Kurt Russell's Stargate Movie Is Streaming On The Perfect Service For A Revival

In 1994, director Roland Emmerich unwittingly kicked off one of the most expansive and detailed sci-fi franchises of the last few decades with "Stargate." Though the movie was initially supposed to start a "Stargate" film trilogy, those plans were abandoned after the movie debuted, and instead we got multiple TV continuations and spin-offs — most notably with "Stargate SG-1," which picked up where Emmerich's movie had left off. Ever since, the "Stargate" franchise has continued to grow, comprising multiple TV series, direct-to-home-media movies, comic books, video games, and novels.

But back in 1994, such a sprawling saga must have seemed like a distant dream to Emmerich, who just wanted to tell a cool sci-fi story. "Stargate" was the result. The movie starred Kurt Russell as Army colonel Jack O'Neill, who, alongside archaeologist and Egyptologist Daniel Jackson (James Spader), leads a team of experts through the titular portal to an Egyptian-style alien world. There, they encounter a despotic ruler in the form of Ra (Jaye Davidson), and are left with no choice but to help topple Ra in order to return home to Earth.

"Stargate" wasn't a mega-hit but it still performed well at the box office, grossing $196.5 million on a $55 million budget. Critics weren't particularly blown away, but the film has an ok 54% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was far from a critical disaster (though Roger Ebert certainly wasn't impressed, summing up the film thusly: "Conceive of the weirdest plot you can think of, and reduce it as quickly as possible to action movie cliches.") In the years since, "Stargate" has amassed a cult following, thanks in large part to the TV continuation series. As such, the film itself is an important piece of pop culture history. With that in mind, you might consider a rewatch or indeed even a first watch of the movie that started it all — and if you happen to be a Prime Video subscriber, you can do so at no extra cost.

"Stargate" is available to buy or rent in all the usual places, but it's currently free for subscribers over on Prime Video. If you do pay for a Prime subscription, this means you can skip that unreasonably frustrating experience of having to rent or buy a film despite the fact you pay for about 12 different streaming services.

At a time when there's so much media on offer, you can do a lot worse than giving Roland Emmerich's movie a watch, especially if it means it stops you scrolling through the interface before giving up entirely. But it's also worth a look if you've perhaps seen "Stargate SG-1" and skipped the movie that started it all. When Showtime originally greenlit a continuation series with "SG-1," Emmerich had had enough of the material, and a new creative team took over to help shepherd Jack O'Neill and his intergalactic explorers on their biggest journey yet: to the small screen. 

None of the stars of the movie returned either, with Kurt Russell being replaced by "MacGuyver" star Richard Dean Anderson," and James Spader being swapped out for Michael Shanks. As such, "Stargate" is a truly unique entry in the over franchise, representing the only time the source material was given the big screen treatment and featuring a cast that never returned to their roles. What's more, while the critical response was mixed, there certainly wasn't a lack of positive reviews, with David Hunter of the Hollywood Reporter praising the film for "imaginatively employ[ing] the latest special effects technology to give audiences new thrills." That "technology" is, of course, dated today, but the charm of early '90s CGI is surely just another reason to watch.

Whether you're revisiting the film for the first time since its debut or are looking for a way to get into the "Stargate" saga, Roland Emmerich's "Stargate" is the perfect gateway. Not just because it is the literal beginning of the overall storyline, but because it's a fun '90s sci-fi action flick that's worth a look regardless of whether you plan on fully stepping through the portal into the vast "Stargate" universe. What's more, the film's presence on Prime Video raises intriguing questions about a potential revival.

Hollywood studios have always enjoyed revisiting past successes, even back in the early 20th century when John Wayne was cast in a Western remake despite the fact the silent version of the same film had debuted just six years earlier. Today, remakes and revivals are bigger than ever, and Prime Video has hosted its fair share, from the English-language remake of a Spanish romantic drama to its streaming series revival of a Sarah Michelle Gellar cult classic. Amazon's streaming service has also proved its more than capable of producing top-quality programming, from the brilliant video game adaptation of "Fallout," to the immensely popular "Reacher." So, with Roland Emmerich's 1994 blockbuster sitting on the Prime Video servers, the question surely becomes, "When is Amazon going to throw its weight behind a full-on 'Stargate' revival?"

The last time we saw any kind of "Stargate" story on TV was when "Stargate Universe" wrapped up in 2010. Granted, there was the 2018 web series "Stargate Origins," but the franchise has been pretty much dormant in terms of TV and film projects since "Universe" ended. Now that we're firmly in the age of "newstalgia," and with Prime Video having established itself as one of the best streaming platforms going, what better time to bring back "Stargate" for the streaming age? Whether that takes the form of a series or film, Amazon has the financial resources to make either a top-quality offering.