Channel Surfing: Stargate SG-1

-Produced by: Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie

Starring:
-Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christoper Judge, Ben Browder, Claudia Black

Entering its 10th season, the original in the Stargate franchise is a show that has set records, standards and bars all over the place. Moving to Sci-Fi from Showtime, it has brought with it a passionately loyal fanbase including yours truly. It's a show that has a lot of heart, a lot of action, and more than a few reasons why it is better than the movie on which it was based.

The movie, which starred Kurt Russell and James Spader, was an idea which had some interesting concepts. What if you could travel through space via wormholes and a series of gates which had been left on hundreds of worlds by an ancient alien life form? What if Earth was put into a galactic arena where they are most certainly not the most powerful players? These are the questions which SG-1 answers, and adds a touch of humanity to it that makes it a lot of fun.

Why you should watch the show is that it's as good as any action movie, but cleaner in both the violence and sexuality department. There are a few sex scenes, but it's very rare that you see anything even moderately shocking. There is a lot of violence, but you don't see blood or gore very much. People fall down, and don't get back up. There's also some breathtaking special effects that have only gotten better as time and technology has improved. But why I like the show are the people.

With the show from season 1, Richard Dean Anderson was a guy best known for his work as the intellectual hero on the 80s show MacGyver. However, his work as the tough but funny Jack O'Neill has made him a star and for good reason. If you watch the show in syndication, you'll see that O'Neill is fiercely loyal, passionately proud, and not afraid of cracking a joke at some of the weirdest moments. He's an engaging hero that people can relate to and like, as is the rest of the cast. Playing the brilliant Dr. Samantha Carter, Amanda Tapping is someone who has brought the portrayal of a smart, hard-working woman to a new level. Carter uses her brain and her wits to save the planet and her teammates, but is still sweet enough to seem like someone you'd like to be friends with. Rounding out the original cast is Michael Shanks and Christopher Judge, both men could easily have become "filler" material but their performances just can't let that happen. You like watching them, and you will laugh more than a little because of them but you'll also see an engaging humanity that makes you care what happens.

In season 9, a pair of familiar faces from a now-cancelled science fiction classic joined SG-1. Ben Browder, and Claudia Black from Jim Henson's Farscape joined the team as Cameron Mitchell and Vala. Both characters are still finding their footing with the fans, but again you see some interesting people who you can both connect to and easily watch.

This is a show that's been around because it works, and I'd encourage you to check it out in syndication or on Sci-Fi Channel almost every day.

Stargate SG-1-Official Site

(Picture of the season 10 cast of Stargate SG-1 courtesy Sci-Fi.com)

On August 18th, Stargate SG-1 enters the record books as the longest running science fiction program to date. Celebrating it's 200th episode, SG-1 welcomes back Richard Dean Anderson for what is being called a love letter to their fans. If you'd like to experience a bit of television history, tune in on the 18th. Check Sci-Fi.com for times in your area.

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
jennuntch@yahoo.com
Is there a movie you'd like me to review? Let me know!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

-Directed by: Gore Verbinski

Starring:
-Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley

Ok, so...to make a good pirate movie you need the following: a clever pirate, a hero, a damsel, and a really big sea monster. Check, check, check and oh boy is it huge check. This movie was singularly worth the wait, and Verbinski upped the ante with a bigger movie all around. There's more action, more adventure, and let's just say it..MORE JACK SPARROW! Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow will likely go down in the history books of cinema as one of the most enthusiastically insane creations of all time, but that's what makes him fun. He's just strange enough, and just smart enough that you want him to succeed. Depp transforms himself completely to become the pirate captain. There's a certain run, a certain expression and his deadpan expression when he says "Oh Bugger" are priceless.

My complaints are fairly short and to the point. Actually, there's only just the one really. This movie, while I enjoyed it, is a tweak long winded. Clocking in at nearly three hours long, this is a marathon of pirates. It seemed like they were trying a bit to hard to capture their audience. Yes, they succeeded but the effort was not unnoticed.

What you should know is this movie can be a little gross. With the arrival of Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman, there's a certain slime factor that is completely appropriate but just a little nose wrinkling at the same time. My suggestion? No eating seafood beforehand. You'll thank me later, I promise. There's also the same mix of pirate speak you had in the first film of the series. But what has this movie earning a rock solid PG-13 is that it has some scary moments courtesy of the REALLY Big Monster. But there's nothing overly graphic which I appreciated. I prefer to be thrilled instead of grossed out.

The bottom line here is that this movie is perfection for the summer. It's funny, it's bold, it's brash. A venture Captain Jack himself would be proud of.



-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
jennuntch@yahoo.com
Is there a movie you'd like me to review? Let me know!

Independence Day

-Directed by: Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin

Starring:
-Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell

Happy Independence Day everyone! In honor of the holiday, I thought I'd offer my suggestion for a perfect movie to watch before you head out to watch the fireworks. Released in 1996, this is a movie that stars some Hollywood heavyweights and the perfect man to helm a summer blockbuster. Let's face it, Will Smith is a man born to be a movie hero and he does it here to perfection.

The plot line is pretty simple. It's another sweltering summer day that seems like any other. That is until the massive space ships show up. We find out fairly quickly that we're not alone in the universe and our neighbors? Well let's just say they're pretty cranky. I can't get into a whole lot of the plot, because you'd have the whole movie and that would just spoil the fun. This isn't a movie with a complex story, and that's what makes it fun.

Armed with amazing special effects, Emmerich allows his massively talented cast to react and work inside some fairly scary situations. The movie comes in with a PG-13 rating, but it's because of the non-stop action that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There's also a smattering of language and some drinking but nothing overwhelmingly bad. In fact, you see one character put down the booze to do the right thing which, while cheesy, I actually liked. This is a fun movie that's perfect for the 4th of July holiday and in honor of it I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the film.

Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. "Mankind." That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom... Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution... but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: "We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight!" We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

-Bill Pullman



-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
indigojenn at earthlink dot net
Is there a movie you'd like me to review? Let me know!