Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 19, 2021

Visual Entertainment has released the entire series for 'Stargate: Atlantis' to Blu-ray. This 20-disc collection is in many ways similar or identical to the set MGM released in 2011. The major, most obvious, and most notable difference is the absence of a lossless soundtrack here; MGM's set included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless tracks for every episode while Visual entertainment's set includes 5.1 and 2.0 lossy encodes. Please see below for a few thoughts on the show, video and audio reviews, a breakdown of all of the included supplements, and a word on the packaging.

Official synopsis: Atlantis, built thousands of years ago by the highly evolved ancients, is home base for an elite expedition team from Earth. These courageous military commanders and scientists leap through the city's stargate to explore the wondrous Pegasus Galaxy and battle the treacherous wraith, who seek control of Atlantis -- at any cost.

Opening alien-made travel gates to distant worlds is one thing for audiences to take at face value, but to find the location of the mythical underwater world of Atlantis -- on an alien world, no less (and with its own Stargate, of course) -- is an entirely different proposition. It shouldn't work. That blend of science fiction meeting Greek mythology, pop culture fascination, and science speculation should be too far-fetched for audiences to take seriously. It certainly didn't work for Transformers when that series curiously, and at a critically high failure rate, chose to incorporate the legend of Excalibur into its own giant robot mythos. At least Stargate, in its original form on the silver, rather than the small, screen, blended identifiable historical fact and familiar location details with its far-flung science fiction. Atlantis, however, tackles an entirely different realm, literally and figuratively. The series is essentially a spin-off from a storyline developed in the original Stargate TV series that features the SG-1 team discovering the legendary Atlantis, not submerged in Earth's oceans but rather as a long-abandoned home base for the Ancients on the planet Lantea. So this isn't a story born entirely out of thin air, at least within the larger Stargate realm.

Atlantis brings an entirely new crew into the limelight. Jackson and O'Neill are present for the first episode, and there are some surprise guest stars and main cast SG-1 returns through the series, but series creators Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper essentially hand off the franchise to a fresh team for this show's five season run. It's a good crew that changes identity a few times through the series, notably with Jason Momoa's arrival in season two and a familiar SG-1 alum returning for season four to lead the team. It's a fine ensemble, evolve somewhat as it may over the seasons. The series, like its predecessor and like other successful ensemble Sci-Fi shows (think any iteration of Star Trek), is a grand success of blending characterization and character progression with larger story themes and action that seamlessly blend together to build a complete show and one of the better of its kind.

Ken Brown provided a thorough analysis for the show in his review of the 2011 release, so for more complete coverage please click here.

Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While I did not review and do not have access to a copy of MGM's beefy 20-disc 2011 Blu-ray set, it would appear that VEI's Blu-ray is very much its equal. Reading Ken Brown's in-depth review (here) and perusing the screenshots suggests there's not a major difference with the VEI package, if there is one at all. VEI's 1080p, MPEG-4 encoded, 1.78:1-framed transfer delivers satisfactory video that might not grade quite so highly in 2021 as it did a decade ago, but the presentation is a rock despite some drawbacks, those which are both inherent to the source and some that seem to stem from some encode issues. While I am not comfortable deferring completely to Ken's review without the opportunity to direct compare, it's safe to say that the MGM review satisfies for this release, broadly, but below are a few fresh observations and a slightly adjusted score based on my own response.

The Blu-ray presentation is rather consistent through the show's run. While the digitally photographed program translates to Blu-ray with something of a video-y look about it, the picture holds steady (mostly) for overall image clarity and definition. Close-ups can be, and often are, relatively sharp, not so much naturally as might be the case with higher end video but certainly with enough available intimacy to reveal fine facial textures, clothing (particularly military gear density and patches), and various location details with more than enough clarity to allow the audience to soak in most all of the available information. Character close-ups are often the unequivocal highlight for scruff and pores and the like. Viewers will also be able to explore set pieces to their satisfaction; the transfer is well capable of showing the finer practical location elements that have been crafted for repetitive use through the series' long haul and those cobbled together for a single episode or shorter string of episodes.

