SGU: Stargate Universe

SGU: Stargate Universe
[DVD SGU]

I'll have to admit, I was much more a fan of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis than I was of this 3rd Stargate spinoff series - both of those earlier shows, while serious much of the time, had a lot of innate humor in the dialog and character relationships. Stargate Universe, in comparison, was dark, dour and generally humorless -- taking its stylistic cues from the SyFy network's other hit serious of the time, Battlestar Galactica, which focused on gritty realism and ultra dark storylines. SGU, in a nutshell, finds a group of military, scientific and civilians thrust through a wormhole into another galaxy, where they are trapped aboard an ancient, poorly functioning starship with very little hope of returning to our known space. The stories involved intense character conflict and drama. Despite the unrelenting darkness and essential lack of humor, I still recommend this series mainly for the cast, who were uniformly excellent, particularly Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicholas Rush (who's the best thing on the show!), Justin Lewis as Colonel Everett Young, David Blue as nerdy young genius Eli Wallace and Elyse Levesque as Chloe Armstrong. Definitely different in tone than any other Stargate product, but worth sticking through to the end of the second season. My only major complaint -- the producers, knowing that the chances of being renewed for a 3rd season were unlikely, none-the-less ended the series on a major cliffhanger. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the original Stargate movie (not currently available on DVD from the libraries), Stargate SG-1 (10 seasons), Stargate Atlantis (5 seasons), Battlestar Galactica (the newer 2000s version, not the 1979 series).] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [Subscribe to Scott's monthly booklist newsletter It's All Geek to Me! - on the Books, Movies & More newsletter sign-up page].

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ official Stargate web site from MGM ]

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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 ]

Have you seen this series? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.