Stargate - The Ark of Truth
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Actor: Amanda Tapping, Ben Browder, Christopher Judge, Claudia Black, Michael ShanksBrand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 97 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-03-11
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
DVD Reviews of Stargate - The Ark of Truth
DVD Review: SG-1's mission: the end of the Ori and the TRUE end of the series
Summary: 4 Stars
For those of us fans of Stargate SG-1 on the Sci Fi Channel, August 21, 2006, was a very depressing day. Production had already passed the midway point of its 10th season, making it the most enduring science-fiction TV series in U.S. history after Chris Carter's The X-Files, which lasted nine seasons from 1993-2002 on Fox TV. (I was just as equally a fan of that one, too, and I look forward to the upcoming second feature film.) That was the day that Sci Fi pulled the plug on our venerable "SG-1" as of the conclusion of season 10 in the spring of 2007. "SG-1" ran from 1997-2007: five seasons on pay-cable network Showtime and five seasons on the basic-cable network Sci Fi Channel. Ten seasons on television is a venerable legacy no matter the genre, but to survive that long in science fiction is downright remarkable.
Despite the cancellation, however, there was a ray of sunshine. MGM (the production company) was eager to continue their very profitable franchise, as was executive producer Robert C. Cooper. (Spinoff series Stargate Atlantis recently completed season 4 on Sci Fi Channel [as of this review date] and will return with the first half [10 of 20 episodes] of season 5 in July 2008).
Thus came the announcement that "SG-1" would continue with at least two DVD movies, the first of which is this film, Stargate: The Ark of Truth. Filming occurred in their usual Vancouver, BC, soundstages as well as on location in the frigid Arctic in the early spring of 2007, and was immediately followed by the filming of STARGATE: CONTINUUM, which will be released on DVD in July 2008. The second DVD film will reportedly involve time travel and will feature the return of original "SG-1" series star Richard Dean Anderson as Col. Jack O'Neill. MGM and Cooper are hopeful that continued interest in "SG-1" will fuel the fire for more DVD films with the "SG-1" casts (present and/or past).
For those unfamiliar with the "Stargate" universe, the Stargate teams are a super-secret branch of the U.S. Air Force, in cooperation with participants from other nations, operating beneath the NORAD complex located at the Cheyenne Mountain complex in Colorado. The real entrance to the complex is used for exterior shots. The public at large, of course, has been prevented from learning that humans from Earth have contacted aliens from other planets. The Stargate itself is a circular portal through which humans are able to walk through and almost instantaneously, via a form of wormhole, be transported to planets in other star systems. The Stargate is powered by alien technology, and the discovery of the Stargate and contact with aliens explained why earlier human civilizations believed in many of the gods with whom we are familiar in popular mythology today.
If you've never seen "SG-1," you might be a bit confused by the complex mythology of "Stargate," which really began with the 1994 feature film Stargate, starring Kurt Russell as Col. Jack O'Neill (later played by the aforementioned Anderson, who left the show as a regular after the eighth season to be closer to his family in L.A.) and a pre-"Boston Legal" James Spader as Dr. Daniel Jackson (played throughout the series [with the exception of one season due to salary and the omnipresent "creative" issues] and also in this film by Vancouver native Michael Shanks). Plotwise, the TV series' 1997 debut picked up one year after the feature film ended.
Suffice it to say, if you don't know the show, that it would be a good idea to think back to 1986's Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It was arguably the most popular of the 10 feature films (which will become 11 films in December 2008 with J.J. Abrams' prequel to the original 1966-69 TV series, where we find the young Kirk/Spock/McCoy triumvirate at Star Fleet Academy) because it was a basic, stand-alone story about saving two humpback whales whose survival literally also meant Earth's survival. One needn't be a "Star Trek" fan to enjoy the so-called "whale movie."
In this film, the basic plot involves a threat to Earth by the evil race known as the Ori ("OR-eye"), who march across the galaxy and force entire planetary populations to submit to the Ori's bible, known as the Book of Origin (from which their name "Ori" is derived). The Ori have the power to overcome virtually all that oppose them, and their retribution is swift and deadly. The Ori are able to maintain their reigns of terror with the help of local representatives known as priors, to whom they are supremely dedicated and whom the Ori are able to totally control; or, resistance results in brutal retribution, with death and destruction in the Ori's wake. Naturally, it's up to the SG-1 team to find the Ark of Truth, which holds the only known answer to eradicating the Ori before they reach Earth and fulfill their ultimate victory. In a nutshell, it's your classic good vs. evil story, and it's a good one.
