DVD Review: Stargate Continuum

The Cast of Stargate SG-1 is Back, To Tie Up Loose Ends Story Wise

Aug 12, 2008

After ten packed seasons visiting new worlds using the Stargate, the cast and crew of the hit show return for a final confrontation against the evil Lord Ba'al. 8.5/10

Over the course of the show's very lengthy television run, the members of the prime team at Stargate Command have encountered countless new allies over many planets, as well as numerous enemies. Arguably none were more deliciously evil than the Goa'uld. Though many Goa'uld villains have come and gone over the years, none were as memorable as the renegade System Lord Ba'al, as portrayed by charming and charismatic South African actor Cliff Simon.

As the show ended its run after its tenth season, there were many loose ends to tie up. Chief among them was Ba'al's fate, and that of his numerous clone decoys. As the show had entered its ninth and tenth season, the newest threat had come in the form of the Ori, a race of zealot worshippers from another galaxy. This newer storyline pushed the older story arc to the backburner, but producer/writer Brad Wright wished to come back to this tale, which had never concluded satisfactorily.

These loose ends are what motivated the production company to consider Direct-to-DVD movies, such as Stargate Continuum, and its predecessor, Stargate The Ark of Truth, which itself tied up the Ori storyline.

In Continuum, the Tok'ra and Earth Alliance have finally managed to capture Ba'al, the last of the System Lords. Before having his Goa'uld symbiote removed, Ba'al boasts that he isn't the real Ba'al, but merely the last of the clones, and that the real Ba'al has in fact found a way to travel back in time.

What is the purpose of his evil plan, you ask? To prevent the Stargate from ever being moved from Cairo to the United States, thereby disrupting the timeline, and preventing the Stargate program from ever seeing the light of day.

Upon discovering this, only three of the SG-1 team members have enough time to escape through the gate, before the timeline of their actions is erased. Our intrepid band finds itself in an alternate present where they do not belong, and seeing an Earth that isn't remotely close to ready for the impending Goa'uld threat.

This second TV movie based on the show far surpasses the already impressive production values of the regular hourly format seen on television. This is common, as it allows for more flexibility and freedom, given both its running time and quasi-theatrical format. Often times, audiences are taken aback as their favorite characters are suddenly free to utter the s-word, or the f-word (this was done gratuitously by TV-to-screen products, such as The X-Files, and Star Trek, to name a few), but mostly the storyline is broader and more dynamic.

Such is the case with Continuum, as we are served with a cornucopia of familiar faces from years past, back to play it up for this movie. Many faces are unexpected, given that this is an alternate timeline where many of them would never have died and perished.

Amongst the cast, we are thrilled to see Ben Browder reprise his latecomer role of Col. Cameron Mitchell (who had joined the show in the last two seasons, filling the void of a departing Richard Dean Anderson ), always with an quick wit, remindful of former leader Jack O'Neill.

Michael Shanks and Amanda Tapping also return as Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter respectively, as does the ever stoic Christopher judge, as the brawny and wise Teal'c.

Overall, this movie works extremely well, in that it relies on the most popular of sci-fi plot devices, that of time travel, and all its implied intricacies. This complex topic is always a treat for any television writer.

Also, the film acts as nice bookend to a great franchise (if we exclude its spin-off, Stargate Atlantis); in the event that this would be the last we see of this series and its characters, this film lets it go out with a bang, and allows the whole cast and crew to return for one last fun-filled hurrah.

(Note: To those who are reluctant to watch this film having missed a decade of great stories, asking themselves wondering who everyone is. this film as a standalone adventure is fun enough, but presents itself as a definite treat, a thank you for those who watched all ten years of the show.)

8.5 out of 10

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