Stargate: Atlantis

An international expedition lead by Dr. Elizabeth Weir is set of through the Stargate into the Pegasus galaxy. They discover a threat far beyond anything encountered before. A race that destroyed the Ancients, the most developed race known to man.

As a big SG-1 fan I had my doubts that this spin-off would succeed in being close to SG-1. To my great surprise I found Atlantis better in many ways.

First there is a great well written story. They use the new galaxy for all it's worth. The casting is great. A nice mix of civilians and military. I find the characters here better then SG-1. David Hewlett and David Nykl make a perfect couple as Dr. McKay and Dr. Zelenka. And season two newcomer Ronon Dex is also turning out to be good as the quiet more mysterious type.

Atlantis is a lot darker then SG-1. It's one of the more darker sci-fi of it's kind I've seen and it works. Specially since the mood is so well captured. The cinematographers does a great job at that. However, at the same time it's dark, the show manage to have humor. I like that. They don't overdo it. It's a nice mix. It gives the show a kind of looser feeling. A feeling of that they don't take them selves all too seriously. That it one of the things I really like about the Stargate series.

The directing is also very good. The fact that the same directors and creative crew members work or has worked on both series gives the series much of the same qualities and they manage to stay somewhat in the same style without the one being a copy of the other.

Stargate Atlantis features some of the best special effects you find on television. The plain CGI sequences is very well made and when they mix CGI and real footage you can hardly tell the difference. There are also some pretty nice fight scenes. These are very well coordinated and well executed. The Wraith makeup and makeup through out the show is also nice done. So are the costumes.

As spin-offs have a tendency to might not be as good as the original Atlantis is on many points better then the original. This is a show you should catch if you get the chance.

Atlantis follows the adventures of the Stargate Atlantis team, which is formed after a secret base, abandoned by the original builders of the Stargates, is found buried in the ice of Antarctica. Their discovery leads to a daring expedition to the distant Pegasus galaxy, where they encounter a primitive human civilization and a sinister new enemy that threatens human life everywhere.

Maj. John Sheppard, a courageous and gifted pilot,Dr. Elizabeth Weir, head of the mission and a diplomatic relations specialist. Rounding out the cast is Lt. Aiden Ford, an enthusiastic young officer who becomes Sheppard's second-in-command, astrophysicist Dr. Rodney McKay(SG-1), and Teyla, a beautiful young leader among the primitive alien civilization that the Atlantis team encounters. In a special guest starring role, sci-fi favorite Robert Patrick (Terminator 2, The X-Files) will appear as Col. Marshall Sumner in the two-hour Atlantis premiere event. Following its premiere, 18 additional original episodes of Atlantis will air during the show's regular Friday night 10 p.m. ET/PT slot, as a companion series to the all-new eighth season of Stargate SG-1.

Atlantis had a great kick off, especially being introduced to us with some crossover of the Stargate Sg-1 crew comprising of the two original Stargate characters O'Neill and Jackson.

With exceptional fx, some great makeup on the bad guys and what is forming to be a good team on the front line Atlantis is making a good impression and after winding down it's premiere season, its actors have already signed up for a five year deal proving it's popularity. Bringing in some oft he best audiences for a premiere sci-fi show it has potential to be worthy to carry on the Stargate franchise.

The characters are likable, if we get to know them a little better. I feared a few may be culled in order for it to continue but it hasn't happened yet. Sarcastic spars can be a little too much but it's the kind of humour I'm drawn to so I shouldn't complain too much.

it will be nice to get to know the characters better and if five years has been called for it gives us plenty of time. I do wonder about the bad guys, unlike Stargate SG-1's Gould, who we also got to know and had some sort of personality to them, it seems all the Wraith are around for is to suck out lifeforces before going back to sleep. For me they provide a convincing scare fest of 'Wouldnt want to meet one down a dark ally' but as to their staying power I'm not convinced, if they sleep every one hundred and fifty years, and yes we accidentally woke them up, wouldn't they go back to sleep after a while, are they now destined to stay awake forever in pursuit of Earth which they conveniently found out in the first episode.

I'm still impressed y them, the look, the threat, but compared to the Gould and other bad guys of SG-1 like the replicators I do hope other enemies come into play lest they become too boring by the end of the second season.

All in all,Atlantis has potential, and is worthy to carry on the franchise as the first spin off, ( i hope for a few) as long as the characters stay likable, the bad guys stay believable and the plots don't lose themselves in SG-1esque outlines.

Watch this series.

I am incredibly surprised at the quality of this series. At this point I have watched episodes 1 through 5, and am stunned at how much I am actually interested in watching this series.

The show appears to be well-thought out, the sets are remarkably authentic feeling despite what I am sure for a new series is a small budget, and the interplay between characters is consistent and easily acceptable.

The show is also very fast-paced and despite the short time (5 eps.), there are already a great number of believable plot threads.

Most importantly, the characters are believable and likable and for a sci-fi series, real. As mentioned earlier, the interplay between the characters is something to see. Indeed, when watching the series I actually forget I'm watching sci-fi.

Watch it if you can, I suspect you'll like it.

Dr. Jackson discovers the last symbol of the 8 digit code for Atlantis, the origin for the lost city Atlantis, the location not being earth, but much further away in a galaxy called Pegasus. Dr. Weir, who took control of the SGC facility in SG-1, have been appointed leader of a expedition that travels through the StarGate to find the lost city, together with Major Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and his team they explore the lost city Atlantis and the Pegasus galaxy, hereby encountering a new all-powerful race 'The Wraith' that supposedly have wiped out the 'human' race The Ancients.

Major Sheppard, being a resemblance of Brigadier General Jack O'Neill, of course stirs things up, and awakens The Wraith, and hereby the battle between Good & Evil begins in the Pegasus galaxy.

SG:Atlantis is a lot like SG-1, don't get me wrong though, it's not entirely the same, but if you have seen the SG-1 show, you will know what I mean, it all begins in the same track that SG-1 did. To cut it short, Atlantis is more of the show we all love, SG-1, but in a new package, maybe even a better package, remember the budgets being bigger and bigger for the SG shows. I personally like Atlantis, it's not like I'm seeing anything shockingly new, but it's the fascinating universe of the SG, which we all love, and the more the merrier.

You don't have to know the SG-1 show, to enjoy Atlantis, even though you don't have the full insight of the SG world from the former shows, you can still enjoy Atlantis, and part by part learn about the SG universe, so don't be afraid to watch this show, even though you haven't seen the movie or SG-1.

Enjoy your journey with StarGate Alantis.