Available February 18, 2003 

Starring Kurt Russell and James Spader

Directed by Roland Emmerich
Written by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich
Studio: Artisan Home Entertainment

Retail Price $19.98

ISBN: B0000844I8

Review by John C. Snider © 2003

Professor Daniel Jackson (James Spader) is an expert on ancient Egypt whose theories are dismissed by his peers.  At the end of his rope, he gets the proverbial "offer he can't refuse" from a mysterious elderly woman.  Whisked away to a a secret military base in the heart of America, Jackson discovers that his job is to decipher symbols found on a large and rather unusual artifact.  When he unlocks the key to the symbols, the military steps in and activates the "stargate".  Led by Colonel Jack O'Neil (Kurt Russell), a crack team (including Professor Jackson) go through to the other side: their job, ensure there's no threat to Earth, and if there is - destroy the stargate!

Thus begins the 1994 epic movie by the creative team of Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich (the same guys who brought us Independence Day and the Americanized Godzilla).  Little did fans know that this feature film would give birth to an equally successful TV series (Stargate SG-1, which originated on Showtime, but continues in its sixth season on the SCIFI Channel).

"Give my regards to King Tut, @$$hole!"

If you're going to own a copy of Stargate, this Ultimate Edition is the one to buy.  The two-disk set contains both the original theatrical version and the director's cut (although there's little meaningful difference between the two).  Extras include a behind-the-scenes "Making of Stargate" documentary and a brief "Is There a Stargate?" featurette starring researcher Erich von Däniken, whose ancient astronaut theories inspired Stargate.  There's also a running commentary option with observations by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, which is pretty good despite Emmerich's annoying habit of using "like" and "kind of" in every sentence.

Overall, it's a great DVD package.  Stargate Ultimate Edition will make an enjoyable addition to any SF fan's collection - and particularly for completists who enjoy the SG-1 series!

Stargate Ultimate Edition is available from Amazon.com.

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