The central conceit of the original Stargate--the existence of an
artificially created "wormhole" through which one can travel to different worlds
light years away from Earth--was an intriguing one. In seizing on the obvious
possibilities for expanding on that premise, series executive producers-writers
Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright have smartly retained some of the film's basic
elements (its amalgam of myth and theoretical hokum, or the ongoing
clash of wills between scientists and soldiers), while adding a
variety of fresh ideas (including new characters, new locations, and a
welcome dose of humor, much of it supplied by Richard Dean Anderson,
MacGyver himself, who replaces Kurt Russell in the central role of
Colonel Jack O'Neill). The result is a show with multidimensional
heroes and villains and consistently compelling story lines (many of
them introduced in the pilot and carried forward through subsequent
episodes) balancing excellent special effects and production values.
|