Today, German-born director Roland Emmerich is known as the ‘master of disaster’. He’s the movie-maker that blows up globally recognized landmarks. And he makes overwrought movies mixing science fiction with old-fashioned 70s disaster movie vibes. While Emmerich’s movies usually drum up big box office dollars, critics aren’t usually impressed. Occasionally, audiences aren’t too thrilled either – case in point, Emmerich’s attempts to Westernize Godzilla. Before Emmerich broke out with Independence Day, he scored a small hit with the 1994 sci-fi adventure movie, Stargate. Much smaller in scale than his ‘disaster movies’, Stargate divided critics but won over audiences spurring the development of three long-running television series. It may not be his most remembered movie, but Stargate still stands out as one of Emmerich’s better efforts.
Stargate Finds Disaster Artist Roland Emmerich Perfecting His Familiar Blueprint
Prior to the global box office success of Independence Day, Roland Emmerich actually broke out with a Jean-Claude Van Damme sci-fi/action hybrid, Universal Solider. On the surface, the violent R-rated action flick seems far removed from the kind of movies Emmerich is known for today. But the first pairing between Emmerich and frequent collaborator producer Dean Devlin bares a few hallmarks of his filmmaking style. First and foremost, Universal Soldier is a big, dumb movie ridden with cliches that’s also a lot of fun. Like much of Emmerich’s output, Universal Soldier was also a high-concept premise juxtaposed with a hollow screenplay. Yet it would spawn a straight-to-video series with a couple of surprisingly decent efforts.
Released in late October of 1994, Stargate was a high-concept action movie that mixed Egyptian iconography with a sci-fi influenced tale of wormholes and alien races.
Though it’s tamer PG-13 affair, Stargate would build on many of these early traits of Emmerich-Devlin movies. Released in late October of 1994, Stargate was a high-concept action movie that mixed Egyptian iconography with a sci-fi influenced tale of wormholes and alien races. In spite of its big concept it’s still not an entirely original idea. Plenty of popular culture materials have opined about alien influences on ancient human civilizations. And the premise of wormholes had ‘wormed’ their way into past franchises like Star Trek before Emmerich and Devlin capitalized on the idea. Of course, one can’t fault Stargate from working existing ideas into a sort of new premise. However, it’s indicative of what has always been the appeal of Emmerich’s work.
Stargate Makes Good Use of Its Egyptian Iconography
Simply put, Emmerich’s appeal to audiences has always been his visual style, not his storytelling. With a bigger budget than Universal Solider, Stargate was immediately a visually distinct and impressive looking action movie. At some point, most kids go through an ‘Egypt phase’ where they’re are completely taken in by the history of the early civilization. One of the first things about Stargate that stands out is the visual design on the morphing helmets worn by Ra and the Horus guards. In fact, the effects work of these helmets may be one of the best parts of the movie. Other parts of the story’s alien culture – particularly the handful of spaceships – feel ripped from much better sci-fi movies. But Emmerich’s mixing of Egyptian culture and alien invaders works surprisingly well.
One of the first things about Stargate that stands out is the visual design on the morphing helmets worn by Ra and the Horus guards.
Most of the complex visual effects in Stargate were achieved using early digital effects. As a result, some of the effects have not held up quite as well almost 30 years later. Those flying spaceships are once again a culprit feeling completely unnecessary next to everything else in the movie that works. And Ra’s glowing eyes look like they were added in post-production to ensure audiences understood the character was intended to be an alien. Arguably, what’s most surprising about Stargate is how rote the action scenes often feel. Emmerich seems more interested in the visuals underlying his film’s mythology that he seems to forgotten how to stage a good, suspenseful action scene. Universal Solider boasted a handful of decent actions scenes and all of disaster movies featured defining visual moments. But the action here often feels small.
Stargate Suffers From a Weak Screenplay, Benefits From Kurt Russell and James Spader
In addition to its effective use of Egyptian iconography, Stargate most clearly benefits from the casting of Kurt Russell and James Spader. By the mid-90s, Russell had long outgrown his early Disney child star years and had established himself as an action star. His work in Escape From New York, The Thing, and Tombstone earmarked Russell as a Hollywood mainstay. As Col. Jack O’Neil, Russell was working with a thin screenplay filled with lazy tropes. His character arc of a grieving father who eventually bonds with the children of the alien world is contrived. Nonetheless, Russell brings a rugged, stoic charm to the role that mostly eclipses its weaknesses.
His work in Escape From New York, The Thing, and Tombstone earmarked Russell as a Hollywood mainstay.
Not surprisingly, James Spader stands out as the best thing about Stargate. Perhaps the only thing surprising is that Spader isn’t playing a creepy villain. In movies like Secretary, Crash, and Wolf, Spader often found himself playing creepy characters or outright villains. Here, Spader almost feels out-of-type playing a bookish, wide-eyed Egyptologist Daniel Jackson. Like Russell’s Col. O’Neil, Spader finds himself trying to fill out a cardboard cutout of a character. Fortunately, Spader brings a wealth of natural charm to the role that elevates Jackson to the movie’s main protagonist. Following on The Crying Game, Jaye Davidson makes their second, and final, film appearance. Its yet another distinct role – Davidson makes for a compelling villain. Watch for French Stewart and Dijimon Hounsou in small, supporting roles.
Stargate Overcomes Most of Its Limitations to Retain Its Status as a Fun Mid-90s Mix of Action and Science Fiction
Before Roland Emmerich established himself as a master of the disaster movie, he scored a modest box office with with the mid-90s Stargate. Despite its success, most fans today probably best remember the movie for its television series spinoffs that followed. But anyone who grew up in the 1990s likely has a soft spot for the silly but fun sci-fi action thriller. By today’s standards, Stargate often feels a bit clumsy in its execution. Many of the effects also feel a bit dated. Still there’s a certain simplicity and innocence to the movie that makes it a simple, fun popcorn movie. That it also comes a bit unbridled from the baggage that would later accompany Emmerich’s work makes it a much more satisfying movie that some of his later work.