Stargate: Atlantis (TV Series) Rising (2004) User Reviews

Don't compare, just enjoy the ride

[owlaurence · 9/10 · 4 March 2013]

Like many people, I am wary of spin-offs, so I started watching Atlantis with the nagging suspicion that this was merely an opportunity to pimp up SG-1 --and lose all contact with reality. But I started watching this and I got hooked right away.

Not because of the plot, honestly. Nothing wrong with it, mind, but for a while it feels like SG-1 without SG-1. They find a mission, go through the Stargate and chaos ensues. New planets, new enemy, new blunders... same old, same old. But I tend to think that at this stage it's more of a signature tone (or a running gag) than a lack of imagination. I mean, SGU did try to go new places and look how that turned out. Still, the Wraith do seem less interesting than the Goa'uld: less creepy, more gory. Classic monsters. But Rising remains quite enjoyable, nicely paced, and it manages to introduce quite a number of new elements, so I am quite content to let anything develop from here.

As for characters, obviously this is a tricky bit with a spin off. A few old friends are here on loan to facilitate the transition, but mostly we are starting afresh (unless you count McKay, who hardly features among my favourite characters at this stage). Besides, while SG-1 managed to run for a while with a very limited cast, Atlantis immediately starts juggling military personnel, civilian contractors (from all around the world) and Pegasus natives. It is no mean feat that by the end of the episode you can more or less remember everybody and have one or two traits clearly defined. A bit too clear-cut maybe, but once again, I am sure that the show will in time refine them and give them a few quirks --and that the actors will each add their own touch to their character. So far, I am willing to be part of the team.

But what really, really got me was the setting. In the end, the main difference between Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1, is Atlantis itself. The Lost City clearly functions as a whole character, a whole plot in itself. The visuals are simply astonishing, and they are wonderfully supported by the eerie, magical background themes. And even in the middle of various disasters, the show takes some time to give us a few glimpses of the place and its potential. So yes, in contrast with the hyper-functional, hyper-realistic, almost squalid setting of the SGC, Atlantis is a bright, shiny new toy meant to lure the audience in. But what a toy. Clearly this does not bear watching while ironing your laundry or peeling potatoes. It is further removed from reality than SG-1 was, sci-fi with an extra dose of fantastic (or is it fantasy?) at times, but isn't that a given for a series called Atlantis, set in the Pegasus galaxy?

"Rising"

[allmoviesfan · 9/10 · 27 March 2024]

Featuring extended cameo performances from Richard Dean Anderson and Daniel Shanks from the original Stargate franchise, "Rising" - a very entertaining ninety-minute premiere episode - introduces a new team of explorers who head through a Stargate expecting to find the lost city of Atlantis. Which they do, but it isn't the idyllic locale they were hoping for. They come face to face with the Wraith, a formidable enemy...and find that they can't get back to earth. Not a good combination.

It's early days for the characters, but the two leads Torri Higginson as Dr Elizabeth Weir and Joe Flanigan as Major John Sheppard are both engaging.

Robert Patrick of "Terminator 2" fame also features.

Strong start. Looking forward to more.

Not a terrible start

[loki-69333 · 7/10 · 23 September 2020]

Well... it's a good series and this gives it a nice start. I like the connections to SG-1 The cast is okay, McKay is very very hard to watch at this state I his character development and the others are fine. Except the Rainbow sun guy, he is for some reason the most grating actor and character I've ever watched. It's good that he dies off in the not too distant future. Anyway, good start.

New Direction Shows Promise

[ecokade · 21 March 2005]

The first review is as dead wrong as it can be. It seems as if the first reviewer does not appreciate the things that make science fiction as captivating as it is to its fans. This pilot for Stargate Atlantis was very well received by its target audience, and with good reason. Atlantis' milieu is different enough from that of its parent, SG1, to afford earnest exploration, and yet retains strong connections with that original Stargate universe which converted so many leagues to scifi fandom. If Atlantis has a problem, it is only the handicap of starting in the huge shadow of its overwhelmingly popular parent. Scifi die hards, having experienced the delayed success of Star Trek spin offs like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, know to expect a gradual building of quality through the first season, or perhaps two, before the spin off can sufficiently distinguish itself from its parent. For Atlantis, the end of season one sees this show having built to a staggering crescendo of excitement. If you haven't started watching, begin here, and get ready for the steady growth of a fine program!

Atlantis' pilot is appropriately exciting, but does not have the benefit of years of back story to heighten the mood, as does SG1. That said, Atlantis does a fantastic job of stepping out from under SG1. Throughout the first season, the writers wisely build the show's foundation of character and back story, gradually building suspense only as they can afford it through the credibility they've built. This means that the first few episodes subsequent to the pilot do not move as quickly as most Stargate fans have come to expect -- but then, it wouldn't be very credible for this brand new Atlantis team to save humanity three times in one episode, as we expect of SG1.

