THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 1, 1994 TAG: 9411010035
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E01 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
THIS RETURN of the fabled ``cast of thousands'' type filmmaking would make Cecil B. De Mille turn over in his grave. As the camera rises above a sand dune, 1,500 ``extras,'' augmented by an additional 1,000 ``stick figures,'' greet the eye.
They all look, appropriately, as if they're trying to figure out what is happening.
``Stargate,'' with a budget close to $60 million, is occasionally fun in spite of the fact that it offers us no plot, no dramatic involvement and nothing to grasp. It's one of those scenarios that will cause you to roll your eyes.
The idea is that Earth was once inhabited, perhaps attacked, by aliens from the planet Abydos who built the pyramids in Egypt and apparently paraded around in flamboyant costumes.
A stone gadget is uncovered in the pyramids of Giza in 1928 but is hidden until the present. It seems that the thing is actually a ``stargate'' that can transport us to the past, another planet - or somewhere. The script is nothing if not vague.
James Spader, looking as snooty and Yuppieish as ever, plays a scientist who figures out the formula for using the stargate. This means macho-rough Kurt Russell and his buzz-cut Marines will have to take him along on their trip into the past to the planet Abydos, which has apparently been taken over by aliens from Hollywood.
As usual in current movies, the American military, with its big bombs, is pictured as the bad guy. It seems that Russell and his unit want to prevent Ra, the dictator of Abydos, from again invading Earth. This, it would seem, is an admirable aim, but the murky script pits scientist against military, and clearly the military is supposed to be evil. It's all pretty weak.
Spader works hard, and seemingly has fun. Russell doesn't work at all. He merely scowls and looks as if he'd rather be somewhere else.
The only real fun is provided by Jaye Davidson, that guy who fooled us all in ``The Crying Game,'' as Ra, the androgynous ruler who dominates his benign people by parading around in peacock feathers. Because they're all in Hollywood-style rags, perhaps submission is automatic.
Davidson speaks only in an augmented voice that sounds like Darth Vader at a rock concert. When piqued, his eyes light up with eery laser-beam intensity. There are enough young boys around his throne to populate a Michael Jackson Halloween party. All in all, he's a fun character, although I doubt that Davidson will have a long-term Hollywood career.
Director Roland Emmerich is out to attract the young, comic book, audience here - after having warmed up with more gory violence in ``Universal Soldier.'' He takes it all ultra-seriously, which may be a mistake, considering that the script is so silly and undeveloped.
Still, there's a Saturday-afternoon serial brand of derring-do that persuades us to keep watching, even if it makes no sense whatsoever.
Davidson is a hoot - and the colored lights keep flashing.
The eyes have it. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
A leader of the guard of Ra, ditator of the planet Abydos, in the
film ``Stargate.''
``STARGATE''
Rated: PG-13
Starring: James spader, Kurt Russell, Jayne Davidson
Mal's Rating: 2 1/2 Stars
by CNB