Customer Reviews

Stargate: Continuum

5 star:		(186)
4 star:		(63)
3 star:		(35)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Several weeks ago, I was invited to a Special Viewing of Stargate SG-1 Continuum. I was, obviously, very excited and shocked that I was chosen to see the movie before it came out... Plus, with all the reviews stating that this would be a typical SG1 episode (With Rick), I couldn't wait! (What can I say, I'm a HUGE RDA fan!)...
The beginning of the movie was perfect. To see the "Old Gang" together, again, made the opening that much more enjoyable! Plus, RDA was great with the character moments, and just him being himself! Trust me when I tell you that you will not be disappointed in the beginning...!
After the beginning of the movie, it seems that the writers had to "cheat" to allow the main characters to keep their memory of the altered time-line! The other problem with the movie is that it seemed to be rushed to a certain degree!
I will admit that is was extremely nice to see so many old faces, but the problem was that there wasn't enough time to spend "quality" time with all of them, and the fact of the matter is that the writers had to keep the story moving!! I will admit that they did, thankfully, have a few more character moments between the cast than in SG-1's "Ark Of Truth", but it still wasn't enough in my opinion.
Please do not get the idea that this movie was bad... In fact, I'd recommend it to anyone that enjoys the Stargate show, but at the end of the movie, you will feel like something was missing, and you'll want more, but you'll have to wait for another Stargate movie to be made!! (BTW, don't forget to look at Col. Mitchell's locker... Something will have changed; can you see what it is?) What was it Jack O'Neil said, "Even us humans know time travel is nothing but trouble...!"
In any case, I would still recommend this movie to any Stargate SG-1 fan, but in my opinion, I believe that "Ark of Truth" was a better movie, though not by much! However, I will be purchasing this movie, and hope you all do the same! Besides, if we all purchase this movie, then MGM may make more SG1 movies! (Or, perhaps they'll bring it back to T.V)

I really enjoyed the first DVD, STARGATE - THE ARK OF TRUTH, but felt it was lacking in two areas: 1. no Jack and 2. the "movie" was no more than a standard two- or three-part episode. Well, in STARGATE - CONTINUUM, Jack is back, in not one, but TWO roles! And the story itself is more than satisfying. It is bigger and better than episode, has all the stops pulled out, and retains all of the great elements we have come to know, expect, and love from Stargate.

In STARGATE - CONTINUUM, we find our friends called back from their various exploits around various galaxies to witness the execution of the last of the Ba'al clones, thus the final destruction of the System Lords. But, as always, Ba'al has a trick up his sleeve, and the twists, turns, and fun begin. This movie is classic Stargate at its finest, with timelines changed, history rewritten, and our heroes needing to save the day and put everything right.

Richard Dean Anderson is perfect in his reprisal of Jack. I really miss Jack when he isn't there. Anderson's timing, ingenuousness, and droll repartee are archetypal Jack, and just what we wanted. Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, and Christopher Judge are all together again as SG-1. Cliff Simon out does himself as Ba'al. There are special appearances by Beau Bridges, the beloved Don S. Davis, William Devane, and pretty much anyone who has played a character over the last 10 years. It was wonderful to see them all together again, bringing the story full circle and putting a nice, neat, exciting bow on the entire package.

STARGATE - CONTINUUM is fast-paced, action-packed and tons of fun. The special effects are terrific, and definitely a cut above a typical episode (which are pretty good to begin with). The settings and scenery are beautiful to watch, and are mostly shot on location. You will find yourself cheering for our heroes, and wondering how they are going to get out of this mess and save the world, as always. But, as always, they do. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

Excellent production and story. The cast from season 10 is all there and we get a bonus with Jack O'Neill in two roles. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, as usual. Stargate Sg-1 has always maintained the highest standards and never disappoints its fans. I only wish the series had continued since Ben Browder and Claudia Black were such excellent additions to SGC. This movie can stand alone and be enjoyed by anyone with only a limited knowledge of the Stargate. For those of you who are fans of the show, it completely delivers. I have watched several times and love every minute of it!

I was let down by this movie, I've read the other reviews and I can understand how people are excited by seeing their favorite characters back again, but personally I think they are over-rating this film and not being critical enough. Don't get me wrong, its ok but that's about it, it would have made a good two part episode but not a great movie. The problem here is they are adding a little extra for effects or going on location and just selling episodes as movies at $16 to $20. So what were my problems:

Length - this was too short for what they wanted to accomplish. They could have added an hour to this and really added to the plot. If I'm going to buy episodes of Stargate, I at least want to feel like I'm getting enough for my dollar.