Color grading is more than satisfying. While there's not a sense of true-life color neutrality and equality, there's plenty of vivid punch on display, pushing primaries bright and lively, particularly whenever they're up against some of the flat, matte grays and blues that are often the defining environmental or background colors. There's a little bleeding here and there, skin tones are not always perfect (pasty, sometimes), and black levels can miss at times, but none of these are particularly egregious trouble spots.

Noise does sprinkle in from time to time, even when lighting is good, which can be a distracting component to overcome. Additionally, occasional examples of aliasing and banding can be found here and there; season two's premiere episode is a fine example where both can be found (look at the 10-minute mark for a demonstration of some of the nastiest banding the series has to offer). Compression issues are not infrequent but neither are they severe. There are a handful of spots where backgrounds turn into clumpy, noisy artifacts but rarely to such an extreme as to interrupt a watch. The picture is far from perfect, and factor in some of the janky VFX shots and some of the soft elements when backgrounds are inserted behind characters in post and there are many examples when picture quality is less than ideal, whether from a technical or an aesthetic perspective. But the bulk of the show looks rather good, even if "good" is relative to the inherent quality from the source. Most Atlantis fans should be pleased.

Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The most glaring difference between this set and the MGM set comes in the audio. This one gets a pair of soundtracks: lossy 5.1 and 2.0; MGM's release enjoyed a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It's at least a technical downgrade to be sure and these lossy tracks don't exactly set the world on fire, leaving MGM's decade old presentation assuredly the superior of the two sets.

Rather than just break down some of the key elements the show has to offer, this review is more of a comparison between the two offered audio options based on general observations from a lengthy selection of episodes and scenes from throughout the five season run. Broadly, The 5.1 track is a bit thinner, less meaty, but more finessed next to the 2.0 track. It offers, obviously, greater expansion through the stage with well defined and oftentimes scene critical surround extension that the two channel track's more aggressive output obviously can't match. Even from the first moments in the first episode the critical surround usage proves vital to more fully drawing the listener into location. The two-channel track is a bit "boomier" and the various examples of location bustle are more pronounced though more limited in scope as the sounds are obviously forced to remain across the front. There's something to be said for the fuller-bodied two channel track and its more aggressive posture. Often it's a matter of deciding whether more beef or more surround extension is preferable. The 5.1 track doesn't really do much with its subwoofer channel. Bass is never aggressive, even in pitch action, so it's never really part of the equation. Action scenes are of course more fruitful in 5.1; listen near the 10-minute mark of the second season's premiere episode for some laser blasts and gunfire that emanate discretely from a rear speaker. The surround extension can make a big impact in the more aggressive audio cues, such as travel through the gate. With both tracks dialogue is clear and positioned in the center, directly so in 5.1 and imaged quite nicely towards true center in 2.0. Neither track is perfect, but both carry the day effectively and efficiently.

Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

VEI's 20-disc series release for Stargate: Atlantis includes all of the same supplements from the old MGM set. There's nothing new and there's nothing taken away, at least insofar as what's here lines up with the Blu-ray.com review of the MGM set. For convenience all of the extras -- where to find them, their runtimes, and for audio commentaries who participated -- are listed below, but fore more on a specific extra, please refer to the MGM release review by clicking here. This set ships in the same style packaging as the Stargate complete series, but with half the discs the outer case is smaller and there's only one of the soft leafy disc holders where every disc fits into its own sleeve. A color glossy booklet with episode listings, extras listings, and some background artwork and photos is also included. This release ships with a slipcover. No DVD or digital copes are included with purchase.

