With an abundance of Stargate shows and films ranging from the original movie, SG-1, Atlantis, and Infinity just to scrape the surface. The minds behind Stargate must be doing something right if after fourteen years and yet another planned series (Stargate Universe), I’m willing to finally give the series a chance. That’s right; prior to this viewing I am one of the few science fiction lovers to never have seen anything Stargate. Well, there’s a first for everything and I hope that despite the negative attention I’ve heard regarding Stargate is unfounded.
The Film 
Stargate: The Ark of Truth concludes the storylines of SG-1, beginning shortly after the events of SG-1 final episode. The story is rather complicated, and sometimes overly complex, especially for someone with no previous knowledge in the franchise. To put it simply, the crew of SG-1 is attempting to recover a device known to brainwash anyone who looks into it, the device is known as the Ark of Truth. After the crew finds a dud and a group of enemy soldiers known as Ori’s attacks them the story takes a turn for worse. The crew battles their way through the galaxy and numerous obstacles to find the Ark, with stale dialogue and ultimately boring plots and subplots.
Having watched the previous instalments of Stargate might help previous to watching The Ark of Truth, for reasons of back stories and continuity. Having never previously watched anything Stargate I often found myself lost and confused in a barrage of storylines and science fiction mumbo jumbo. However, I can say with the outmost sincerity that any previous knowledge in the plotlines of Stargate may have helped my understanding of this film; it would not have made it any more entertaining or less excruciating. Bluntly put The Ark of Truth was bland; it was the same old second rate science fiction franchise trying to spread its wings meanwhile plummeting to the asphalt. The acting is exactly what you would expect from a television show turned into a movie, and the ridiculous dialogue only added to its laugh ability.
I might seem to be coming down hard on Stargate, and some would say I’m impartial having never followed the series previously. But the fact is I know science fiction and I know originality, and The Ark of Truth isn’t comparable to some of the unique galaxy expanding stories we’ve seen. Sure there were a few moments that were bearable and dare I say entertaining, but the negative far outweighed the positive. Having not seen any other Stargate instalments, I can’t say that fans of the show will like The Ark of Truth, but my guess is they would. But for those of you like me that enjoy quality science fiction like Blade Runner, Aliens, Star Wars, and 2001, Stargate doesn’t even come close to stacking up, not even worthy of shoe shinning the worst in Phillip K Dick’s arsenal.
Video 
Presented in 1080pp 1.78:1 aspect ratio and encoded in VC1 The Ark of Truth comes to high definition with some polished results. The most impressive aspect of the color presentation was the way that blacks were presented. From the crispness in space to the detail seen in shadows, black presentation was top notch.
The CGI used throughout the movie is what you would expect from a direct to video movie. Now that the movie is presented in HD the effects do stick out much more when compared to the highly detailed human presentation.
Everything considered Stargate: The Ark of Truth looks extremely impressive on Blu-ray. If you’re a fan of the movie then you owe to yourself to get the Blu-ray release.
Audio 
Fox has included a 5.1 DTS HD track with Stargate and for the most part it sounds good. From the start I thought the sound effects were flat for science fiction movie which was a bit of a disappointment. Luckily the dialogue track meshes well the sound/music tracks creating a balanced presentation.
Rear channels were used consistently throughout, sub support as mentioned before came off a bit weak. Make no mistake when compared to a high budget sci-fi movie, The Ark of Truth comes off sounding cheesy and weak, but for a direct to TV movie I was more than impressed.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary – Commentary with director Robert Cooper, actor Christopher Judge and director of photography Peter Woeste.
- The Ark of Truth: Stargate at Comic-Con – We are given some comic con interview footage with the cast and crew. Fan of the series will like the questions asked by the audience members.
- Uncovering The Arc of Truth Featurette – A 30 minute making of featuring covering all aspects from the music score to behind the scene interviews with cast and crew.
- Prelude to Stargate – Recap footage of the SG-1 series. Having never seen the show before, this was a good way to for newcomers to get the gist of the series.
Final Thoughts 
Though Stargate: The Ark of Truth has some impressive audio and video transfers, the dull story and cast of apparent television actors does everything to erase anything good this disc had going for it. Though I can’t say with any certainty, I’m sure this is a far cry from the 1994 film Stargate, which is probably where this series should have ended. If you absolutely have to check this movie out then do so, but I’m forewarning you, don’t expect much. If you already know you like the movie then you will be pleased with the disc itself, and are the only group of people I suggest who purchase it.
