Official Synopsis:
This thrilling feature-length film picks up where Stargate SG-1 left off, thrusting the Stargate team - Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), Vala (Claudia Black), Teal'c (Christopher Judge), Sam (Amanda Tapping) and Cam (Ben Browder) - into their most exciting adventure yet. In search of an ancient artifact they hope can defeat the oppressive Ori, the team learns that the Ori are set to launch a final assault on Earth and a double-crossing I.O. operative is aboard the Odyessy!

  
Our Take:
I’ve reviewed literally every single Stargate DVD that’s come out, so I think I can speak with authority as a pretty big fan. And as much as I’ve loved the show over the past decade, it’s no secret that the Ori storyline that took up the majority of Seasons Nine and Ten wasn’t my favorite. So when the show came to an end with the Ori storyline not completely finished and The Ark of Truth direct-to-DVD movie announced, I was excited, but not overwhelmingly so.

Which goes to show you that I need to have a little more faith in my show. Stargate: The Ark of Truth is, in a word, awesome. Now, if you’re not a fan of the show, this isn’t really a stand-alone movie that you’ll be able to follow along with. It’s really meant for the fans as a big, huge send-off to the storyline that took up the past two years of the show. The next film, Continuum, looks to be more of a stand-alone adventure, but if you haven’t watched the last few seasons, you’ll probably be very confused by The Ark of Truth. However, if you have been watching, you’ll love this. Not only does it wrap up the Ori storyline in a big way, but we also get to see the return of a favorite villain in a classic form.

The movie gets off to a bit of a slow start, but about halfway through, the action kicks in and never lets up. As always, the special effects are terrific, the characters are great, and while the sense of humor is a bit dampened compared to some episodes, it’s not an overly serious affair. In short, fans should love it.

The DVD comes with some solid bonus features. They are:

- Commentary - With Robert C. Cooper, Christopher Judge and Peter Woeste.
- The Ark of Truth: Stargate at Comic-Con (20 minutes) – A very fun Q&A at ComicCon with Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Chris Judge, Robert C. Cooper, and Gary Jones.
- Uncovering The Ark of Truth – A making-of featurette.
- Stargate SG-1: The Road Taken - Prelude to Stargate: The Ark of Truth (8 minutes) – While I hoped this would be a prequel mini-episode, it’s really just a recap of the past two seasons.

Stargate has kind of become the show that wouldn’t die. Thought to be cancelled at least three times, it went on to run 10 seasons, and even at the end of that run, it isn’t quite finished yet. Stargate: The Ark of Truth is not just an attempt to wring a few more dollars out of a popular franchise, but rather a thrill-packed adventure that wraps up the show’s major story arc in style.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Movie: A-
DVD: B

- Mike Spring
Editor