Stargate: Continuum

Stargate: The Ark of Truth, the first made-for-DVD movie based on the long running Stargate: SG1 television show, picked up where the series left off and wrapped up the few plot lines left unresolved in the series finale. With all the major plot elements from the last few seasons of the SG1 series tied up, the second feature-length DVD, Stargate: Continuum, is able to develop a standalone story accessible to anyone with a passing knowledge of the franchise. Fans will be pleased to see the return of Richard Dean Anderson as General Jack O’Neill after his departure from the series in season eight, and the final appearance of Don S. Davis (General George Hammond) before his untimely passing in June 2008. The story begins with the imminent execution of the final Ba’al clone, but before the Tok’ra can rid the universe of the last System Lord, people start disappearing into thin air. When the SG1 team returns through the Stargate, they discover that the timeline has been altered and they must figure out a way to fix the changes in history to stop Ba’al from destroying Earth. The timeline alteration reconfigures the SG1 team, which may disappoint fans hoping for an "old school” reunion of their favourite characters. The story, written and developed by SG1 developers Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright, feels like a big budget, extended episode of the series, which fans will enjoy as much as the series. Sticklers for franchise consistency may wonder how Amanda Tapping’s Col. Carter can be working with the SG1 team, since she took over as head of the Atlantis project in Stargate: Atlantis in season four but season five, episode one has Col. Carter returning to Earth to witness Ba’al’s execution, dovetailing the two storylines. The special features are pretty sparse but "Stargate Goes to the Arctic,” which documents the cast and crew filming at an actual arctic research station and below the ice on a U.S nuclear submarine, is more interesting than the average "making of” feature. An explanation of the theory of time travel by Astrophysicist Jaymie Matthews is also worth checking out. An obligatory commentary track and standard behind-the-scenes documentary will interest hardcore fans but they aren’t worth crossing the event horizon of a stable wormhole to watch. Though not a theatre-quality movie, Stargate: Continuum lets fans visit with familiar characters and enjoy a little more of the "longest running sci-fi series on American television.”