The cast is well-chosen. Even the least-likable, the arrogant Dr. McKay, shows his endearing qualities over time. Teyla "kicks ass," Dr. Weir proves a capable leader, both strong *and* feminine, and Major Shepard provides just the infusion of charm and fun everyone needs.

All in all, Stargate: Rising is an excellent start for a show with a strong heritage and fantastic potential.

Oustanding spin off show of SG-1

[Stormo · 10/10 · 24 September 2005]

I've always liked Stargate, it has all the mysterious question about religion, space, technology and the nature of our existence and much more.

It also has a great storyline, it's based on the series Star Gate SG-1. In their search of the lost city of 'Atlantis', the answer to all those questions.. As they found it, it was hidden under the water and SGC sent a team of people over there, to explore Atlantis and make possible contact with the Ancients, the builders of the Star Gate and Atlantis.

But they were gone. the team of scientists start exploring the city and galaxy to finally find the enemy that defeated the ancients, they were called the Wraith. Now the team were stuck at Atlantis without power and an enemy more evil than the Goa'uld at their door step...

A Satisfying Pilot (First Viewing).

[jtorci · 10/10 · 9 November 2022]

I saw the pilot episode of Stargate: Atlantis for the first time literally today (November 08, 2022), the result of a discovery of the first two seasons on DVD being bundled together at a too-good-to-leave price, so I come to it with no preconceived notions - and am bewildered at the number of negative reviews, and join (nay, applaud) those taking a more positive tack.

The pilot does exactly what a sci-fi series pilot is supposed to do... introduce and/or bring characters together and set up the huge, often life-changing premise that will propel the show forward.

The pilot episodes for Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel, Land of the Giants, The Invaders, Space 1999, Fantastic Journey (anyone remember that?), Star Trek the Next Generation, Star Trek Voyager, Lost, The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead World Beyond (and, presumably, all the "Dead" spinoffs to come), have all successfully indulged in this tradition across a span of more than half a century.

And, regardless of which end of the TV Sci-Fi spectrum you may prefer, 1960s to 2020s, each pilot has lived up to those core expectations - and "Rising", the pilot episode for Stargate: Atlantis, has done exactly that as well.

So successfully, I might add, that I am eager to enjoy the rest of the episodes going forward.

stargate atlantis - better than SG1 and sufficiently different

[annyard1960 · 10/10 · 29 June 2013]

The fact is, "Stargate SG1" was an extraordinary sci-fi series, and an extremely tough act to follow (and parallel for a couple years). The obvious risk, especially since it played in parallel with SG1 for a couple years, was making "Stargate Atlantis" (SGA) too copycat and derivative.

But the series creators and writers did a brilliant job of making SGA retain the best aspects of SG1, while simultaneously making it feel fresh and new.

In a way, SGA took an approach similar to "Star Trek Voyager", which tossed a federation starship to the other side of the galaxy, and beyond reach of the federation (even communication for the most part). In the case of SGA, the explorers are sent even further, though the SG1 stargate to a nearby galaxy. At least for a year or two, the SGA characters will not have a way to get home, or perhaps even communicate with home, due to the extraordinary power required to connect to a stargates in other galaxies like the MilkyWay. So, somewhat like Voyager, the crew of SGA are "on their own".

This formula blatantly did not work in the subsequent SGU series, which was even more like Voyager, but that was because that crew of "best an brightest on earth" acted like a bunch of spoiled, psychotic brat kids, which was completely unbelievable, disgusting, boring and banal.

In contrast, the crew of SGA are extraordinary people who work together extraordinarily well when they have to, while retaining plenty of personality quirks and pairs of crew with grating personalities. The character interactions in SGA were great, a bit like a much larger smorgasborg of inter-character dynamics that Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and crew had in the original Star Trek series.

The actors in SGA are uniformly excellent. A neat casting trick with dual purposes was making us think well-known sci-fi actor Robert Patrick (who played title character in T2, as well as Skully's partner in later XFiles) would be the main "military" character in the SGA series. To our surprise, this assumption is shattered when the life is literally drained out of Robert Patrick by the new staple enemy for SGA, called the Wraith. Killing off a (seemingly) main character also gave the first two-hour episode of SGA an edge of reality and seriousness.

Though all primary and secondary actors do an excellent job in SGA, the performances throughout the SGA series by David Hewlett were extraordinary. Somehow he manages the impossible - to make the by-far most annoying character also the most endearing and fun to watch. This achievement required careful attention and brilliant work by both writers and actor.

The story of Rising is also brilliant, but so smooth flowing and fast paced that many might not notice without further thought.

