The Movie

Let me just get this out of the way. I love this movie. I loved it when it first came out back in 1994, and I love it just as much today. I loved it on Laserdisc, and I loved it on DVD. And yes, there have been what many may call "way too many" versions of this movie out for consumption, but hey, I say keep trying till you get it right. Well, thankfully, I believe Artisan Entertainment has finally hit the nail on the head this time. Sometimes it just takes a couple, or three, or four, or five times to get it right.

Now I know there are people out there who didn't quite take to the movie like I did. Many didn't fall for the seemingly "out-there" sci-fi plot, or didn't appreciate the directing execution of the film, and I respect that. But for me, the movie had just about everything I want in a sci-fi action movie; good acting, a great plot, (although borrowed from many earlier sci-fi stories and theories) great special effects for the time, amazing camera work, and strong characters. What can I say? This is my kind of movie.

The plot revolves around two main characters, a hard-edged retired military colonel played by Kurt Russell, and a somewhat nerdy Egyptologist played perfectly by James Spader. We mainly follow Spader, who in the beginning loses his job for presenting theories that seem more like science fiction than professional science. He soon gets brought into a top-secret military project to unveil the capabilities of an ancient Egyptian Stargate. Our two stars join a team of military Special Forces to survey the other side of the Stargate and safely return home. Naturally, things don't go according to plan.

I like this movie because it's kind of a cross between Indiana Jones and Star Wars. It's definitely a sci-fi story, but there's enough mystery and discovery in it to keep the viewer interested for the whole movie. Like all great movies, its beginning is much more captivating then its ending. But I guess if I could figure out how to do it better, I'd be making millions in Hollywood right now. Writer/director Roland Emmerich went to great lengths to carefully build the characters in the opening 30 minutes of the film. Your mind really appreciates this method of subtle character development, as apposed to the "ram it in your face" reality of most high-dollar blockbuster movies nowadays. But like Isac Newton said, what goes up must come down. And as the action really starts to get rolling, we break from the slow, intelligent film direction, to overly familiar plot lines and clichéd action sequences. But like I said before, I still loved it.

We've already seen many different variations of this movie, so I'm sure you all want to know, what makes this one so special? Well, for starters, you get two versions of the movie presented each on its own disc. You get the original "Theatrical Release", and the "Director's Cut." Nothing new I know, but it's still nice to have them together in one set. You also get some new special features that weren't available on DVD or Laserdisc before. But the real difference is in the way it looks and sounds. I can honestly say, this is the best Stargate has ever looked on your TV set. And I guarantee it's the best it has ever sounded, period.

The DVD

Video: Stargate - Ultimate Edition is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen, but unlike the previous editions of Stargate, this time it's anamorphic. Yippee! This results in a noticeable improvement in picture quality. The video is cleaner, crisper and looks much better than it ever has before. Colors are vivid and punchy, and contrast is comfortably strong. Blacks look true as can be, and flesh tones seem fairly accurate. There are spots, dirt and lines present throughout the movie, and although it is noticeable to people not looking for it, it doesn't pull you out of the feature. Some scenes definitely look cleaner than others. This is evident in the newer scenes added to the "Directors Cut" edition. Perhaps these sections of the source material weren't cared for as well as the original movie shots. This is too bad, but maybe I'm just being nitpicky.

Audio: Now we're getting to the good stuff. Not only do we get a new Dolby Digital-EX 5.1 surround audio track, but we also get an absolutely phenomenal DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete surround audio track as well. Both audio tracks are amazing, but it's the DTS track that simply blows you away with its fuller sound, broader coverage of the sound spectrum, and earth shaking bass. Now my poor little rear center surround speaker rarely gets a chance to shine, even with new 6.1 encoded movies, but this time it got quite a workout. The rear surround channel was used often and effectively, and really gave me that 360-degree surround feeling. All of the surrounds are used extensively, and separate the sound effects through all seven speakers fantastically. This is one of the finest sounding DVD's I've ever heard, and in many respects, can hold its own to Star Wars Episode II. Now for a movie that was made back in 1994, that's saying a lot, folks.

Extras: For a two-disc set, you might be expecting more special features than what is given here. But actually, I was pretty satisfied with the amount of extras, and didn't really feel like I needed more. If I had to choose though, I'd wish for some more indebt actor interviews and perspectives. But overall, this is a decent collection of special features.

The Making of Stargate featurette: This is a 23-minute featurette that briefly goes through each of the main points in the production of Stargate. Things such as, the enormous sets that were constructed, the extremely hot and torturous desert locations that were used, and the various tricks and special effects that had to be conceived and created in order to make this movie look the way it did. This featurette was very informative and gave me a great behind-the-scenes look at the making of Stargate. I do wish it would have been longer, and slightly more indebt though.

Is There a Stargate featurette: This was a pleasant surprise. This featurette is mainly an 11-minute interview with Erich Von Daniken, the author of "Chariots of the Gods," a controversial book that supports the theory that extraterrestrials have visited our planet in the past. I thought this feature was extremely fascinating, but just too short. I really wanted it to go on longer and get more involved in the details of the evidence, and theories that Daniken has uncovered. This is an intriguing addition, and I'm glad it was included on this release.

Trailer gallery: Here you'll find two movie trailers; the Theatrical Trailer, and the International Trailer. Frankly I thought the Theatrical Trailer went on way too long and gave away too much of the plot, whereas the International Trailer was much cleaner and exposed less of the vital plot points.

Cast & Crew files: Here you'll find a ton of information about the cast and crew in the form of text you can scroll through.

Production notes: This is a lengthy, scrollable menu of text that gives the viewer interesting facts on the production of Stargate. Here you'll learn things such as how director Roland Emmerich came up with the idea for the movie, and that this movie had a budget of 55 million dollars.

Director Commentary: This is an audio commentary by director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin. This commentary is only offered on the Director's Cut version, and is a carryover from the previous Laserdisc release. The two give a very informative commentary, and really give the viewer a good idea of the difficult tasks that had to be overcome in order to create this film.


Final Thoughts

Hopefully this will be the last Stargate DVD to ever be released. Although, I might have to bang my head against the wall a few times to restrain myself from buying a Superbit version, if it ever comes out. But let me reassure you that this is without a doubt the greatest version of Stargate ever released, and is a must-have for anyone who considers themselves a sci-fi fan. Even if you're debating upgrading your current copy, it's definitely worth it for the video improvements and DTS audio track alone. And with current street prices well below $20, it's simply a no-brainer. Highly Recommended