Stargate Atlantis

Stargate Atlantis[DVD Stargate]

Stargate Atlantis was the second TV series to spin off of the 1994 film, which starred Kurt Russell and James Spader. Preceeding it was Stargate SG-1, which featured Richard Dean Anderson and company as military officers headquartered in a secure base in the Rockies, and visiting other planets around the galaxy through a transport door called a Stargate. That series was Earth-based. Stargate Atlantis sent an international crew of military and scientific explorers through the Stargate to another galaxy, where they quickly become stranded and have to carve out a place for themselves in their new surroundings. It helps that they have access to a floating city and advanced technology left behind by an absent race of progenitors. Unfortunately, as they feel their way around their new surroundings, the humans also accidentally awaken a deadly new enemy. But, there are new friends to be made with the locals, and scientific discoveries to explore...having a deadly vampiric enemy nipping at your heels is small price to pay for the wonders spread before the men and women of Stargate Atlantis. The characters on this show were what kept drawing me back, week after week, far more than the occasionally silly plots. The friendships and relationships that developed over five seasons were terrific, and many of the characters were stand-outs on their own. David Hewlett as the brilliant but egocentric Dr. Rodney McKay, and Joe Flanigan as Lt. Colonel John Sheppard, the miltary officer who suddenly finds himself in command when his superiors are killed, were both very interesting and likeable. As the series progressed, and contact was re-established with Earth, cast changes occured as the "leaders" of the expedition changed several times, which lead to a feeling of instability for the show. But the growth in McKay, Sheppard, and the others who were there for all five years, more than paid off for the occasional hiccups in casting. Terrific cast, terrific effects, and great storytelling -- you can't ask for much more in a science fiction TV series! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available are Stargate Atlantis tie-in novels.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Stargate web site from MGM, covering all versions of Stargate ]

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