The Film
Hey look -- it's another Stargate release. For completely unknown reasons (cha-ching!), Fox released the first season of Stargate Universe in two parts earlier this year. In case you weren't interested in getting ripped off, they've now decided to put the whole thing together in a 5-disc set of Stargate Universe: The Complete First Season.
Naturally, the story hasn't changed. A group of characters evacuate through a stargate to an old bucket of a spaceship named the Destiny. Getting home seems to be the least of their problems, which includes maintaining life support and dealing with pesky aliens. Of course, everything isn't wrapped up in such a nice, neat package.
We weren't too versed in the Stargate franchise going into this series, but fans should be relatively pleased. Just know that in the show's first 20 episodes, things get a little slow, a little too serious, and sort of soapy. It also has way too many characters, making it hard to keep up at times. Thankfully, that large group has a lot of standouts, including Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty), Louis Ferreira (Grey Gardens), Ming-Na (ER) and David Blue (Ugly Betty).
The Picture
Fox's hasn't tweaked this package's image -- and that's a good thing. Of course, those familiar with this installment of Stargate know that the show's overall color palette is really dim. Apparently, there aren't a lot of pretty colors when you're floating around on an old spaceship. However, instead of concentrating on bold colors, this 1.78:1 transfer works on creating really sharp details and deep black levels. The end result is dim, but extremely lifelike. There's also a lot of good detail, from facial expressions to scenery to the interior of the Destiny. Overall, it's a very good presentation that oozes a sci-fi feel.
The Sound
Once again, this DTS-HD Master Audio track is the perfect companion to the image. The dialogue is always clear, even during the many quiet and chaotic moments of the show's first season. Even during the show's slowest moments, the surrounds always stay pretty busy. There are plenty of ambient noises, spurts of soundtrack music, and even a little echo from the inside of the ship. Once the action kicks in, so does the bass, making this a very interesting, even set.
The Extras
Fox offers nothing new here, unless you count putting together all of the extras from previous releases into the one package. That said, if you don't have one of the previous releases, this is a pretty hearty collection of extras. The "SGU: Survival Instinct" game is a little slow moving, but fans will appreciate this interactive option. Also, each of the five discs has both "Destiny SML" and "Kino Video Diaries" features. Both also have interactivity in the menus, which guide you through production shorts and character interviews. The menus are slightly annoying, but add to the sci-fi feel of the set.
Final Thoughts
Stargate Universe is a decent show, but certainly doesn't deserve a double-dip release. This Complete First Season has a solid Blu-ray transfer, with a good crop of extras and will certainly be enjoyed by fans of the show. However, if you bought either of the previous season one releases, this trip aboard the Destiny is completely unnecessary.
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