Season One, Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Rising, Parts 1 and 2" with Director Martin Wood and Actor Joe Flanigan; "Hide and Seek" with Actors Rachel Luttrell, Torri Higginson, and Paul McGillion; and "Thirty-Eight Minutes" with Actors Rachel Luttrell and Paul McGillion.
• Stargate Atlantis Set Tour (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 11:22)

Season One, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Childhood's End" with Writer Martin Gero and Actors Rachel Luttrell and Rainbow Sun Francks; and for "The Storm" with Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero, and Actor David Hewlett.
• Wraithal Discrimination: It's Not Easy Being Green (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 11:28)
• Diary of Rainbow Sun Francks (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 9:14)

Season One, Disc Three:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "The Eye" with Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero, and Actor David Hewlett; for "The Defiant One" with Director Peter DeLuise and Stunt Coordinator Dan Shea; for "Hot Zone" with Writer Martin Gero and Actors Rachel Luttrell, Rainbow Sun Francks, and Paul McGillion; and for "Sanctuary" with Actors Rachel Luttrell and Torri Higginson.
• Mission Directive: "The Storm/The Eye" (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 6:00)
• Mission Directive: "Sanctuary" (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 11:36)
• Mission Directive: "Before I Sleep" (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 13:57)

Season One, Disc Four:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Brotherhood" with Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero, and Actor David Hewlett; for "The Gift" with Director Peter DeLuise and Actor Gary Jones; for "The Siege: Part 1" with Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero, and Actor David Hewlett; and for "The Siege: Part 2" with Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero, and Actors Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett.
• Mission Directive: "The Siege" (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 11:13)
• A Look Back on Season One with Writer Martin Gero (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 17:23)

Season Two, Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "The Siege: Part 3" with Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero, and Actors Joe Flanigan David Hewlett; for "The Intruder" with Director Peter DeLuise and Actor Gary Jones; for "Runner" with Director Martin Wood and Actor David Hewlett; for "Duet" with Director Peter DeLuise, Writer Martin Gero, and Actor David Hewlett; and for "Condemned" with Director Peter DeLuise and Actor Gary Jones.
• Mission Directives: "The Siege: Part 3" (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 10:46)
• Mission Directive: "The Intruder" (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 11:00)

Season Two, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Trinity" with Director Martin Wood and Writer Damian Kindler; for "Instinct" with Director Andy Mikita and Producer Paul Mullie; for "Conversion" with Writer Martin Gero and Actors Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett; for "Aurora" with Director Martin Wood and Co-Producer Peter Deluise; and for "The Lost Boys" with Writer Martin Gero and Actors Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett.
• Mission Directive: "Instinct" (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 15:09)
• Introduction to a Character: Ronon Dex (1080p upscaled, 15:05)

Season Two, Disc Three:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "The Hive" with Director Martin Wood; for "Epiphany" with Director Neil Fearnley; for "Critical Mass" with Director Andy Mikita, Actor Rachel Luttrell, and Director pf Photography Brenton Spencer; for "Grace Under Pressure" with Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero, and Actors Amanda Tapping and David Hewlett; and for "The Tower" with Producer Paul Mullie and Director Andy Mikita.
• Profile On David Hewlett (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 20:51)
• Stargate Atlantis: Stunts (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 18:21)

Season Two, Disc Four:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "The Long Goodbye" with Director Andy Mikita, Actor Torri Higginson, and Director of Photography Brenton Spencer; for "Coup D'etat" with Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero, and Actor David Hewlett; for "Michael" with Director Martin Wood and Supervising Producer/Director Peter DeLuise; for "Inferno" with Director Peter DeLuise and Actor Gary Jones; and for "Allies" with Director Andy Mikita, Writer Martin Gero, and Actor David Hewlett.
• Road to a Dream with Martin Gero (1080p upscaled, 19:15)
• Profiles On: Paul McGillion (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 20:43)