Subplot - The subplots were stupid, Mitchell's grandfather just so happens to be the captain of the ship carrying the stargate in 1939. Yeah that's believable, your audience isn't stupid and that subplot added nothing to the overall film, it was a complete distraction. Oh, and of the entire Armed Forces to just happen to be at the North Pole training - It's Jack O'Neill, yeah ok again your audience is stupid and you're the smartest script writers in the world. Give me a break.

From TV to Movie - I sense a lot of the problems with this film, and potentially future films is going to be coming from an overly excited crew that are getting to do more making a movie than they did making a TV episode. They seem to be more concerned with their locations and adding cursing to the script then they do about the quality of the plot and script writing as well as directing the acting. The whole "we filmed it in the artic" means nothing, you get one scene of Sam and Mitchell walking across the tundra and some aerial shots, big deal nothing makes up for a good plot or at least spend more on the special effects. This is even becoming a formula for the Stargate movies, let's pick a cool location, and then have one or two of the character just walk while we fly around filming them and we can add an orchestra piece and that's really going to impress the audience, or are we impressing ourselves while making the film. The problem is they are impressing themselves not the audience, it just slows down the film for the audience and the film is already too short for that, spend the time with plot development not impressing yourself with the location. They think if they can impress us with their cute stuff, but nothing, nothing can replace a well thought out script and thoughtful dialog. **spoiler** There are two examples of this that drove me crazy, one was when Jack is killed by Baal, don't you think after 8 seasons of building up the Carter/Jack relationship she might start crying or freaking out and then when Daniel falls through the ice is frost-bitten and they have to leave him behind to die, don't you think that might call for an emotional moment or some great final words before you leave a beloved member of the team to his death. No we only get Daniel saying, "Bye," that's it...great script writing, well thought out. This is why this movie needed to be longer, this why they shouldn't focus so much on location and cute curse words, so you could fully develop the plot and script.

Richard Dean Anderson - OK most of us thought he was going to be a major part of the story, hello, why wouldn't you make him a bigger part of the story; he was the bedrock of the series. Instead we get a couple of unremarkable cameo appearances, with goofy dialog and no substance. That was a let down, especially since you advertised him so heavily as being in the film.

Effects - I really was expecting more effects then what we got. I thought there was going to be a great battle scene in space or cities getting blown up, but not really. It was a big let down for a short movie without much action, just the film makers trying to impress us with location, or planes and subs, etc. It wasn't great.

I'm getting ripped off - Bottom-line, I love SG-1, I've seen every episode, but I really want thee show back... I'm not going to keep running out to buy these extremely short films. It's a marketing scheme. I'm sure they are making a lot more selling these DVDs then producing the show. I'm done buying the films. They just aren't worth it. Put the show back on the air or why don't the "movie makers" just make a sci-fi stargate mini-series at least you would have time to fully develop the plot. Anything is better than making your fans buy these films, or make better planned out films.

In my humble opinion, this movie welcomely outshines Ark of Truth. And I hope that further SG movies are of this same caliber or better. While the Ark of Truth was simply too pat a solution to the problem of the Ori, Continuum has a manageable plot that can be dealt with satisfactorily in a hour and a half. Even considering this, the one downside to Continuum to me is that it felt edited down, that is, while watching I got the sense that they cut out footage/story development to maintain the pace of the plot or to meet some time limitations. Personally, this irritates my movie tastes. I like character development/plot development just as much as action. And I felt that an additional 10-15 mins to the movie to amplify some plot issues or highlight some interesting scenes would have been optimal.

I hope this doesn't give too much away, but there are some good, novel action scenes. Particularly, there is a jet plane dog fight at night emphasis night, which I think adds novelty and an aesthetic appeal that cliched day time dog fights don't have. In general, production values were much better than the TV series.

Cliff Simon was excellent as Baal. The Goa'auld haven't been this cool since Anubis. This really comes out in the Baal, Katesh, Teal'c relationship triangle that was very well acted and takes some unexpected twists. Kudos to Claudia Black and Christopher Judge who was great as always. Incidentally, Cliff Simon was really ripped. I think this physicality added something to the character. It gave Baal a physical embodiment of his mental, youthful flexibility that has always contrasted him with the other more arrogant, stagnant System Lords. I wouldn't mind further movies finagling Baal back into the stories.

