The name Roland Emmerich will forever echo through the history of cinema for his contributions to the action and science fiction genres. Despite his films not being some of the best, he was a big name due to how big-budget his productions were and how much box office revenue they made. People like to see action, and people like to see things blowing up. Directors such as Michael Bay and Robert Rodriguez were highly influenced by Roland Emmerich. In particular, they were influenced by his film Stargate, which was one of the biggest films at the time of its release. There was quite nothing like Stargate, and it quickly became a global sensation.
How to Download Stargate (1994)
You can download the film from a digital store. You can also stream it. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like science fiction movies, check out also Star Trek and The Fifth Element.
The Movie Review
A science-fiction magnum opus, Stargate chronicles the story of a young researcher who is hired by a mysterious woman to investigate and decipher ancient hieroglyphic writing. The hieroglyph was implanted deep inside of an ancient Egyptian structure, found in the depths of an old Egyptian expedition. The hieroglyph turns out to be an interstellar teleportation device, which leads our heroes to a different realm inhabited by ancient Egyptian-looking people, who worship the God Ra.
Stargate has much better direction than any other Roland Emmerich film to date, it plays out much more gracefully than the entirety of his filmography. The film has an actual narrative structure here, where things happen in order while keeping the pace of the story consistent throughout the runtime. The characters are also developed quite a lot as well, making sure that you are aware of their stories as they change while the film progresses its narrative beats.
The Characters
As much as I wanted to be, the characters in this film aren’t the main attraction. Sure, they are respected throughout the story and they are developed accordingly as well. However, for the most part, the real importance of this plot goes to the incredibly ambitious science fiction and fantasy writing along with the set design, and the glorious spectacle of it all. However, actors Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson, Mili Avital, and Viveca Lindfors all play their parts with the utmost respect they deserve.
The Visuals
The main attraction here is of course the action, choreographed perfectly to ensure that the science fiction aspects don’t hinder it from being fun. Not to mention, there is a ton of visual narratives going on here, such as the ancient Egyptian culture mixed with modern science fiction, as well as some fantastic set design and production quality that makes everything in the film feel so much more believable.
Narratively speaking, the visual quality, cinematography, and of course the beautiful set design can weigh a lot of the story in this film. A lot of the emotional and moral conflicts arise from simple stares, glances from one character to another, as well as the surroundings and atmospheric storytelling of it all.
This is why the film has such great cinematography because it is actually trying to convey something instead of just making sure the film looks presentable. It is still a bit lacking when it comes to the storytelling aspects, but it tries to at least convey something and evoke emotion through camera work. Not to mention, the film looks absolutely fantastic on the big screen, and even on a small screen it is no mere sci fi film to write off.
The Soundtrack
Onto the final aspect of this film that should have been much better than it is, the music. Stargate does not have a fantastic soundtrack, and that is one of the few things that hold it back from being a genuine masterpiece. It is a cult classic with a decent soundtrack, but it just does not stick with the viewer for too long. In fact, it goes quite repetitive and even boring at times, you essentially start to zone out into the cinematography so you don’t have to focus too much on the soundtrack.
The Verdict
Stargate had the potential to be the very first and perhaps the last Roland Emmerich film that told something more important than a simple action and science fiction story. However, this film relies too much on its plot while sidelining its characters, as well as focusing too little on atmospheric elements such as the music and better camera work. Though if you compare it to the rest of his work, it seems as if this film is miles ahead.
