Stargate SGU Universe 1.0, 3-Disc set (2010)
First ten episodes of Season One of the Sci-Fi Series
Starring: Robert Carlyle, Ming Na, Lou Diamond Phillips
Studio: MGM/20th Century Fox [2/9/10]
Video: 1.78:1 for 16:9 color
Audio: English DD 5.1, Spanish Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Extras: Extended version of the pilot episode, Audio commentaries by cast and producers on all episodes, “Chatting with the cast,” “Stargate 101 with Dr. Daniel Jackson,” Kino video diaries
Total Length: 436 minutes
Rating: ***½
This is one of the several TV spin-offs from the original Stargate feature film, and probably not as compelling as the SG-1 series, Stargate Atlantis, and the various feature-length spinoffs. Fans of the series are very disappointed with this DVD set (also available on Blu-ray but not furnished to us) since by the title it appears to be the entire Season One, but is only the first 10 of a proposed 20 episodes which are still being broadcast. So fans will have to shell again for the other 10 episodes of Season One later.
A group of soldiers, civilians and scientists stationed at a high-tech installation on some distant planet accessed via the Stargate are attacked by alien spaceships. They have been working on translating a ninth symbol in operating the Stargate, but they don’t know where it goes to. Since the alien attack is threatening to blow up the planet, they must go thru the Stargate as their only hope of survival. It takes them aboard an ancient abandoned starship millions of light years away and locked on an unknown course. They must deal with a host of dangers and challenges aboard, including the personalities of some of their own people, such as Dr. Rush, the expert on the ancients’ technology.
There could have been better bonus features on Disc 1 on some of the basics of the series. Those of us who haven’t followed the entire series might like to know more about how they got to the planet that blew up, and also about the operation of the “stones” gadget of the ancients – which evidently allows people stuck on the spaceship to return to earth briefly in the bodies of people living there. The Kino gadget referred to in the extras is a floating ball with a camera which records video diaries of crew members. It’s an interesting gimmick, but too much time is spent on heartfelt talking-head statements to it from cast members.
Camera work, color and sound are fine. The danger of a claustrophobic mood stuck aboard the partly-damaged spaceship is relieved with occasional returns to earth, and the exploration of planets along the way. Frankly haven’t gotten to the tenth episode yet and am not sure I will be interested in viewing the other ten later on after seeing these.
– John Sunier