While performing an Extraction Ceremony on what SG-1 hopes is Baal's last clone, something goes terribly wrong. And people start disappearing. When Baal travels back to Earth's past, he ensures that the Stargate program doesn't happen. Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Cameron Mitchell arrive back on Earth in a different reality and must figure out how to correct the timeline before the Goa'uld invade Earth and destroy all hope.

Fans of the record-breaking Stargate SG-1 series are in for a treat. Many characters from the show's past make brief appearances, as well as the late (and sorely missed) Don Davis. But the highlight for me was the featuring of my favorite Stargate bad guy: Baal, played by Cliff Simon. Baal's character has a wonderful blend of sarcasm and condescension, which has led to some wonderful scenes with the SG-1 team. And of course, all of SG-1 is back, including Richard Dean Anderson as Jack O'Neill.

Unlike the previous movie, The Ark of Truth, this movie is a stand-alone. And with the incredible special effects, this would have been great to watch on the big screen. From filming in the below-freezing temperatures of the Arctic to back in Vancouver, the scenery and backdrops are exceptional. I also had high expectations regarding the storyline, since it included time travel, one of my favorite subgenres of science fiction. I wasn't disappointed. Though there were some convenient loopholes, the plot was fun and exciting.

Loads of humor, adventure, flashy future technology, and wonderful characters make this direct-to-dvd movie a must-see.

Wow! This movie has a great plot, amazing effects, big action sequences, and dozens of familiar guest-star faces. I would have liked a few extra minutes of focus on the main characters' emotional moments, but otherwise it's just about perfect. Think "tv movie" for realistic expectations. But it's just as if we never left the show. Makes me feel like I'll get to sit down next Friday night and see another. Great job, Stargate team! Looking forward to more!

They should change the title to "Stargate Reunion". Re-hash of old story lines and return of many SG characters. It's like compiling several scripts form different episodes. Dissapointed with the writers and I feel the price I paid is not worth watching. If you can get it cheaper, buy it, if not rent it. It's one of theose "watch it once" movies.

If you have ever enjoyed a single movie or episode of Stargate you will love this. Like everything Stargate you need to at least be familiar with the basic premise of the TV show to grasp it. That said, even if you haven't seen an episode in close to 9 years you will understand it enough to know you are in for a treat. It is dramatic, funny, and most of all a fun ride. My only complaint is its length. The 98 minutes goes by all too fast. I'd have been happy with another 10minutes, and ecstatic with an extra 20 to fully soak in the characters and story. Make no mistake in what time there is has been used well, but a few climactic scenes could have been lengthened a bit to stress the true direness of the situation.

The BD transfer is overall very good especially many of the arctic scenes. There was no doubt on those it was all on location. There are a few shots interspersed that look as if came from a standard definition stock most notable a couple of the airplane shots. The rest of the footage is standard fare for a BD transfer. The arctic shots truly are what sets the BD above and beyond the DVD copy. I just wish there was a digital copy included is my only real gripe.

I watched this movie in three parts because I just didn't want it to end. If you're a Stargate fan, then you'll feel like you're seeing old friends and the movie is just too short for a good reunion at any length. It's very well done, and it made me laugh and get a tear in my eye and also suprised me in places. Having lived in the COLD(Nome, not WAY THE HELL UP THERE), it was enjoyable to see the "Making of" featurettes, and I have to say it was as enjoyable as the movie. Being a Ben Browder fan, I loved the hair this time, Is it different?... or is it just me? I had a hard time accepting him even with my LOVE of him after I watched the episodes to familiarize myself with the show when he came on because I fell in love with the O'Neil character. In this movie and when I watch season 9-10 now, I'm HEARING his character and laughing because the writers gave him some funny ____to say, but I couldn't hear him for the comparisons I was making. My Bad! What an impossible job to come in a replace the lead! I especially loved seeing the characters settle into their new lives. Daniel Jackson calling himself was a touching scene. It was refreshing since it isn't always possible to 'relax' with a series time-frame. This might be a more feminine point of view...since some other reviewers might have enjoyed more action. I love action too, but often miss more 'personal' moments. I hope the fact that I had to got to 3 stores to find it(because they were sold out) is a huge incentive to make more Stargate movies. I'll be believing! Thanks for those two!