The story begins when scientist-archaeologist and SG1 member Daniel Jackson figures out the gate address for Atlantis has 8 addresses, not the usual 7, indicating the destination stargate is in another galaxy. The power required to connect to this stargate will completely deplete the only remaining zero-point module, which is the only reliable defense of planet earth. Jack O'Neill says "no", which makes plenty of sense given protecting earth is the primary purpose of the stargate program, but since we're watching the first episode of SGA, we obviously know better! No way around this logistical problem, obviously.

Soon the 50 best, brightest and bravest scientist and military support are crowded into the gate room at stargate command, waiting to see whether the extended gate address will connect... which it does.

And so they all head through the gate with a large collection of equipment and supplies... and emerge in a dark room somewhere in the Pegasus galaxy. Once the SGA crew are all through the stargate, we experience one of the greatest treats in sci-fi story writing, the absolute PERFECT blend of real-world historical story/speculation with sci-fi fiction.

The first thing the SGA crew discovers is... they are indeed in the fabled city of Atlantis, and true to historical story/speculation, the entire huge modern city rests on the ocean floor hundreds of meters below the surface, protected by a force field that begins to fail due to power requirements made necessary by their arrival.

This is, of course, pure brilliance, to make the timeless fable of Atlantis literally true... but in a galaxy far, far away. And how this became true is almost immediately revealed by a hologram left by the ancients who built Atlantis and all its wonders.

The rest of the episode introduces the villains of the Pegasus galaxy, the first group of friends the SGA crew make, and many complications that seed story-lines for many episodes to come.

The whole two-hour episode is great action-adventure, great drama, and great sci-fi. This episode is one of those that never becomes tired, even after more than a dozen views over half as many years. Superb!

It's all about imagination

[crist_nicol · 10/10 · 5 July 2005]

this kind of movies show us (human kind) what is meant for us to be.OK , they have imperfection ,OK the set's are not so good , OK the actors are not playing well so what?You (the people with these kind of bad comments)mist the whole points:in a future it could be possible.It could be possible to find or research a Z.P.M.Our problem is that we don't have imagination.From this point all begins , imagination ; you imagine things and then you try to do it ; that's the way everything work(search the history of all invention and you'll see that all begins with imagination).Those people who made this film make me think far ,far ,away than I must pay my taxes , or drink or women or drugs or fancy cars or stupidity of our human race.Because we are living in this world ,and WORLD in this case is UNIVERSE ; so ,is to bad that only a few people think like this.We encourage stupidity we pull us back from what the people , who made this film , think that is possible.Thank you.

The same mistakes all over again

[sarastro7 · 6/10 · 4 December 2004]

Like a lot of new TV shows, sci-fi or otherwise, this one is centered around some very good ideas, but unfortunately the overall execution of them makes the show court mediocrity. Its parent show, "Stargate", had a number of problems. It relied too much on very slim points of both plot and setting, and "Stargate: Atlantis" seems to be going down that same route.

"Atlantis" has kept some of the annoying elements from Stargate, which ought to have been changed: Even in the Pegasus galaxy, the star gates lead to tree/desert planets, where oppressed, semi-primitive, huddled, English-speaking humans cower in fear of some vastly more powerful evil alien masters/torturers who terrorize them, keeping them from ever really getting any kind of civilization off the ground. Sound familiar? And what are these spitting images of the Goa'uld called? The Wraiths. Original, huh? Well, at least these aliens are more interesting than the Goa'ulds. The Wraiths are humanoid (loosely speaking - they actually seem to be distant descendants of sharks - or lampreys), immortal and look like slick, stylish horror movie monsters. They actually intrigue me.

And this time around we actually have a bit of space action. The Atlantis crew actually have access to spaceships. Some quite clunky ones, admittedly, but spaceships nonetheless (their interior, at least, is cool, with the mind-operated controls). It was sorely needed!

However, "Atlantis" has also changed some of the good elements from Stargate, which ought to have been retained - such as building on the once-established universe instead of creating a different one which is virtually the same, and having all the same flaws.

The "Atlantis" cast of characters, unfortunately, isn't very strong. Major Sheppard is very good; very likable and a very good leader (though he's so compassionate that he'll have much difficulty making tough command decisions), but that's about all the good news. The rest are just not very charismatic. I do like the doctor/biologist guy with the Scottish accent, and the nerdy scientist isn't too bad, either. BUT, it's not a logical crew to have for such a situation. A whole bunch of people - military personnel, mostly - going off to another galaxy, exploring alien technology, and they have, like, ONE scientist on the whole crew?!! That's completely ludicrous! Okay, maybe the leader, Weir, is also a scientist, but she rarely acts like it. She doesn't have much to do, she isn't assertive enough, nor all that interesting for the viewer to look at. This show definitely lacks good-looking females. Teyla is cool enough as an action heroine (and a too-obvious long-term love interest for Sheppard), and she looks alien and exotic - just not all that good, IMO.

