Providing some light summer fun, this Roland Emmerich piece is one that opened up his career (along with Universal Soldier a few years prior) for other projects, including the butchering of Godzilla in 1998. Stargate, unlike his later films, has flashes of brilliance sprinkled throughout. It's a nice easy ride that doesn't stop to explain much, instead focusing on the rapid pacing and special effects.
Now over 10 years old, the CG used in many scenes is obviously dated. It doesn't interact with the cast well at all, and a few past money shots don't work as they used to. The effects, including the miniatures, are fine. They give the film a sense of scale in combination with the full sized sets.
There's little time spent trying to explain things. The audience knows just enough to understand that the crew that ventures through the Egyptian Stargate can only go back the way they came. There's no time to explain how or why it actually works. It's not necessarily important either, as you're caught up in the humor or dramatic sequences that mesh well.
Kurt Russell leads the military charge, building a character that ends up going nowhere. His past is briefly introduced and them seemingly dropped until it's needed again. It's a wasted subplot. Eric Avari, playing the role of leader of the slaves, is one of the film's brightest spots, pulling both dramatic and comedic duties. James Spader leads as the quirky, nervous Egyptian history scientist and is in fine form.
Stargate ends up being one of those movies you sit and back and instantly know it's an American summer film. The style, direction, fantastic adventurous score, and special effects ensure that. There's nothing wrong with this either, providing quick escapist entertainment for the entire running time. It's not a sci-fi masterpiece, but a memorable ride that's better than most big budget sci-fi films. (**** out of *****)
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