‘Stargate: Continuum’ Puts a Cap on SG-1

Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on July 22, 2008

After watching the ten seasons of Stargate SG-1, the four seasons of Stargate Atlantis and the recent direct-to-DVD release of Stargate: The Ark of Truth, I can say with confidence that this whole universe beats the pants off of the Star Trek franchise.

I know. That’s going to piss off Trekkers from here to Ceti Alpha Five, but so be it. The Stargate universe, while not without its flaws, has consistently shown that it can handle science fiction television far better than anything Gene Roddenberry’s creative offspring can.

This is demonstrated perfectly in the new direct-to-DVD release of Stargate: Continuum. Where The Ark of Truth wrapped up the Ori storyline, Continuum puts the finishing touches on the Goa’uld. The last of the Ba’al clones has been found, and the Tok’ra are preparing to extract the symbiote. However, during the procedure, people literally start to disappear. In a desperate attempt to get back home, Carter (Amanda Tapping), Mitchell (Ben Browder) and Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) jump through the stargate to find themselves trapped in the Arctic.

They soon discover that the original Ba’al has slipped through their fingers, traveled back through time and wiped out the entire Stargate program on Earth. Carter, Jackson and Mitchell have to work through an alternate timeline to stop Ba’al from taking over the galaxy with the full force of the Goa’uld behind him.

Okay, I’ll admit if you haven’t seen any of the Stargate series, this isn’t going to make any sense to you at all. Like The Ark of Truth, this movie is for the fans of the show, playing out like an extravagant two-part episode. So, if you’re a Stargate virgin, you’d be better off renting the series of DVDs from SG-1’s ten seasons.

Unlike the Star Trek franchise, the Stargate team hasn’t overused the time travel element. In fact, they have stayed away from it for the most part, probably because making time travel too easy would convolute the show beyond recognition. This is different than the parallel universe plotline that has been used numerous times in the series.

Continuum provides an interesting look at some questions that arise during a time travel event. Whose reality is more worthy of becoming real? How do you exist in a universe where your double is a phone call away? Will we ever get rid of Ba’al? The questions are infinite.

The production value of this show exceeds that of not just the series, but the previous direct-to-DVD film. The crew filmed part of the show in the Arctic (sans Michael Shanks, who had some scheduling conflicts and didn’t want to be too cold), making it the production with the highest latitude ever. The location doesn’t go to waste, with beautiful shots of glaciers and ice fields, and a nice stint on a nuclear submarine.

The only downfall to Continuum is its fractured cast. While Richard Dean Anderson comes back to reprise his role as General Jack O’Neill, he’s not in the movie for very long at all. Likewise, with Earth’s Stargate program a literal thing of another past, Teal’c (Christopher Judge) is no longer a main character.

Stargate: Continuum is made for the fans, and it gives us everything we’d want to see. There’s multiple call-backs to previous shows, including cameos by the Goa’uld system lords we saw fall in the first eight seasons of the show. And we get to see Claudia Black in one of those sexy Goa’uld costumes, which is definitely enjoyable.

The DVD includes filmmakers commentary and a thorough making-of featurette, a real-world (albeit a bit stuffy) look at the possibility of time travel and a featurette that highlights the Arctic shoot.

THE UPSIDE: A nice way to end the whole Goa’uld shebang.

THE DOWNSIDE: Pretty much signals the end of SG-1 as a regular series… but we can hope for more movies.

ON THE SIDE: Be sure to check out FSR’s coverage of the premiere of Stargate: Continuum at this year’s Comic-Con!

Read more articles by Kevin Carr