vanquished by a team of earthlings in the end (yes, O'Neil follows the order, and surreptitiously brings a portable nuclear bomb on board in case of contingency, this is very American), but also he is clearly in short measure of both materiel and personnel in the first place (a dozen underlings and three laser-shooting aircrafts, that is all), not to mention the sole victim subjected to his seemingly almighty puissance is after all, one of his own incompetent guard.Among the extraterrestrial hoi polloi, due focal points are projected to a rebellious youngster Skaara (Cruz) and a beauteous Sha'uri (Avital), who is bequeathed as a wife to Jackson by her father Kasuf (Avari), the leader of the tribe, whose awakening-to-rising route is a well-trodden but insipidly crafted one. If one must single out an asset from the entire enterprise, it could only be the set-up of the titular Stargate, an abstruse device can literally open portals to every nook and cranny of our cosmic universe (depending on which group of coordinates one employs), however, Emmerich is not a Sci-Fi polymath but a workmanlike skin-scratcher, so the end result is proximate to anyone's skeptic forecast.

Fahnenjoker Stargate breathes this lighthearted and naïve 90s blockbuster feeling, an innocent a bit childish attitude you just can't be angry with. It is an original story before everything was a franchise and/or a comic adaption (even though it has kickstarted its own TV-franchise). It felt fresh and original at the time and still does. The visuals, practical and special effects and the cinematography look awesome, convey a monumental scale and have aged quite well. The soundtrack feels epic and unique, perfectly combining an Egyptian vibe with a sci-fi note, a mix of wonder and curiosity with the possible perils that lurk and might find you when you leave for uncharted waters. (Ok, I admit I have a weakness for good soundtracks. They really can, to a certain degree, save a movie for me.)James Spader and Kurt Russel fit perfectly in their roles as nerdy unworldly linguist and traumatized Colonel. They are mostly clichés, but relatable and even go through small developments throughout the mission. The rest of the expedition group is sadly wasted with the usual mostly nameless soldier stereotypes. Viveca Lindfors is intriguing as scientific leader of the project but sadly only appears in the first third of the movie. Jaye Davidson, finally, gives Ra the androgynous and godlike aura the antagonist needs.The first 30 or so minutes until we travel through the stargate and arrive on the other side are the best part of the movie. There is suspense around the stargate mystery and curiosity for the unknown it might lead to. In the middle part, however, the plot is treading water a bit and the resolution involves too much of generic action and the old good vs. evil. It feels like the story just doesn't live up to its full potential here. The setup of a gate to the other end of the universe (or who knows where else) promises more wonders and discoveries, than the movie can deliver in the end. That is my biggest issue with the story (I was expecting something more like the video game Outcast, that told a richer story with a similar premise, but was quite obviously inspired by this movie). If you can put that aside, however, then you're in for an enjoyable and simply fun ride, if a little pulpy and trashy.This is by no means a masterpiece, but a simple, epic sci-fi adventure with an old-school feel to have fun with. It had the potential to be more, but it's difficult not to enjoy it if you don't overthink it too much.

FilmTvNow The movie that started the whole Stargate franchise, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe. The story is very intriguing and the whole ring concept introduced is extremely fascinating. Jack O'Neill (Kurt Russell) and Daniel Jackson (James Spader) as the two leads work really fine together. Th effects might not live up to today's standard but much better than other 90s movie and the concept and this whole idea behind the Stargate is interested and explored more deeply in the shows.The villain Ra (Jaye Davidson) also show a lot of promise early in the movie but unfortunately he can't live up to promise and was kind of an lackluster villain in the end. The villain is of course not the center piece in this movie, that is of course the Stargate and their journey to Abydos. On Abydos they meet Skaara, Sha'uri and Kasuf, these character has to band together and fight against both time and Ra. The movie isn't fantastic by no means but it's a great starting point for the three series that continue after the movie.Roland Emmerich is not a great director but somehow he didn't screw this one up, sure the first Independence Day is also fine but his other movies have been mediocre at best. David Arnold's score in this movie is very well done and really should be appreciated. It's not the typical sci-fi, action movie you have grown to expect over the year, but Stargate actually has a few layers to it. The whole relationship that both Jack and Daniel make with the inhabitants on Abydos is compelling and adds a lot of emotional impact to the story. Overall a really solid movie that launched the Stargate franchise.Score: 6/10 (Solid)www.filmtvnow.wordpress.com

peefyn First of all: I love how this movie manages to make a scenario where a linguist somehow is the heroic explorer, much like Indiana Jones put archeology in the spotlight. In fact, a comparison with Indiana Jones is apt, because it's obvious that this movie is heavily inspired by that franchise - although it goes in a completely different direction.I have barely seen the TV-show, so I went into this knowing only somewhat what the stargate is. I love the premise of it, and how it manages to explore both mythology and sci-fi concepts. I can really understand that they decided to make a TV-show out of this.A last note on positives, before I go into the flaws: There's some really neat visuals in this as well, especially concerning the pyramids, and some of the villain henchmen's costumes.The flaws, though, are many and quite bad. For one, all characters are basically idiots that somehow seem intent on making the worst possible decisions. This is a really cheap trick for inducing conflict, it is also really annoying, and condescending to the audience. Most of it could be avoided by better writing. Just as serious is how this movie seems to parallel some big problems with colonialism without really noticing. There is literally a scene where one explorer is sick, sneezes, and then his handkerchief is taken by "indigenous"-like people that has obviously never been exposed to his germs (though the movie does not comment upon this at all). There's also scenes where the explorers give the indigenous weapons and cigarettes. Was it to build up a more direct colonial plot for a possibly sequel? For some reason, it does not feel like it. It seems more like dumb writing.There's also some scenes that have become a bit more uncomfortable due to modern conflicts. There are scenes set in areas resembling the middle east, where kids are handed automatic weapons to fight against what is basically drones.Despite all of these flaws, the concept (and the visuals) makes it worth a watch, perhaps to ponder what could have been?