Season Three, Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "No Man's Land" with Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood; for "Misbegotten" with Executive Producer Paul Mullie and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood; for "Irresistible" with Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and Director of Photography Michael Blundell; for "Sateda" with Executive Producer, Writer, and Director Robert C. Cooper and Director of Photography Brenton Spencer; and for "Progeny" with Director Andy Mikita and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela.
• Mission Directive: "Sateda" featuring Director Robert C. Cooper (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 15:34)
• Mission Directive "Progeny" Featuring Director Andy Mikita (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 10:57)
• Inside the Stargate: Atlantis Visual FX Department (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 17:54)
• Profile On: Rachel Luttrell (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 14:56)

Season Three, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Common Ground" with Director William Waring and Director of Photography Brenton Spencer; for "McKay & Mrs. Miller" with Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood; for "Phantoms" with Co-Executive Producer Carl Binder and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood; and for "The Return, Part 1" with Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Executive Producer Paul Mullie.
• Mission Directive: "Phantoms" Featuring Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 14:43)
• General O'Neill Goes to Atlantis (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 14:00)

Season Three, Disc Three:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "The Return, Part 2" with Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Executive Producer Paul Mullie; for "Echoes" with Director William Waring and Director of Photography Brenton Spencer; for "Irresponsible" with Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and DOP Michael Blundell; for "Tao of Rodney" with Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and DOP Michael Blundell; and for "The Game" with Director William Waring and Director of Photography Brenton Spencer.
• Mission Directive: "The Game" Featuring Director William Waring (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 13:35)
• Masters of the Alien (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 17:53)

Season Three, Disc Four:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "The Ark" with Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela; for "Sunday" with Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Director William Waring; for "Submersion" with Director Brenton Spencer and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela; for "Vengeance" with Director Andy Mikita and Creature Effects Designer Todd Masters; and for "First Strike" with Producer/Writer Martin Gero, Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood, and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela.
• Mission Directive: "Fist Strike" Featuring Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 11:52)
• "Stargate Atlantis:" A Look back on Season 3 with Martin Gero (1080p upscaled, 20:18)

Season Four, Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Adrift" with Co-Executive Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood; for "Lifeline" with Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and Actor Amanda Tapping; for "Reunion" with Executive Producer/Writer Joseph Mallozzi and Director William Waring; for "Doppelganger" with Executive Producer, Writer, and Director Robert C. Cooper and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela; and for "Travelers" with Executive Producer/Writer Paul Mullie and Director William Waring.
• Mission Directive: "Doppelganger" with Robert C. Cooper (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 14:47)
• A New Leader: Amanda Tapping Joins Atlantis (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 15:15)

Season Four, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Tabula Rasa" with Producer/Writer Alan McCullough, Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood, and Actress Amanda Tapping; for "Missing" with Co-Executive Producer/Writer Carl Binder and Producer/Director Andy Mikita; for "The Seer" with Producer/Writer Alan McCullough and Director Andy Mikita; for "Miller's Crossing" with Co-Executive Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Producer/Director Andy Mikita; and for "This Mortal Coil" with Executive Producer/Writer Joseph Mallozzi and Director William Waring.
• "Stargate Atlantis" Bloopers (1080p upscaled, 7:08)
• Mission Directive: "This Mortal Coil" with Director William Waring (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 12:26):

Season Four, Disc Three:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Be All My Sins Remember'd" with Co-Executive Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Producer/Director Andy Mikita; for "Spoils of War" with Producer/Writer Alan McCullough and Director William Waring; for "Quarantine" with Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and Actress Amanda Tapping; for "Harmony" with Co-Executive Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Director William Waring; and for "Outcast" with Producer/Writer Alan McCullough and Producer/Director Andy Mikita.
• Mission Directive: "Quarantine" with Director Martin Wood (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 10:21)
• Mission Directive: "Outcast" with Director Andy Mikita (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 10:15)

Season Four, Disc Four:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Trio" with Co-Executive Producer/Writer Martin Gero, Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood, and Actress Amanda Tapping; for "The Kindred" with Executive Producer/Writer Joseph Mallozzi and Director Peter F. Woeste; for "The Kindred, Part II" with Producer/Writer Alan McCullough and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood; and for "The Last Man" with Executive Producer/Writer Paul Mullie and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood.
• The Making of "Trio" (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 16:32)
• A Look Back at Season 4 (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 11:55)
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled, 24:23 total runtime)

