Roland Emmerich's Stargate marries science fiction with ancient mythology, constructing a premise that is as ambitious as it is accessible. Kurt Russell and James Spader serve as grounding forces, one pragmatic, the other theoretical, as they enter a world that feels both alien and strangely familiar. The film's appeal lies in it's sense of discovery, each revelation expanding the possibilities of it's central idea. Even when the spectacle takes over, the curiosity remains intact.