Stargate SG1 rewatch. Post #1: The Stargate Movie
I've been meaning to do this for some time, and finally the time is now. I will be rewatching in order the entirety of Stargate: SG1. Even the shit episodes. I wasn't sure whether I should start with the movie or "Children of the Gods." After much soul-searching I decided to start with the movie. Now, I only own the Ultimate Edition DVD, and maybe saw the original theatrical version once. So I really don't know which bits were added, but just so you know which version I'm coming from.
First off, may I say, THIS MOVIE IS SO 90s!
Ah, Stargate, the movie they thought was so good they decided to make a TV series out of it and had to retcon about 80% of it. But it is retcon for the better, especially when it comes to the Goa'uld. See, the whole alien possession thing actually doesn't make a whole lot of sense when it's just a Roswell Grey-type alien wearing a human body, as the movie portrays it. But make it a symbiotic, sentient eel attaching itself to a human brain stem? Now, that makes sense.
Other things retconned by the series:
-Jack O'Neil becomes Jack O'Neill
-Tyler O'Neil becomes Charlie O'Neill (at least it isn't "Jack Jr" like the sequel novels made it. ugh.)
-Sha'uri becomes Sha're
-Creek Mountain becomes Cheyenne Mountain
-Daniel, instead of having been fostered since a baby, in the series is put into foster care after his parents died when he was like 10.
-Catherine's heritage. She has an accent in this movie. I don't know what it's suppose to be, but definitely an accent she lacks by "Torment of Tantalus"
-Abydos is closer to Earth than the movie would like you to think
And yet things like...Daniel being obsessed over where his next pay check is coming from becomes a standard, as is an obsession with coffee. Oh, and being an egotistical bastard who thinks he's so much better than everyone else. Yeah, it's there in the movie, it's just not St Daniel of SG1 (doesn't stop me from lusting after and loving both). And I will never forgive him for drawing on the monitor with magic fucking marker! What!? What possessed you?
Then there's Jack. Ugly, emo, suicidal Jack. And I mean, granted, the point is that in the movie this is the lowest point in his life. I fully believe that even Rusell!Jack was cooky like RDA!Jack before his son shot himself. So it's not a matter of character inconsistency, but rather RDA!Jack is the "normal" Jack. And I'll argue you see shades of that fun weirdness even in the film, but only after Daniel tells him "stop emoing you big girl!" Okay, so it was more something like "I don't want to die, your men don't want to die, these people don't want to die. It's a shame you're in such a hurry to." And after that we get moments like Jack winking at the Ra soldier before blasting him away, and of course the famous line, "Give my regards to King Tut, asshole!" Ah, the height of wit. And it only took a trip to another planet, battling aliens, meeting Daniel, and a son replacement to make him realize life is in fact worth living.
THINGS I QUITE LIKE
-The music is beautiful in this film. Sweeping, epic and lovely.
-The Kawoosh! It's all silvery water and pretty! OMG OMG OMG. Sorry, series, but your blue goo just can't compare.
-The soldiers' helmets. Love the effect of those things! Sorry again, series, but clunky snake heads can't hold a candle to the awesomes of Ra's helmets.
-Which brings me to Ra's ship. He is so totally pimped out! By comparison all other System Lords are conservative. He just loves being the pretty pretty princess.
-The focus on linguistics. It amuses how important it is in the movie, yet for the series *pfft* everyone speaks English! Even in the Pegasus Galaxy.
-Wormhole sequence would be fucking awesome in 3-D
-Near the end, when Daniel gathers Shau'ri in his arms, stands in the transport rings and breathlessly tells Jack "Wait for me." I just adore how he says it. And it's like inklings of slash and ♥
THINGS THAT BOTHER ME
-Despite that the entire Universe here is based on him being right, I still think "pyramids are landing pads" is all a load of nonsense. I mean, pyramid-shaped ships? WTF? I guess how it is for a Sci-Fi TV show doesn't bother me, but knowing the the Real World ppl like Van Daniken actually believes this? Distresses me.
-HOW HOW HOW HOW HOW did they activate the gate from Abydos? Remember all the computers and shit that they had to use it activate it on earth? And we know dialing devices weren't thought of until the series. So...I don't know how the movie was suppose to logically have them activate it, but they did. We just didn't see it. Whatever.
