Any science-fiction movie worth its salt will have a dash of theology thrown in. Stargate is no exception. In one scene late in the movie, the androgynous character, Ra, (regally played by Jaye Davidson), proclaims he is God. He has made human beings, he says, and consequently, he can destroy them. (That's all citizens of planet earth, by the way.) Those words are a sure come-on to the goodies to do their utmost to stop him, and sure enough, his words prove to be his downfall.
Stargate treats us to a novel approach concerning the origins of the gods the Egyptian people worshipped. The story involves the archaelogical finding of a enormous stone circle which proves to be a gateway to another solar system. A small group of soldiers, led by Kurt Russell (in suicidal mode), are sent to investigate, and a linguist, James Spader, is taken along to ensure they can find their way back. (The special effects journey is as breathtaking for the audience as for the characters.)
They discover a tribe of enslaved desert people speaking ancient Egyptian, (and apparently living on fresh air), who suffer under the rulership of an alien proclaiming himself to be the god, Ra. Stargate suffers from being a film made in the shadow of the Star Wars trilogy, although it has no pretensions to being anything more than a "boys' own" adventure dressed up in sci-fi clothes. It should, therefore, be assessed on its own smaller-scale merits.
Director Roland Emmerich spends a little too long developing some scenes, and gives little individuality to minor characters. Nevertheless, the film is absorbing, and the production values are top class. Karl Walter Lindenlaub's clear, sharp photography and Holger Gross' imaginative production design contribute greatly to the sense of place and atmosphere. (The full-on music by David Arnold is sometimes too much, however.)
This is another one of those movies that needs to be seen in the cinema. Not only will it lose its visual impact on a small screen, the surround-sound will vanish. Throughout the film, rumblings, crashings and other assorted noises take place alongside and even behind the audience, adding greatly to the suspense and atmosphere.
It deserves its PG certificate for one or two brief moments of horror, and some violence; in the main, however, it's basic comic book adventure with more than a dash of special effects wizardry.
copyright 1997 Mike Crowl
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