Ultimately, though, a show must of course be judged by its story and storytelling technique. The problem with this and many other shows (oh, "Dead Like Me", "Joan of Arcadia", "Taken", "The 4400", etc., etc.) is that there just isn't enough story, and the viewer is kept far too much in the dark about the few interesting elements that the show does have. It's as if the writers only have a few, thin ideas, and because they can't think of anything more, they stretch these ideas out infinitely, and try to compensate with bits of shock value now and again, believing that the audience will stick around to find out that there's really precious little to *be* found out. This is not the product of people who really want to tell a story. It's the product, ultimately, of people who're attempting, unsuccessfully in my case, to keep asses in seats for the commercial breaks. Sorry if I'm a bit jaded, but, cumulatively, these sorts of dissatisfying shows inevitably have that effect.

The point is that the overall dramatic situation in "Stargate: Atlantis" is neither logical, substantial, well told nor sufficiently aesthetically pleasing; therefore the show's watch ability factor is quite limited. Having said that, however, we *are* talking about a story with some pretty heavy-duty sci-fi elements here (and spaceships!), and that's definitely a plus, although not enough is being done with the ideas. Judging from subsequent episodes, this show is clearly going the Star Trek way, introducing all sorts of irritating, whimsical fantasy elements instead of actually being proper science fiction (and I'm quite convinced that this is the fault of the network producers and not the writers).

The show also lacks proper characterization. We don't get into the main character's personalities and feelings. They maintain a tiresome military social structure, using each other's last names. That just doesn't strike me as at all realistic in a situation like this, where they are forced to work together and depend on each other for survival. Oh well. Sci-fi TV shows have never been good at intimacy.

Still, the pilot movie did, despite all, end up being a little bit exciting, awarding it a 6 out of 10 rating from me, but the next few episodes fell grievously short of that level.

The movie sucked.

[gordpumpkin · 4/10 · 7 September 2005]

Seeing as I hate reading long essays hoping to find a point and being disappointed, I will first tell everyone that this movie was terrible. Downright terrible. And not, surprisingly for the reasons mentioned in the first review. I thought I might agree with him, seeing as he gave the movie the rank it deserved, but was sorrowfully rebuked upon reading what he said. I am quite ashamed to be taking the same side as someone who commented that the movie "definitely lacks good-looking females." Let me be the first to say, "Wow! that was definitely some serious in-depth reviewing there. My mind can hardly comprehend the philosophical musings about this movie." Seriously though, a lack of "good-looking females" shouldn't be considered an essential to a movie. If you're desperate enough for "good-looking females" you should really watch other types of movies, not necessarily falling into the sci-fi category.

Another Fine Science Fiction Series Set In A Fantastic City

[StuOz · 27 May 2018]

Atlantis is found.

Richard Dean Anderson makes a very welcome and comical appearance in this opening episode, but he soon goes, and thankfully, the show survives very well without him.

As someone else mentioned, The Lost City is indeed a character in the show, just as the space station was a character in Deep Space Nine (1993) and just as the moonbase was a character in Space 1999 (1975) before that.

I can't help comparing Dr McKay to one of the doctors in the M*A*S*H TV series (1972-83)...very intelligent but funny and with a few issues. But M*A*S*H was a long time ago so McKay is most welcome now.

And finally, these days many people feel the need to binge watch a show like Stargate Atlantis, well that is not the way to go as the series is repetitive in premise and settings, and binge watching actually works against the entertainment value of the series.

A fine show, but just watch one episode a week as was originally intended.

I'm Trying

[ThunderKing6 · 3/10 · 8 August 2021]

I'm trying to like this. It's just the pacing and overall content that is causing me to not have a good time with this show. Ep 1 lost me real fast. It took me 2 weeks to watch Ep 2.

Quality wise... it's ok. Acting wise... Meh iunno...Character Wise...Well so far I don't connect with any of the characters.

This is My Review?

[fcabanski · 5/10 · 22 September 2015]

This is the big pilot. While it had some interesting elements, it wasn't the spectacle it should have been. SG-1 had a great pilot.

This one also has Dr. Weir? She is of the make statements with the inflection of questions school of acting? Her voice often goes up when she's making a statement, as if the statement is a question? She also uses the first half of a statement is spoken like a question?, then the second half is spoken like a statement technique.

The one time she actually asks a question, her voice goes down as if it's a statement. "Maj. Shepherd do you have a better place for us to go...oh (voice goes down.)" There's a lot of telling instead of showing: telling how the Wraith cull, telling how the Wraith defeated the Ancients.

In the end the SGA team awakens a Wraith hive ship. Now they're coming. But the way the producers and writers took Atlantis, the awakening won't be all that exciting.