Stargate is a film that tries to do two things at once, and neither one gets the full attention it deserves. Roland Emmerich directs and co-writes with Dean Devlin, and the result is a movie that splits its brain between a pulpy sci-fi adventure and a serious, brooding exploration of colonialism. Neither half lands, and the two keep getting in each other’s way.
The setup is simple enough. A massive ring-shaped device is dug up in Egypt, and it turns out to be a wormhole generator. A linguist named Daniel Jackson, played by James Spader, figures out the code and sends a team led by Colonel Jack O’Neil, played by Kurt Russell, through the gate to a distant desert planet. What they find there is a society built around an Egyptian-like culture, complete with pyramids and a god-king named Ra who rules over them.
The premise is smart. The execution is not.
Trailer, via Amazon MGM Studios.
Daniel Jackson and the Wormhole
Spader plays Jackson as a brilliant but awkward academic, the kind of man who would rather study hieroglyphs than deal with people. His performance is solid, and he sells the intellectual curiosity that drives the story forward. Russell is the opposite: a hardened soldier who has lost his son to suicide and is willing to die on this mission. Their chemistry is the film’s strongest asset, even when the script around them is thin.
The wormhole technology itself is explained in a way that is both clever and frustrating. Jackson decodes the coordinates by matching star constellations to symbols on the ring. Each of the seven chevrons locks into place, and when all seven are engaged, the gate opens. It is a simple idea, and the film leans on it heavily. But the explanation is given once and never revisited, which means later scenes that rely on the audience remembering those details feel rushed.
Ra and the Colonial Reading
The film wants to be a critique of colonialism. Ra is a powerful alien who has taken a human host and enslaved the people of the planet. He is played by Jaye Davidson, who gives a performance that is genuinely unsettling. The movie sets up a clear parallel between Ra’s rule and European colonialism in Africa, with the humans on the planet being treated as subjects rather than equals.
But the analogy is clumsily drawn. The film spends so much time on the action sequences and the chase scenes that the political message gets buried underneath explosions and gunfire. When the film finally tries to make its point about power and domination, the weight of the previous hour of spectacle has diluted any real impact.
The Temple and the Pyramid
The visual design of the planet is the film’s other strong point. The temples are massive, the pyramids loom over the landscape, and the alien architecture is genuinely strange and beautiful. The film’s production design draws heavily on Egyptian motifs, and the result is a world that feels both ancient and alien at the same time.
But the temple itself becomes a problem. Jackson searches for the symbols needed to return home, but the pyramid complex lacks any visible markings. This forces him to wander the corridors, looking for clues, and the pacing drags. The film is trying to build tension, but the lack of visible markers means the audience is left wondering what Jackson is doing and why.
The Battle Against Ra
The climax is a big set piece involving a battle against Ra’s forces. It is well-staged and features some impressive practical effects, but it also feels like a letdown. The film has spent so much time building up the stakes that the final confrontation feels rushed and anticlimactic. Ra is defeated, the team escapes, and the gate is closed, but the emotional payoff is missing.
Kurt Russell’s performance in these scenes is the highlight. He plays O’Neil as a man who is fully aware he may not survive, and that resignation gives his actions weight. The film’s tagline promises a journey a million light years from home, but it never quite delivers the emotional return trip.
The Numbers Behind the Film
- Runtime: 121 minutes
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
- Production budget: $55 million
- Worldwide gross: $196.6 million
- Directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin
The film’s cast is rounded out by Viveca Lindfors as Catherine, Alexis Cruz as Skaara, Mili Avital as Sha’uri, Erick Avari as Kasuf, John Diehl as Lieutenant Kawalsky, Djimon Hounsou as Horus, Carlos Lauchu as Anubis, Leon Rippy as General W.O. West, and French Stewart as Lieutenant Ferretti. The supporting cast is competent, but none of them get the development Jackson and O’Neil receive.
The film’s reception was mixed. Its atmosphere, story, characters, and graphic content were both praised and criticized. That mix of praise and criticism is reflected in the critical score of 4.2/10, a number that captures the film’s unevenness. It is a movie that does some things very well and other things poorly, and the poor elements drag the good ones down.
Stargate is a flawed but entertaining film. It has a great premise, a strong cast, and some stunning visuals. But its pacing problems, its underdeveloped themes, and its rushed climax keep it from greatness. It is worth seeing for the ideas behind it, but not for the execution of them.
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