This review contains MAJOR SPOILERS for "Continuum," the upcoming direct-to-DVD movie for "Stargate SG-1."

Don?t mistake ?Continuum? for a new adventure; instead, it?s a collection of the best bits from the last ten seasons all tied together to form one cohesive story. Think of the popular tales ?There But For The Grace Of God? and ?Mobius,? where time is changed and the world comes close to an end only this time it is on a slightly larger scale.

During the execution of the last Ba?al (Cliff Simon) clone, Teal?c (Christopher Judge) and Vala (Claudia Black) mysteriously vanish and Gen. O?Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) is killed, forcing the rest of the team back through the gate. When they materialize home however, it is to a very different world. Not only was the Stargate program never created, but also the course of the world?s development has been forever changed since the Second World War ... after Ba?al sunk the ship hiding it from the Germans.

Despite being something of a re-hash of previous episodes, ?Continuum? allows for a more personal story as each of the three SG-1 survivors tries to adapt to this world they are forbidden to change. It?s the kind of scripting that the television series never had the time to tell and so there are many more character moments that a standard episode could never accommodate and would normally be the first scenes to hit the cutting room for. Daniel?s reaction to finding a book his alter ego published about aliens landing on pyramids was a nice little touch and a pleasant reminder to the journey his character has gone through over the last ten years, as were the scenes of Carter shopping in a normal life.

In addition, ?Continuum? also features a lot of old-school elements that will strike a chord with long-time fans. The return of the System Lords was something of a delight to see given some of the banality of the Ori story that dominated the series in the final two years, but overall the story isn?t anything that ?SG-1? hasn?t already achieved.

What Worked

Although nothing particularly exciting occurred, the opening of the movie worked surprisingly well. The tour of the SGC showed life in the underground base bustling with activity as if the series was never cancelled in the first place. We see the likes of Maj. Davis (Colin Cunningham) and Sgt. Silar (Dan Shea) sauntering the corridors on their daily routine as if the show never ended. The long running shot includes a complete tour of the base and a subtle salute to all of the characters to have walked those halls before finally settling back into the gate room where the tour began just in time for the team to set off on their mission.

The highlight however is Gen. Jack O?Neill back in ?SG-1? with his usual dry wit and sarcastic -- yet optimistic -- outlook on the world. Given the fact that he carried the series in its infancy, it is very much a lost opportunity that his appearance is more of a cameo than a starring role.

What Didn?t Work

While "The Ark Of Truth? was a way to wrap up the series following its cancellation, ?Continuum? was intended to be a bigger story, one to carry the series on to a whole new straight-to-DVD film series. Unfortunately, it is an assortment of some old plot devices and excuse to bring back the elements that worked so well in the early years of the series instead of trying something new.

Thanks to the added score of Joel Goldsmith, all the scenes in the North Pole successfully give the movie a more ambitious and almost epic feel -- further propelling it beyond an episode of a TV show -- but are very much underplayed and confined to a single montage. The scenes of each character adapting to their new life -- touching though they may be -- failed to deliver the thrill that the movie could have included and lacked any kind of a build up to the amassing of the Goa?uld fleet.

As a result, there is no real pay-off when Ba?al finally makes his appearance. It?s only when the alternate lives of Teal?c and Vala are made apparent does the movie really begin to come together. The gathering of the System Lords included so many big reveals right off the bat, including Teal?c?s status as Ba?al?s First Prime, Vala still inhabited by Katesh and also the death of Apophis (Peter Williams), and it comes as more of a relief than a shock reveal.

Many of the dialogue scenes drag on a little too long but were thankfully saved and given a little more weight through the talents of Beau Bridges. And to top it off, O?Neill was incredibly underused (almost disappointingly so), as was Vala and Teal?c. Their comical stylings and deep, brooding intensity would very much have carried the story a little further.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"Stargate SG-1" stars Ben Browder, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Claudia Black with Beau Bridges and Michael Shanks. "Continuum? was written by Brad Wright and directed by Martin Wood. It is release on DVD in the United States on Jul. 29, and will be released in the United Kingdom on Aug. 18.

Fans can also pick up volume 2 and volume 3 of ?Stargate: Atlantis?? fourth season on DVD.

Alan Stanley Blair is the assistant news editor for Airlock Alpha and its sister site Rabid Doll. Contributing from his home country of Scotland, he is currently studying for a diploma in freelance journalism and can be reached at anytime at ablair@airlockalpha.com.

Vote now for your favorite actors, television shows, movies and more in the 2008 SyFy Genre Awards! Find out all the details by clicking here, and watch a video showcasing all the nominees right here.

Feeling a little horrific? Get your daily dose of horror news straight from The Doll, Rabid Doll that is at www.RabidDoll.com.

Hear Michael Hinman on SyFy Radio every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT at www.BlogTalkRadio.com/SyFyRadio.