Originally built by the Altarians, the ark can essentially brainwash those who look at it, causing them to believe whatever the programmer wants them to, as long as it's true. The intended purpose of the ark was to convince the followers of the Ori that they are not gods, but the ancients ultimately came to the conclusion that it was just another form of domination and abandoned the idea. Now, it may be the only hope of defeating the Priors and stopping the spread of the false religion Origin across the galaxies.
Following a false lead on the planet Dakara, Daniel (Michael Shanks), Carter (Amanda Tapping), Mitchell (Ben Browder), Teal'c (Christopher Judge) and Vala (Claudia Black) encounter a Prior and a group of Ori warriors led by Tomin (Tim Guinee). They prevail using the inhibitor device to neutralize the Prior's abilities, causing the warriors to question their loyalties. The newly reformed Tomin is brought to Stargate command and provides the team with information that could lead to the real location of the ark.
Soon after the team returns, they receive a visit from James Marrick (Currie Graham), a representative from the IOA. He tells them that his mission is to interrogate Tomin and prepare a report, but his reasons for being there are far more devious. He insists on joining the crew of the Odyssey as they head for the Ori homeworld, where the ark may be buried, via the Supergate. In the space above Celestis, as well as the planet below, they encounter more than one old foe with powers greater than they ever imagined. But then, that's all par for the course for SG-1.
It's understandable that the producers and the creative team behind Stargate SG-1 wanted to definitively wrap up the Ori storyline after the open-ended events of the series finale, but the invention of the ark device (both literally and figuratively) seems just a little too neat. Though no mention of it was made in the series, suddenly we have this magic object which can nullify the spread of false religious ideology, the source of the Ori's power. And the vast implications of a piece of technology which can force anyone to believe anything that is "true" (and how does it determine that, exactly?) are never fully explored. The solution is convenient, sure, but its mechanisms could have been a little better thought out.
Also slightly disappointing are the production values, which don't stand out from the average SG-1 episode (which were always admittedly better than the average television show). It's not that they look cheap by any means, it's just that expectations are raised for a movie of this caliber. The fact that the movie was made for the small screen should not be an excuse for holding back on the visuals. Perhaps they were saving it for the next movie, Stargate: Continuum, which filmed in the arctic and, judging by the trailer included on this disc, already looks far more impressive.
Essentially, what you get with Ark of Truth is a new, extended episode of SG-1, an uncommon treat now that the show is off the air. It is undeniably good to see the team back in action; it would have been even better had it been just a little more thoughtful and lot more cinematic.
Score: 7 out of 10
The Video
The anamorphic widescreen picture on the advanced screener (sent in a paper sleeve) was on par or slightly better than the quality of the broadcast version of the show and the previous DVD releases of the individual seasons. As expected with a title created specifically for this medium, the image is consistently clean and free of technical glitches. Some noise was visible in a few scenes, particularly the skies of some of the outdoor shots, but not enough to be jarring. The colors and skin tones are straightforward and natural, but the shadow detail could have been better.
Score: 8 out of 10
The Audio
The soundtrack is available in 5.1 Dolby Surround in English and 2.0 Dolby Surround in French and Spanish. There are also subtitles available in English and Spanish. The sound is crisp and often quite dynamic. Good use is made of the surround speakers, especially in the scenes with the Replicators, who sound like their crawling around your living room. There are plenty of fire fights and humming ships in space to put the LFE to work. The musical element seems a bit out of balance, however, with the high, brassy tone of the central theme sounding more grating than heroic at times.
Score: 8 out of 10
Extras and Packaging
Let's face it, MGM could have released this disc with nothing but the movie and it still would have been an easy sell to fans. But they do offer a few goodies to go along with the movie. The single-disc release comes with the following extras:
- Audio commentary with writer, director and producer Robert C. Cooper, actor Christopher Judge and director of photography Peter Woeste
- "Stargate SG-1: The Road Taken" - Prelude to The Ark of Truth
- The Ark of Truth: Stargate at Comic-Con
- Uncovering The Ark of Truth
- Trailers for AVPR and In the Name of the King
This is nothing like the usual complement of bonus features that have come with the previous Stargate SG-1 releases, but they provide some nice background on the movie. It's too bad that there couldn't have been more cast-member involvement in the audio commentary, but Judge has entertaining anecdotes and a nice rapport with Cooper and Woeste that can only come from years of working together.
The "Road Taken" prelude (available in the special-features menu or as an option on the main screen leading directly into the film) is little more than a hastily assembled clip package from episodes of SG-1. It is presumably meant to catch up viewers on the story so far and provide some background to Ark of Truth, but it's clearly directed more towards fans who need a refresher than to newcomers. It would have been nice to have a more comprehensive primer for those with a limited knowledge of the series, but then, they're probably a very small portion of the audience for this movie.
The Comic-Con panel is amusing and fun to revisit for those who were there. Sure, footage from this particular event is available for free all over the Internet, but this is more convenient and accessible. It does a good job at demonstrating the dedication of the show's fan base, the good humor of the cast and their willingness to engage with their audience.
"Uncovering The Ark of Truth" is a standard making-of featurette with the usual cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. The 30-minute documentary also covers the pyrotechnic effects, the creation of Joel Goldsmith's score, the bond between the cast and the techniques Cooper employed as a director.
The no-frills menu interface and the convenient chapter selections make the viewing experience easy to navigate. There's nothing to add about the exterior packaging as the preview copy wasn't sent with any.