It's also the proper conclusion to the Ori storyline, which basically consumed the bulk of the ninth and tenth seasons' storylines. Because the cancellation notice came while the writers and producers were more than half-way into the final season, the series finale left fans (like me) feeling ultimately unsatisfied. This DVD film basically wraps up that storyline.
I promise that if you haven't seen the series, picking up the DVD will not make you feel like you've walked into a movie theater halfway into the film. Like the "Star Trek" whale movie, it's a stand-alone DVD that you can easily follow. You are just as easily able to determine who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Also, there's a wise addition of a "catch-up" sequence that provides clips from the series that refreshes viewers' minds of how we got to where we are, since the last new "SG-1" episode aired almost exactly one year prior to the release date of this DVD.
All of the cast members from seasons 9 and 10 are here: Ben Browder (who is currently 45 as of the date of this review; Ben was raised in Charlotte, NC) as Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell (effectively Anderson's replacement); Amanda Tapping (42, from Toronto) as Lt. Col. Samantha Carter; Christopher Judge (43, from Los Angeles) as Teal'c; the aforementioned Shanks (37, from Vancouver) as Jackson; the seasoned veteran and always enjoyable Beau Bridges as Maj. Gen. Hank Landry (66, from Los Angeles, who replaced Don S. Davis, whose character, Maj. Gen. George Hammond, was "promoted" and shipped off to Washington, DC, at the end of season 7); and Claudia Black (35, from Sydney, Australia) as Vala Mal Doran.
The core cast is superb as usual. Black can always be relied upon for comic relief, especially when Vala is frustratingly torturing the patience of Shanks' Jackson. Those of us who were addicts of the late and supremely, fantastically great Farscape (1999-2003) still can't help but remember the chemistry that existed between Browder and Black, not Shanks and Black. To placate some of the fans' very vocal ire at its cancellation, Sci Fi commissioned a two-night, four-hour miniseries in 2004, Farscape - The Peacekeeper Wars, as a wrap-up. The cost of producing the series in Australia, coupled with a drop in ratings in the fourth season, were the reasons given for the show's cancellation, but for its very dedicated fans, Sci Fi's excuses still ring as hollow today as they did then.
The cast and writers tip their caps to a couple of other sci-fi franchises, as you might recognize one character as "Ah-nold" in a certain, um, poor state of existence; and then Lt. Col. Mitchell takes the helm of the Odyssey to fight the Ori and mangles the order to get underway to the point that would probably make Capt. Jean-Luc Picard absolutely blanch, pull his shirt down stiffly, turn and walk into his ready room, and bark "Earl Grey - Hot!" at the replicator. Seriously, they're both nice touches and honor other sci-fi classics that have gone before.
Prolific character actor Currie Graham ("NYPD Blue," "Suddenly Susan"), who hails from Hamilton, Ontario, does his usual fine job playing the nasty guy with an ulterior motive. This time his James Marrick is an agent from the secretive black-ops organization IOA. He arrives under the premise of interrogating the captured "enemy combatant" Tomin (Tim Guinee). The real purpose for his presence soon presents itself, however, and he puts everyone in peril.
Reprising her role of Adria is the simply stunning Morena Baccarin, who fans of Joss Whedon's work will remember as "companion" Inara Serra in the woefully underappreciated 2002-03 Fox TV series Firefly and its excellent 2005 followup feature film, Serenity. Adria, the daughter of Vala, has been genetically altered by the Ori to grow from a normal baby into an adult incredibly rapidly in order to serve as their epitome (and far beyond that) of the term "demon child." The special effects used with Baccarin are quite impressive.
And also reprising his role as the commanding and all-fearing Ori leader Doci is one of my very favorite actors, Britain's Julian Sands, who is barely recognizable under his ghostly and unnerving makeup. With his cape, collar, and staff, he makes for an imposing and fearsome foe.
The film, at 1:42, came across to me as what would have been a two-episode season-ending cliffhanger and season-premiere resolution, had they aired on Sci Fi. In one of the bonus features, Cooper mentions that this film pretty much was written as such, since he didn't have the time to wrap up the plotlines because of the fairly late cancellation notice. It wrapped up the Ori storyline, but that's pretty much all. To that end, I wasn't exactly blown away. Still, there was much to admire.
