Stargate - Family Movie Review

Stargate

MPAA Rating PG-13
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Overall: B-
Violence: C
Sexual Content: B+
Language: B+
Drugs/Alcohol: NA

Stargate seems to have everything any action movie needs: Ancient Egyptian artifacts, space, science fiction, and the United States military. This is the story of a nerdy professor named Daniel Jackson, who is given the thrill of his life when asked to decipher the writing on an ancient Egyptian artifact known as the Stargate. Soon he, along with a military battalion, heads through the gate, arriving in an unknown world where slaves are used to mine a mysterious mineral that no one could really explain the importance of. Now, the name of the game is liberty, as the visitors from Earth shoot their way through the last half of the movie to set the people free.

With the major rebirth of science fiction, we have become spoiled with big money effects and even some very thought provoking scripts. Stargate sits in the middle of this range. It's no Star Trek, but offers much more than your cheap sci-fi special. The premise of a stargate is a great idea, and for the most part, the first half kept me locked in. But the remainder becomes the shootout of the century, with many reused scenes, such as the classic ticking time bomb.

It's interesting how a movie can take 2,000 years of history, analyze it in a day, and bring to pass a revolution overnight. If your children watch this movie, see if they can come up with some other ideas on solving the conflict without so much violence. Another good question might be: Why do movies cast educated people, like the professor, as the ones with allergies, and have the macho-military types sporting tatoos?

So the score is not much sex (one shot from the rear as our hero is enticed by a female for a moment, but declines her offer), one bad word, and two tons of ammunition. If you like sci-fi, Stargate will offer average entertainment for older kids and adults.

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