Season Five, Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Search and Rescue" with Executive Producer Martin Gero and Director/Producer Andy Mikita; for "The Seed" with Director William Waring; for "Broken Ties" with Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi and Actor Jason Momoa; and for "The Daedalus Variations" with Supervising Producer Alan McCullough and Director/Producer Andy Mikita.
• Mission Directive: "Search and Rescue" with Andy Mikita and Producer Martin Gero (1080p upscaled, 11:26)
• Showdown! Ronon v. Tyre (1080p upscaled, 5:50)
• Bringing "The Seed" to Life (10800 Upscaled, 6:53)

Season Five, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Whispers" with Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi and Director William Waring; for "The Queen" with Supervising Producer Alan McCullough and Director Brenton Spencer; for "Tracker" with Executive Producer Carl Binder and Director William Waring; and for "First Contact" with Executive Producer Martin Gero and Director/Producer Andy Mikita.
• Mission Directive: "Whispers" with Director William Waring and Executive Producer Jospeh Mallozzi (1080p upscaled, 10:52)
• Mission Directive: "Tracker" with Director William Waring and Executive Producer Carl Binder (1080p upscaled, 12:26)
• Tricks of the Trade: Submerging the Stargate (1080p upscaled, 6:47)
• Joe Flanigan: A Conversation with the Colonel (1080p, 6:13)

Season Five, Disc Three:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "The Lost Tribe" with Executive Producer Martin Gero and Director/Producer Andy Mikita; for "Outsiders" with Supervising Producer Alan McCullough and Director William Waring; for "Inquisition" with Director Brenton Spencer and Actor Tobias Slezak; for "The Prodigal" with Executive Producer Carl Binder and Director/Producer Andy Mikita; and for "Remnants" with Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi and Director William Waring.
• Building a Humanoid with James Robbins and Martin Gero (1080p upscaled, 7:20)
• Dr. Jackson Goes to Atlantis (1080p upscaled, 6:11)
• The Life and Death of Michael Kenmore (1080p upscaled, 7:06)
• Inside the Stargate Costume Department (1080p upscaled, 7:03)
• Deleted Scenes (Part One) (1080p upscaled, 8:16 total runtime)

Season Five, Disc Four:

• Audio Commentaries: Included are tracks for "Brain Storm" with Executive Producer/Director Martin Gero; for "Vegas" with Executive Producer Robert C. Cooper, Producer John G. Lenic, and Editor Mike Banas; and for "Enemy at the Gate" with Executive Producer Paul Mullie and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela.
• Mission Directive: "Brain Storm" with Director Martin Gero (1080p upscaled, 13:06)
• "Stargate Atlantis" Goes to Vegas (1080p upscaled, 20:26)
• Deleted Scenes (Part Two) (1080p upscaled, 8:42 total runtime)

Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For as great as Atlantis may be, there's no matching the epic beats, exacting flow, exhilarating stories, and effortless character bonds that made SG-1 an essential genre classic. But it comes awfully close. This is first-rate stuff, one of the better spinoffs in television history that manages to blend familiar franchise structure while finding its own heartbeat and direction. A rock-solid cast, exciting storylines, good visuals, and some memorable tie-ins to the original series carry Atlantis to great heights. VEI's 20-disc Blu-ray collection compares very favorably to the MGM collection. The mass quantity and excellent quality of its supplemental content is a match. The video quality doesn't seem drastically different and while the audio is a technical downgrade what's here is just fine. There's no need for a repeat buy for those who own the MGM set, but newcomers should feel rather comfortable making a purchase. For Stargate franchise newcomers, VEI is offering a massive franchise collection that includes Atlantis along with SG-1 and Stargate Universe.