'Stargate: The Ark of Truth'
The straight-to-DVD continuation of "Stargate: SG-1" is made possible by MGM's determination to keep the decade-old TV franchise going (and going) after it was canceled. As such, "Stargate: The Ark of Truth" ($26, MGM Home Entertainment) is a gift for fans of the story line that dominated the final two seasons on Sci Fi Channel. With vistas of mountaintops, some inspired visual effects and plenty of winks to long-time watchers, "Ark" aims high and sometimes lands there.
A quick primer (there's one on the DVD, too): The Ori, supervillains who feed off the faith of believers and annihilate any who oppose them, have set their sights on our galaxy. SG-1, a team of military, civilian and alien explorers who planet-hop using "stargates," is in search of the ark of the title, a device that exposes the Ori as false gods -- no believers, no power, bye-bye Ori.
Team members are separated as the search develops: Mitchell and Carter are stuck aboard the Odyssey spaceship, fighting an enemy from the past. Daniel Jackson, Teal'c and Vala, plus an unexpected recruit, are left to face the last of the Ori on an alien world.
Does a government-oversight creep get in the way? Will ascended beings come to SG-1's aid? Will Teal'c say "Indeed"? Whatever. It's apparent that a good time is being had by all.
The DVD includes "how'd they do that?" features on fight scenes, music and effects, while noting this isn't the end of SG-1: The second straight-to-DVD film, "Stargate: Continuum," is due this summer.
-- Sharon Eberson,
Post-Gazette entertainment editor
'SOUTH PARK: IMAGINATIONLAND'
Don't believe the proclamation on the packaging that this new "South Park" entry is "a new feature-length DVD movie." "Imaginationland" ($19.99, Comedy Central DVD) is actually a three-part episode that aired on cable last fall that's been given the uncensored director's cut treatment.
In this romp, the "South Park" boys get transported to a land where all the characters from their imaginations live. There's also a bet between Cartman and Kyle with an indecent payoff if Kyle loses.
Series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone offer commentary that's both thoughtful (they used "24" and "Battlestar Galactica" as templates for plotting the structure of these episodes) and juvenile (they warn that music will play when they say anything that could get the DVD manufacturer in legal trouble, which leads to a discussion of Tom Cruise and Scientology that's interrupted by music and ends with one of them saying, "and raping babies").
-- Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor
First Published: March 13, 2008, 4:00 a.m.
