I wrote this for my school paper, and i just need some people to read it and see if it's too geeky for non-fans to appreciate, or if i left out something important. It also needs a catchy title, I am very bad at that. Please don't say if you agree/disagree, just what I can do to make a better review. Thanks.
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Stargate Atlantis
Who would have thought that a mediocre sci-fi movie could grow into such a huge franchise? In Stargate, an alien transportation device sent a team to another planet. Then there was the TV show Stargate SG-1, in which used top-secret teams use the Stargate to explore other planets on a regular basis, defending Earth against alien enemies. After seven seasons, the show has outgrown the boundaries of our own galaxy; in the new spin-off series Stargate Atlantis, a team goes through the Gate in search of the Ancients, the alien race who built the Stargate system.
Feeling lost yet? Don't worry. Although some plotlines and characters that first appeared in SG-1 are further developed in Atlantis, the show can stand on its own two feet. The Atlantis universe has its own technology (even the Stargates themselves are different), and anything potentially confusing is briefly explained.
The Atlantis team has a new villain to face as well: the Wraith, who feed by sucking out human life energy. Almost immediately, they unleash this threat by accidentally waking the Wraith from hibernation – oops. Now they must find a way to outsmart the enemy that was able to defeat even the technologically advanced Ancients.
But big guns and blue-skinned bad guys do not a TV show make; there must also be good characters. Although the plotlines are action-packed and exciting, the characters and the team dynamic are by far the most interesting aspects of the show, adding both tension and humor. Leading the Atlantis Expedition is Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson), a diplomat who first appeared on SG-1 as the temporary head of the Stargate program. The military commander is Major John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan), who has a love of football and a knack for sarcasm. Teyla Emmagan (Rachel Luttrell) fills the role of the resident alien as the leader of the Athosians, who were transplanted to Atlantis when the Wraith attacked. And scientist Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) is still a self-obsessed know-it-all, although he has mellowed out some since he appeared on SG-1. The only one who disappoints is Lieutenant Aiden Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks), whose character has been sadly neglected by the writers. Hopefully by the end of the season he will be more than just the actor with the weird name.
Although the premise is the same as SG-1 – humans must find new technology to defend against alien attack – the extraterrestrial setting makes the atmosphere of Atlantis new and different. Add to that great acting, great writing, and superb special effects – the sequence of the city rising from the water is phenomenal! – and there we have the reason 10 million sci-fi fans are saying, "Thank God It's Friday." Catch Stargate Atlantis at 10 pm Fridays on the SciFi channel, right after Stargate SG-1 at 9.
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Stargate Atlantis
Who would have thought that a mediocre sci-fi movie could grow into such a huge franchise? In Stargate, an alien transportation device sent a team to another planet. Then there was the TV show Stargate SG-1, in which used top-secret teams use the Stargate to explore other planets on a regular basis, defending Earth against alien enemies. After seven seasons, the show has outgrown the boundaries of our own galaxy; in the new spin-off series Stargate Atlantis, a team goes through the Gate in search of the Ancients, the alien race who built the Stargate system.
Feeling lost yet? Don't worry. Although some plotlines and characters that first appeared in SG-1 are further developed in Atlantis, the show can stand on its own two feet. The Atlantis universe has its own technology (even the Stargates themselves are different), and anything potentially confusing is briefly explained.
The Atlantis team has a new villain to face as well: the Wraith, who feed by sucking out human life energy. Almost immediately, they unleash this threat by accidentally waking the Wraith from hibernation – oops. Now they must find a way to outsmart the enemy that was able to defeat even the technologically advanced Ancients.
But big guns and blue-skinned bad guys do not a TV show make; there must also be good characters. Although the plotlines are action-packed and exciting, the characters and the team dynamic are by far the most interesting aspects of the show, adding both tension and humor. Leading the Atlantis Expedition is Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson), a diplomat who first appeared on SG-1 as the temporary head of the Stargate program. The military commander is Major John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan), who has a love of football and a knack for sarcasm. Teyla Emmagan (Rachel Luttrell) fills the role of the resident alien as the leader of the Athosians, who were transplanted to Atlantis when the Wraith attacked. And scientist Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) is still a self-obsessed know-it-all, although he has mellowed out some since he appeared on SG-1. The only one who disappoints is Lieutenant Aiden Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks), whose character has been sadly neglected by the writers. Hopefully by the end of the season he will be more than just the actor with the weird name.
Although the premise is the same as SG-1 – humans must find new technology to defend against alien attack – the extraterrestrial setting makes the atmosphere of Atlantis new and different. Add to that great acting, great writing, and superb special effects – the sequence of the city rising from the water is phenomenal! – and there we have the reason 10 million sci-fi fans are saying, "Thank God It's Friday." Catch Stargate Atlantis at 10 pm Fridays on the SciFi channel, right after Stargate SG-1 at 9.
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