I am often disappointed with the quality of DVD some movies try to thrust on their viewers.  With the multi-teared format that DVD allows, publishers can easily seem lazy.  The sheer lack of well rounded content in modern releases is somewhat disheartening.  Back in the days of VHS we expected to get a movie and nothing else.  It was a rare treat to get a little extra content tacked onto the end.

 Then came the era of the Digital Video Disk and all it's wonders.  Then what did most publishers do?  They ignored the potential that such a media could offer the dedicated cinema enthusiast. They phoned it in, I am looking at you, Jerry and Tim.

Well, I am here to say that the folks at MGM, Scifi Channel, and Whomever else is involved with Stargate, know how to treat their fans.  Not since "The Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition" did I feel such love from a production team.  But I am getting ahead of myself.  All hail "Stargate: Arc of Truth".

 FIrst off, I am one of those fans that has loved SG1 from the first time I really saw it.  I never watched it on showtime or in it's initial days on Sci-fi, but for the past few years I would plan my days around my "fix".  McGuiver became a footnote in the career of Richard Dean Anderson and I would giggle with glee at every new plot-twist.  Literally.

 I was disillusioned when O'Niel was ushered off the series with proper reverence, but did not lose faith in the wholesome idea that SG command could still deliver a solid series packed with fun and adventure, and I was not let down.

 So I nearly lost certain unreferenced bodily functions when I saw that "Stargate: Arc of Truth" being sold at my local media monger I had to see what this was all about.  I thought it would be 09 before anything would start appearing.

The movie itself plays out like a cinematically upgraded episode of SG-1, and that is a heck of a good thing.  The usual quirky characters with rich backstory always makes for enjoyable viewing.  On top of that we get a more vivid viewpoint on several characters that the TV format never allowed for.  The most poignant example is a scene that pretty much exposes teal'c's motivation and character in a way I never before realized.

Also they were able to mess around with some unexplored concepts that will leave you wondering why the never did it in the series.  At one point you will find yourself yelling at the screen, and when you see it you will know what event I am talking about.

All in all I feel this accomplishes what they were setting out to do, resolve the last two seasons of SG1.  And in the process we got a really great movie.

 Now that is a good place to start, a solid movie experience.  But when you make a DVD and expect a person to pay more than 10 bucks for  a movie, there must be more.  The whole advantage of DVD over VHS is the expandability of it.  "Stargate: Arc of Truth" delivers in spades.

So first off they have a commentary with the Writer/Producer/Director, Director of Photography(whatever that is) and an actor that has been with the series consistently since episode one.  That is what I call a commentary.  Three blokes that know SG1 to the core.  Plus to hear Teal'c talking like a regular guy is priceless.

On top of that they actually answered questions I was having about continuity, plot, actor history, and the finer points of the SG1 project.  When watching it the second time through, a continuity issue popped into my mind.  Cut to 40 minutes into the commentary, the three of them start talking about that very issue.  That only proves that SG1 was written by folks at least as Nerdy as I am.

I am usually let down when I enter most any DVD's "Special Features" menu.  There is usually a bloopers reel, and maybe a commentary if the production staff can be bothered to go that far.

SG:TAT has a well stocked Special Features Menu.  Commentary, Behind the Scenes, and Previews for other fantasy movies, were all nice to see.  Then they threw in a QandA session at ComicCon SanDiego with some of the cast and crew.  I haven't laughed so hard since Venture Bros season 2 concluded.  

I was actually strangely impressed that they even produced a short piece with the highlights of the Ori storyline to catch anyone up who hasn't been following the last two years, that is just plain considerate.  This just strikes me as a overall production that was made for all Stargate fans.  Sort of a love note to all that have spent time caring about what happens to these characters. 

So to summerize, this at the very least is a rental, but if you have enjoyed SG1 at any point over the last 10 years, you should consider buying it. It is one of the best episodes of SG1 you will ever see, even if it is called a movie.