Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Studio: Orion Home Video
• VHS Release Date: March 17, 1998
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304811403
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,020 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Showtime cable series Stargate SG-1 turns the premise of Stargate into a surprisingly viable formula, with former MacGyver star Richard Dean Anderson assuming Kurt Russell's role as Air Force hero Jack O'Neill. Michael Shanks inherits James Spader's role as archeologist Daniel Jackson, and the series' 1997 pilot, "Children of the Gods," reunites the adventurers when the Air Force's Stargate facility on Earth is attacked by sentries from Abydos, the distant planet on the other side of the space-warping Stargate. Faced with a new nemesis from Abydos, O'Neill and the fresh recruits of Unit SG-1 must return to the planet and close off the Stargate to prevent further attacks on Earth. It's a pretty standard adventure, with brief, gratuitous R-rated nudity not seen in the original cablecast, but Anderson's an appealing leader of the well-chosen cast (including Alexis Cruz, reprising his role from the film), and the show's production values are consistently high. Taking logical steps from Stargate, series developers Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner have managed an admirable feat, creating a spin-off that doesn't feel like a rip-off.

Episode One, "The Enemy Within," continues the SG-1 pilot, with the discovery that officer Kawalsky (Jay Acavone) is now the enslaved host of a Goa'uld larvae--a snakelike parasite from Abydos that has seized control of Kawalski's nervous system. Only an elaborate surgical procedure can save Kawalski's life, and the SG-1 loyalty of Teal'c (Christopher Judge)--a former enemy from Abydos who is also a Goa'uld host--is put to the test.

Episode Two, "Emancipation," guest-stars Soon-Tek Oh as the leader of the Shavadai, a Mongolian-like tribe on the planet Simarka, where the SG-1 Unit has arrived via the Stargate to begin their first expedition. The Shavadai view women as subservient and submissive, so the presence of SG-1 Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) causes an instant--and, for Carter, potentially deadly--uproar. This episode offers an enjoyable balance of humor and suspense, and establishes Tapping as a witty sparring partner for Anderson. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best SciFi show on television., March 15, 2000

By 

Rick Fry (Bakersfield, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stargate SG-1 Season 1, Vol. 1: Episodes 1-3 (DVD)

If you saw the movie Stargate and felt left out in left field, don't let that stop you from seeing the series on Showtime. If you don't mind the commercials, Fox is syndicating it and is a season behind Showtime. Richard Dean Anderson adds a personality that for some reason Kurt Russell left out. IMHO, Michael Shanks does a lot better Daniel Jackson. It's fun to watch a show that gives female leads a strong character as in Captain [now a major] Samantha Carter. As far as matters dealing with the "how to's" of the stargate she's much smarter than O'Neill. Teal'c played by Christopher Judge is incredible in his depth of character and his ability to do other things in the show. He's done several voice overs for other characters. If you've already seen the first few episodes, I can only repeat the old worn out cliche that says, "you ain't seen nothin' yet." They just keep getting better and better. Heavens, I can't forget General George [Don S. Davis] Hammond. A real "by the book" General that can actually have a softer side. BTW, this show is the only program being made today that has the USAF approval and they oversee all scripts dealing with military activities and protocols. What you see is the real deal, folks. Well, the gate is fiction. But, the rest is watched closely. The show actually rates 11 stars if I could give it to them. The SG-1 team really deserves a LOT of kudos for this one.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good background movie if you like the series.., October 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Stargate SG-1 (Children of the Gods 1 and 2) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This made-for-television movie takes place about a year or so after the Stargate movie and it is a good introduction to the series, Stargate SG-1, but it doesn't deliver the action and special effects it promises and that we have come to expect in the series. Sadly, the producers found it necessary to add nudity that is nothing short of gratuitous. While I'm not against nudity if it contributes to the story, I do oppose it when it occurs in a movie that is the precursor to a series that is popular with children. The writing was good, Richard Dean Anderson is a better o"Neill than Kurt Russell, and Amanda Tapping as Sam Carter is able to deliver all of those quantum physics phrases with credibility. While the series definitely does a better job of character development, this is a must-see for the SG-1 fan.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!Keeps with the Movie, July 10, 2000

By 

James P. Kennedy (Poughkeepsie, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stargate SG-1 (Children of the Gods 1 and 2) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

StarGate SG-1 has kept to the mthyos of the original Stargate.Richard Dean Anderson has portrayed Col.O'Niell as good if not better than Kurt Russell.The conflct with the Gau'loud system lords was a great way to expand the plot,and the storyline of Daniel tring to find his wife is the most dramatic part of the series.