Product Details

• Actors: Kurt Russell, James Spader, Erick Avari, Alexis Cruz, Kenneth Danziger
• Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Dubbed: French
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: October 27, 2009
• Run Time: 130 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (581 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002KPINY8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,666 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #98 in Movies & TV > Blu-ray > Science Fiction

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Stargate universe has expanded so rapidly since 1997, what with three TV series, three additional movies, and even an animated show, that it's possible to overlook the big bang that started it all. This Blu-ray release of director Roland Emmerich's 1994 Stargate theatrical film should help remedy that, especially as it's accompanied by a raft of bonus material. Emmerich and Dean Devlin, his co-screenwriter, envisioned a sci-fi epic with a working title of "Lawrence of Arabia" in Outer Space--an apt description for a big-budget project that, while sometimes burdened with some silly plot details, never fails to impress. As the film begins, archaeologists in Egypt discover the ancient stargate in 1928--yet it isn't until many decades later that the disheveled but brilliant Dr. Daniel Jackson (James Spader), a linguistics expert, figures out that this ancient doorway between worlds can transport humans to the far side of the universe in a matter of seconds. The discovery soon becomes a top-secret military operation, with Colonel Jack O'Neill (Kurt Russell, in a far more serious portrayal than the insouciant character played by Richard Dean Anderson in the Stargate SG-1 television series) leading a mission that lands him, Jackson, and a group of soldiers on a desert planet where a primitive race lives under the heavy hand of Ra (Jaye Davidson, fresh off an Oscar-nominated performance in The Crying Game), an omnipotent Egyptian god who's kept himself alive through the millennia by inhabiting a human body. The visitors get along fine with the peaceful villagers (indeed, Jackson falls in love with one of them), but Ra and his minions are a different story, especially once Ra realizes that O'Neill intends to destroy the stargate, thus prohibiting any further travel to Earth. In the end, despite the story's lofty pretensions (it's suggested that the bad guys visited here some 10,000 years earlier--so might we all be descended from aliens?), lots of stuff gets blown up, and our heroes… well, suffice to say that there aren't a lot of surprises, which is by no means a bad thing.

Stargate is an impressive technical achievement; the sets are magnificent, the effects are convincing (especially since it was made at a time when computer-generated imagery was in an embryonic stage), and the distant planet's inhabitants even speak a version of ancient Egyptian. All of that is explained in the better and more recent of two making-of featurettes contained in the bonus material. Other extras include an unrated, extended (by about eight minutes) cut of the film; featurettes examining the possibility of a real stargate and other pseudo-science; a gag reel; a trivia contest; audio commentary by Emmerich and Devlin; and an interesting picture-in-picture "ultimate knowledge" option in which various experts discuss the production's Egyptian iconography and other details. --Sam Graham

Product Description

An interstellar teleportation device leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

152 of 159 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a worthy release! November 1, 2009

By MediaMogul

Format:Blu-ray

After all the poor releases of this film, Lionsgate has finally stepped up and given the fans the REAL Ultimate Edition. This is a new 1080p VC-1 film-to-disc transfer (~25 Mbps peak), with an all-new 7.1 DTS-HD MA audio track (7 Mbps peak) which literally shakes the floor and sounds more alive and active than I've ever heard. I can't compare this to the 2006 blu-ray since I never purchased it (after reading that it too was subpar), but it's a massive upgrade from my 2003 Artisan disc. Rounding out this release is 4+ hours of bonus content, none of which is contained on the previous blu-ray. The best part of the deal was the fact that I was able to purchase this for $9.99 from a local big box retailer due to some confusion over which version was on sale. If you haven't purchased the 2006 blu-ray (and even if you have!) this is a must-own for fans.

74 of 76 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars MGM finally got it right! April 1, 2010

By The Mad Editor

Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase

When MGM first released this film on Blu-ray (see Stargate (Extended Cut) [Blu-ray]), I bought it because it claimed to be 1080p picture quality with enhanced sound. The sound on that version was quite good, but the video quality was as if they just copied a VHS tape to Blu-ray: it was grainy, had all kinds of pixelation issues, and had no extras at all. I'm not sure what they did with all the space on the Blu-ray because they certainly didn't use it for the film.

So, I was a little leery purchasing this release because of the bad experience with the previous release. I am so glad to be proven wrong this time.

The video quality on this one is amazing! All of the images are very clear and crisp, the blacks are very black and there is none of the graininess as in the previous release. There is no pixelation that I can find. The audio quality has been boosted as well. They also spent a little time making a decent intro and menu this time as well. They have finally "done right" by this film and released it in what appears to be a new transfer from the film.

They also included all the extras found on the various releases, something completely missing from the first Blu-ray release. This kind of film demands "making of" specials, and the specials included are very interesting. They explain the sources of the film. You get to meet the director, the producers, and some of the actors as well. It's always very interesting to hear from the people who made the movie why they made the movie, what they experienced while making the film, and what they were thinking when they chose do one thing instead of something else.

If you have been waiting for a GOOD Blu-ray release, you don't have to wait any longer. This is the one to get.

149 of 164 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Director's Cut Is Excellent! April 22, 2003

By chemikalguy

Format:DVD

I'm not sure what makes the ultimate edition much different from the special edition, as both include the director's cut and theatrical version. The ultimate edition does include a 'making of' featurette, as well as a 'Is there a stargate' featurette that isn't included on the special edition. These are both interesting, but nothing to write home about. One big difference is the audio. The ult. ed. includes DTS 6.1 audio, as well as dolby digital 5.1.

Good: Being a fan of Stargate SG-1, I wanted to own the original movie as well, and when the ult. ed. was released, knew it was time to buy. I watched the director's cut, and was amazed. There were added scenes, as well as extended existing scenes. These changes really gave me a better understanding of how things in the tv show came to be the way they are, such as the relationship between Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson. In the director's cut, we see more interaction between them. We also get more into the head of Jack, and better understand just how messed up he really is after the loss of his son.

Bad: The only disappointment I have with the ult. ed. is that there were no 'gag reels' or bloopers, or other deleted scenes included. I enjoy watching these on other DVDs I have, and would have loved to have seen them for Stargate.

Overall, I'm glad I added this DVD to my collection. My only wish is that the Stargate SG-1 DVDs included behind the scenes or blooper reels as well.