The addition of seven minutes (a new opening and little snippets throughout) to the director's cut in this "ultimate" edition (which also includes the original theatrical version) only amplifies the fact that, despite a fantastic premise and a devotion to the same serials that inspired Star Wars and the Indiana Jones movies, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin's Stargate was already a bit long in the cinematic tooth. James Spader, as a geeky academic, and Kurt Russell, as a grief-stricken soldier, lead a team through a mysterious round Egyptian artifact into a desert world at the other end of the galaxy, where they discover strange goings-on involving aliens and pyramids in a kind of Lawrence of Arabia meets Flash Gordon tale. Unfortunately, once Russell and Spader encounter The Crying Game's Jaye Davidson, as a potentially divine being, the movie devolves into a series of rote fights and battle scenes leading to an emotionally unsatisfying climax. Still, thanks to the work of cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub and some decent effects, Stargate rarely falls victim to its fairly low budget sci-fi trappings, while David Arnold's rousing score has become a trailer staple. Spiffier-looking than earlier DVD releases, the double-disc set is packed with extras, including commentary with Devlin and Emmerich, a making-of featurette, and Is There a Stargate? (a featurette on Chariots of the Gods? author Erich von Daniken). Optional. (D. Fienberg)
Stargate: Ultimate Edition
Artisan, 2 discs, 128 min., PG-13, DVD: $19.98 Volume 18, Issue 3
Stargate: Ultimate Edition
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