Having admittedly acrophobic Chris Judge (as you'll learn in a bonus feature) dropped onto a knife-edge snow-capped mountain peak in the Arctic and have him, as Teal'c after being injured by an Ori weapon, trek along toward a destination he is determined to reach, is gut-wrenching, nerve-racking, beautifully executed, and exquisitely shot. (That's one difference between the budget of an hourly TV episode and a [perhaps modest] feature-length DVD film.) The Arctic landscapes are, to quote a heroic moonwalker some three decades ago, magnificent desolation. Judge's performance in this film reveals the ever-growing quiet dignity that he has given Teal'c in the last 12 years, counting his recent "Atlantis" appearance. Watching him struggle--injured, exhausted, in excruciating pain--to walk just one more step, and another, along a low-tide beach toward a holy city almost makes you feel his struggle come right through the TV. His performance is exceptional.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this film and am happy that the Ori storyline is resolved. How it is done so, you must see for yourself. It's a thrilling and enjoyable conclusion. Season 10 on Sci Fi did not accomplish this, but STARGATE: THE ARK OF TRUTH does, and satisfyingly so. And the bonus segment with most of the core cast at ComicCon in San Diego, hosted by one of my favorite but underutilized supporting cast members--Gary Jones (Chief Master Sgt. Walter Harriman, best known for a few lines such as "I can't get chevron seven to engage!" and "Unscheduled off-world activation!")--is absolutely hysterical. If Gary doesn't do stand-up, maybe he should consider it, now that he has, er, some "free time" on his hands. (I have seen him in a few guest-starring roles recently, though.) The bonuses aren't numerous, but those that are provided are made to count.
So sit back and enjoy, and don't forget! In four months comes "STARGATE: CONTINUUM" and "RDA" is back as Jack O'Neill! Now THAT'S something to really get excited about! :-)
DVD REVIEW: **** (out of 5) -- 17 Mar 08 (Happy St. Patrick's Day, all!) -- BOB BOURBEAU
Description of Stargate - The Ark of Truth
Blasting off where the Sci-Fi Channelâ??s longest running show, Stargate SG-1, left off, this thrilling feature thrusts the Stargate team â?" Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), Vala (Claudia Black), Tealâ??c (Christopher Judge), Sam (Amanda Tapping) and Cam (Ben Browder) â?" into their biggest challenge yet. In search of an Ancient artifact they hope can defeat the oppressive Ori, the team not only learns that the Ori are set to launch a final assault on Earth, but a double-crossing I.O. operative is aboard the Odyssey! Also starring Beau Bridges, this pulse-pounder is loaded with enough suspense, humor and action to fill a galaxy!Fans disappointed by the demise of the Stargate SG-1 television series after ten fruitful seasons will delight in The Ark of Truth, the first full-length movie to follow in the show?s wake. In fact, some will be more than pleased--they?ll be relieved. For not only does the 102-minute film offer an opportunity to enjoy the same likable characters, reliable effects work, superior writing, and other elements that made the series so appealing, but after season upon season in which viewers were left wondering how everything turned out, The Ark finally brings at least one cliffhanger to a conclusion: the storyline involving the villains known as the Ori, who dominated SG-1?s final two years. Our heroes (including Ben Browder as fearless leader Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell, Amanda Tapping as the intrepid Lt. Col. Samantha Carter, Christopher Judge as the implacable alien Teal?c, Michael Shanks as the ever-resourceful Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Claudia Black as the irreverent Vala) have long known that the Ori are perhaps the most irresistible force they?ve ever encountered, in part because they are "ascended" beings who don?t exist in recognizable physical form (their spaceships do, and they're huge). But now the team faces an even greater threat: the Ori have set their sights on good ol? Planet Earth. That?s where the Ark comes in; if the good guys can just get their hands on it, they hope this ancient artifact will effectively put the big, bad Ori, their minions, and their entire religion (known as "Origin") out of business. Of course, it ain?t easy. Both collectively and individually, the team will be severely tested, their task complicated not only by the Ori but by an arrogant, clueless government official whose meddling results in the return of the metallic, insect-like Replicators. There?s little doubt about how it will all turn out--after all, there?s at least one more movie already in the pipeline--but it?s all about the ride, and despite a few flaws (as was sometimes the case with the series, the script leans a bit too hard on exposition and techno babble), this one is lots of fun. Bonus features include commentary by writer-director Robert Cooper and others, a lengthy "making of," and a helpful "prelude" to bring the uninitiated up to speed. --Sam Graham
Beyond Stargate - The Ark of Truth
 Stargate: Continuum |  Stargate SG-1 - The Complete Series Collection |  Stargate Atlantis - The Complete Fourth Season |
Stills from Stargate - The Ark of Truth (Click for larger image)
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