Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Now that there are no “Stargate” TV shows on anymore, fans have something else to turn to until “Stargate: Universe” hits SciFi. What is that? Straight-to-DVD movies. Instead of renewing the shows for more seasons, the producers decided to take a different route and wrap up storylines in under two hours. The first of two “SG-1” movies, The Ark of Truth, is setting a trend for the series, which looks to continue through with “Atlantis” movies. The Ark of Truth is definitely made for the “Stargate” audience. There is no doubt that anyone who hasn’t watched the series or knows nothing about the franchise will be lost. While that may be true, there is also a prelude on the DVD that summarizes the last two seasons of “SG-1,” which is useful if someone forgot what had happened. It gives background for the film and also refreshes the memory of us dedicated viewers of the show, so we aren’t straining to remember what happened in the series that ended a while ago.
Since the film is a continuation of “SG-1,” there are definitely a lot of similarities with the show. They have stayed true to the series, both in character and plot lines. All of the characters remain as they were (except maybe Sam, whose hair has grown quite a bit). They are still the same old, loveable characters with their flaws, and they still bring humor to the genre, especially Cam (Ben Browder), who has numerous one-liners (a perfectly placed “ow” had me laughing for minutes). If the movie had been shown as a special episode, it would be hard to tell the difference, except maybe that there are a few more swear words allowed.
The movie itself continues on the Ori story arch as the team continues to look for a way to take out their big enemy. They find a hope in the Ark of Truth, hence the title. The film focuses on the search for the end of the Ori and deal with them as a big bad as well as the reappearance of the Replicators, which have long plagued the series. By the end of the film, the storyline is split between dealing with the Ori and dealing with the Replicators, two of the biggest baddies in the whole “Stargate” franchise. The action involved with both is definitely copious and it all leads to two separate epic battles that finally take care of the story arch from the series and that of the film.
With straight-to-DVD films, it’s usually a hit or miss. The film was good, yes, but it felt as though it was a whole story arch smooshed into an hour and a half. I think The Ark of Truth could’ve been better if there had been an appearance by Colonel Jack O’Neill, but that’s just me. By the end, it almost felt as if I were asking myself “That’s it?” Ten years of trouble, the past two of the season leading up to this and that’s all it took to defeat the Ori? At least it was better than getting left with guesswork. They did manage to wrap up the storylines, but I feel as though it was a bit rushed. In comparison, I think Serenity did a better job with wrapping up “Firefly,” even though a lot of stuff from the show wasn’t expanded on.
While the film would make a good episode, I think I speak for a lot of fans when I say I would prefer a whole ‘nother season. Unfortunately for us, the film did well enough that the producers decided to take “Atlantis” off the air and do the same thing. But if this is all we have for the “Stargate” series, I’ll take what I can get.
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