-French Stewart. Why he's in anything bothers me. But he is the least convincing airman I have ever seen
Keeping Track
Daniel Dies: 1
Once the series begins I can keep track of other things like "Indeed"s and "On Chulak"s and "Yeah Sure You Betcha"s and see just how often certain things actually do happen.
First off, may I say, THIS MOVIE IS SO 90s!
Ah, Stargate, the movie they thought was so good they decided to make a TV series out of it and had to retcon about 80% of it. But it is retcon for the better, especially when it comes to the Goa'uld. See, the whole alien possession thing actually doesn't make a whole lot of sense when it's just a Roswell Grey-type alien wearing a human body, as the movie portrays it. But make it a symbiotic, sentient eel attaching itself to a human brain stem? Now, that makes sense.
Other things retconned by the series:
-Jack O'Neil becomes Jack O'Neill
-Tyler O'Neil becomes Charlie O'Neill (at least it isn't "Jack Jr" like the sequel novels made it. ugh.)
-Sha'uri becomes Sha're
-Creek Mountain becomes Cheyenne Mountain
-Daniel, instead of having been fostered since a baby, in the series is put into foster care after his parents died when he was like 10.
-Catherine's heritage. She has an accent in this movie. I don't know what it's suppose to be, but definitely an accent she lacks by "Torment of Tantalus"
-Abydos is closer to Earth than the movie would like you to think
And yet things like...Daniel being obsessed over where his next pay check is coming from becomes a standard, as is an obsession with coffee. Oh, and being an egotistical bastard who thinks he's so much better than everyone else. Yeah, it's there in the movie, it's just not St Daniel of SG1 (doesn't stop me from lusting after and loving both). And I will never forgive him for drawing on the monitor with magic fucking marker! What!? What possessed you?
Then there's Jack. Ugly, emo, suicidal Jack. And I mean, granted, the point is that in the movie this is the lowest point in his life. I fully believe that even Rusell!Jack was cooky like RDA!Jack before his son shot himself. So it's not a matter of character inconsistency, but rather RDA!Jack is the "normal" Jack. And I'll argue you see shades of that fun weirdness even in the film, but only after Daniel tells him "stop emoing you big girl!" Okay, so it was more something like "I don't want to die, your men don't want to die, these people don't want to die. It's a shame you're in such a hurry to." And after that we get moments like Jack winking at the Ra soldier before blasting him away, and of course the famous line, "Give my regards to King Tut, asshole!" Ah, the height of wit. And it only took a trip to another planet, battling aliens, meeting Daniel, and a son replacement to make him realize life is in fact worth living.
THINGS I QUITE LIKE
-The music is beautiful in this film. Sweeping, epic and lovely.
-The Kawoosh! It's all silvery water and pretty! OMG OMG OMG. Sorry, series, but your blue goo just can't compare.
-The soldiers' helmets. Love the effect of those things! Sorry again, series, but clunky snake heads can't hold a candle to the awesomes of Ra's helmets.
-Which brings me to Ra's ship. He is so totally pimped out! By comparison all other System Lords are conservative. He just loves being the pretty pretty princess.
-The focus on linguistics. It amuses how important it is in the movie, yet for the series *pfft* everyone speaks English! Even in the Pegasus Galaxy.
-Wormhole sequence would be fucking awesome in 3-D
-Near the end, when Daniel gathers Shau'ri in his arms, stands in the transport rings and breathlessly tells Jack "Wait for me." I just adore how he says it. And it's like inklings of slash and ♥
THINGS THAT BOTHER ME
-Despite that the entire Universe here is based on him being right, I still think "pyramids are landing pads" is all a load of nonsense. I mean, pyramid-shaped ships? WTF? I guess how it is for a Sci-Fi TV show doesn't bother me, but knowing the the Real World ppl like Van Daniken actually believes this? Distresses me.
-HOW HOW HOW HOW HOW did they activate the gate from Abydos? Remember all the computers and shit that they had to use it activate it on earth? And we know dialing devices weren't thought of until the series. So...I don't know how the movie was suppose to logically have them activate it, but they did. We just didn't see it. Whatever.
-French Stewart. Why he's in anything bothers me. But he is the least convincing airman I have ever seen
Keeping Track
Daniel Dies: 1
Once the series begins I can keep track of other things like "Indeed"s and "On Chulak"s and "Yeah Sure You Betcha"s and see just how often certain things actually do happen.