Stargate

Traditional Emmerich, a lot of clichés, heroic American soldiers, and naivety, which at the end, when the Egyptian people's revolution against the evil alien breaks out, as stirred up by an American mission, turns into a caricature of itself. I used to consider this film a genre average, and given what is being made today, that may be true, but when seen through my eyes today, it's a weak 2 stars. Overall impression: 35%. (08/07/2012)

In 1994, Roland Emmerich struck gold when he let a military unit walk through a portal of rippling water into a distant galaxy to a desert planet ruled by the Sun god, Ra. But Ra wasn’t a god, but an alien who subjugated the people into worshipping him as a god. The scouts, led by Col. O'Neill, stood on the side of the subjugated people and fought against the false god. Three years later, following on the success of the movie, a TV series was created that developed on the huge potential of the idea of traveling through time using a stargate, celebrating even greater success than the original movie. But back to the movie. The story is truly good and the special effects excellent for the time. The acting performances are nothing earth-shattering, but they suffice, Kurt Russel still in form and James Spade as Daniel Jackson is pleasantly madcap, but at the same time clever and mainly he’s a “good guy" :-). It took a long time to decide how many stars to give. Originally I put **** and I was considering leaving it at that, but I would be lying to myself, so ***** (02/07/2006)

An unusually boring film for Emmerich standards. I'm used to him being able to turn even absolutely stupid premises into an extremely engaging spectacle, but here it was exactly the opposite somehow. The idea is very good, but it doesn’t have the support of any attractions, great action or catchphrases. Simply, despite its fame, it’s a kind of dull film that failed to offer me any good scenes that would have been significantly etched in my memory. (11/10/2011)

I still like this movie, but it's true that the TV series was simply better, bigger, more interesting, and more entertaining. But that idea was born here and it truly is a great idea that influenced my adolescence a lot. I loved and still love the principle of traveling through worlds. I would definitely watch the series again, or even something new. This movie should definitely not be forgotten. (09/01/2016)

The script is, as usual, quite ordinary, even boring, but Roland Emmerich's extravagant direction and David Arnold's music make this film an enjoyable spectacle. The special effects artists really outdid themselves here, and the production design is very good. And if you are not expecting a strong dose of psychology and let yourself be carried away by the undeniable sheer formal richness you will certainly enjoy it. Kurt Russell is quite likable, too. There is also a bit of romance, a pleasant touch of mystery, and an ancient tragedy, which is more than enough for a decent film. (01/01/2006)