STARGATE ATLANTIS - THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON (2004)

Stargate Atlantis - The Complete Third Season (2004)

Actors: Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell, Torri Higginson, Paul McGillion

Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
Number of discs: 5
Rating NR
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
DVD Release Date: September 18, 2007
Run Time: 1048 minutes
 

Movie: * * *
Disc: * * ½
 

A group of Earth explorers zips around the English-speaking galaxy thanks to an intricate system of artificial wormholes (called “stargates”) handily left behind by a long gone ancient race of aliens. Their base is the mythic city of Atlantis, which wasn’t on Earth after all but actually on a distant planet, accessible by one of the said stargates — also conveniently left empty by said race of “ancients.”

It is easy to get snooty about what is essentially a Star Trek clone, especially Star Trek Enterprise. After all, they just have an island city instead of a starship and the Wraith villains are Johnny Winter versions of the Klingons! However, the truth is that now that Trek is no longer on the telly sci-fi fans only have the new Doctor Who, the Battlestar Galactica rethink and Stargate Atlantis left. Stargate Atlantis may be a distant third when it comes to these two much superior shows, but that however doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be written off in any way.

Fans in desperate need of their weekly sci-fi fix can do — and probably did — a whole lot worse than Stargate Atlantis. The show is quite watchable, but not likely to appeal to non-SF fans in the same way the new Battlestar Galactica does. It is much too straight-forward for that. Besides, many episodes will make viewers scratch their heads and go: “Wasn’t that a Star Trek Voyager plot once?”

On the plus side, some episodes are inventive if somewhat familiar. And unlike many of the Trek reincarnations there aren’t any explicitly annoying characters (Neelix! Wesley Crusher!) to distract from the general action and flow of things. Special effects are decent and so are the sets even though the heroes tend to visit planets with pine forests a lot. Characters are broadly drawn and the lack the complexity and moral ambiguity of their Battlestar counterparts. Lead Joe Flanigan as Lt. Colonel John Sheppard however exudes a lazy charisma and the rest of the cast does okay too. David Hewlett as Rodney McKay, a whining Quentin Tarantino look-alike, is a borderline annoying character but thankfully doesn’t grate on the nerves too much.

Who could have thought back in 1994 that Roland Emmerich’s dumb Saturday matinee outing would provide the inspiration for one of the longest running sci-fi shows on television one day? Ten seasons of Stargate SG-1 and three seasons (thus far) of Stargate Atlantis. Long may it run . . .