Stars: Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson, Viveca Lindfors, John Diehl, Alexis Cruz, Leon Rippy, French Stewart, Mili Avital, Djimon Hounsou

Director: Roland Emmerich

Summary: A hidden threshold is discovered which, when the code is cracked, reveals a gateway to another time. A team passes through and becomes trapped in a dangerous unknown world. They must find the key to return home or remain forever...

In this visually creative space adventure from the team that would go on to give the world INDEPENDENCE DAY and GODZILLA, a timid, glasses-wearing Egyptologist (Spader) uncovers an ancient portal to another planet and is dispatched there forthwith--along with blundering, clodfooted government troops (led by Russell). The downtrodden populace they encounter, ruled by godlike, androgynous King Ra (Davidson, in his first role after becoming a star in THE CRYING GAME), must be led to literacy and freedom; Ra must be defeated; the intellectual must find his machismo; our boys must return to Earth.

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Like the very best of SF TV, Stargate SG-1began very simply. Of course it had the benefit of a movie preceding it--in which the alternate universe, its rules and its characters were largely established--so this premiere season was therefore able to concentrate on good storytelling.

In 1997 not every new show was obsessed with securing a syndication-guaranteed franchise (same goes for Buffydebuting the same year), instead one-off episodes were the way of things, exploring interesting scenarios and conundrums. Naturally there were allusions to the feature film, but most were subtle and inspired. For example, a trip to retrieve the trapped professor who'd worked on the Gate decades ago was an unusual way of tying up loose ends. Some groundwork was laid for continuation should the show be renewed into an ongoing series. Knowing that these elements were pure wishful thinking at the time makes the tapestry of System Lords and the interlinks with our history and mythology all the more enjoyable in revisiting the show from its beginnings. With Richard Dean Anderson, leading the team in a far more charismatic and empathetic way than Kurt Russell in the movie, the series also benefited from some spot-on casting that instantly won audiences over. Special effects and use of studio sets may be less dazzling in these initial shows, but its solid grounding in old-fashioned SF won for the show a loyal audience. --Paul Tonks

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Trailer, Photo Gallery, Audio Commentary By Director Roland Emmerich And Producer Dean Devlin, Stargate Promo Reel
Subtitles:	Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Year:	1994
Release Date:	October 15, 2001
Runtime:	124 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	M P 113 D
Keywords:	General, Cut, Wide, Screen, Fiction, Science, Horror, Stargate, Director's, Sci, Fi
Genre:	Science Fiction