It's 8000 B.C. An alien ship lands in a desert world and a young boy is curious to find out what's inside. Fast forward to Egypt, 1928 an archeologist's daughter discover an ancient relic and her father uncovers a big surprise, the Stargate. It's now present day and Professor Daniel Jackson, played by James Spader asks the question "Who Built the Pyramids?" in his university classroom.

The scene now takes you to Colonel Jack O'Neil, played by Kurt Russell. Jack O'Neil is told by his commanding officer that he is reinstated to active duty and been given a special mission to accomplish. Back to Professor Daniel Jackson; he receives a relic and a map from a now older woman of the 1928 archeologist. Professor Jackson examines the map of sorts and tries to translate the symbols on the doorway between worlds, now known as the Stargate.

Professor Jackson has a bad translation of the symbols on the Stargate because he discovers there is a "seventh symbol" that needs to be translated. Once Professor Jackson translated the "seventh symbol", he, Colonel Jack O'Neil and a small, elite military team make their first official walk through the Stargate. As the take a look around the new, desert world, they discovered only sand , so the Professor and Colonel O'Neil and his team decide to camp out for the night. Continuing their journey in the morning, they discover these strange domesticated monsters, which look like a cross between a camel and a mammoth.

The team discover desert people and thanks to Professor Jackson being able to interpret their language, these desert people take the whole team in. The professor translated ancient writings within the village of the desert people reads about the history of the Sun god Ra played by Jaye Davidson. Professor Jackson discovers that the Sun god Ra was actually an alien who possessed the body of a young, curious boy 8000 years ago.

The professor and the military team make a trip further within the desert, found an ancient pyramid and went inside. Greeted by unfriendly guards with animal masks on their heads, the guards take the professor and the military team to a throne room where the look upon the Sun god Ra in the flesh, for the first time. With the professor being able to translate Ra's words, Ra brings a military weapon in front of the professor and Colonel O'Neil. The professor realized that the Colonel mission was to destroy the desert planet. While the colonel and his team are taken to a watery prison, Ra talks to the professor and tells him that he will send the military weapon through the Stargate and destroy the earth instead. Unfortunately, Ra had to face the desert people uprising as well as an attack on his pyramid. Ra decides to send the military weapon through the Stargate to earth sooner, however, the professor and the rescued Colonel O'Neil spoils his plans by sending the weapon to his pyramid instead, destroying Ra.

FILM FACTS: Desert sandstorms were re-created by 10 huge wind machines. Howard Hughes former Spruce Goose airplane hanger was used for one of the film sets. Filming was done in the dunes of Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. 12,000 gallons of water were shipped each day along with 12,000 pounds of ice. The cast along with 1500 extras drank water as well as salt tablets to avoid dehydration from the 120-degree heat.