Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or her swag? Yeah, scholar Joseph Campbell noticed first—in 1949. He wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces, in which he outlined the 17 stages of a mythological hero's journey.

About half a century later, Christopher Vogler condensed those stages down to 12 in an attempt to show Hollywood how every story ever written should—and, uh, does—follow Campbell's pattern. We're working with those 12 stages, so take a look. (P.S. Want more? We have an entire Online Course devoted to the hero's journey.)

Ordinary World

It may seem a stretch to refer to the world of rock and roll as "ordinary," but to the members of Spinal Tap, the circumstances of their lives at the start of the picture are, indeed, quite normal. They're touring, they're signing autographs, they're taking their shirts off in public. All run-of-the-mill type stuff.

Call To Adventure

The band's North American tour is set to begin. It may seem like just another tour to them at the time, but things are about to get interesting.

Well, if not interesting, at least different.

Refusal Of The Call

Who, these guys? Turn down a chance to travel the country on a bus and hook up with groupies, all the while wowing the masses with their wicked tunes? Never.

Meeting The Mentor

Unfortunately, to truly have a mentor, a person would need to, you know, listen to anyone other than himself. Nigel, David and Derek are awfully preoccupied with themselves, and probably not in a place to go seeking counsel from anyone older and wiser.

That said, Marty DiBergi seems to fit the bill as far as a mentor goes. He has perspective on matters, can recognize the band's individual and group failings, sees them trending downward, and could probably offer up some helpful advice if any of them was interested in hearing it.

Crossing The Threshold

As soon as the first gig on the tour gets under way, the threshold has been crossed. There's no going back now. At least not without canceling shows, which would upset literally dozens of people.

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Ian, the band manager, seems to be an ally, in that it's his goal to help the band succeed. But, because he ends up being pretty terrible at his job, he turns out to be an enemy, albeit unintentionally.

Then there's Jeanine, who is also trying to help, although she's probably more preoccupied with ensuring that the band members' chakras are aligned than seeing that they sell out venues. Her antagonism with Nigel will be the biggest hurdle to overcome.

But really, the band's greatest enemy is their own waning popularity. They're getting older, their fan base is dwindling, and they can't see the forest for the trees. They also totally wouldn't get that clichéd analogy.

Approach To The Inmost Cave

As long as David and Nigel stick together, the band can overcome whatever other obstacles spring up. Unfortunately, the David-and-Nigel thing is tenuous, at best. The two get in a huge fight re: the presence of Jeanine, and Tap looks to be headed for hard times.

Ordeal

Sure enough, Nigel walks out in the middle of a performance, and the band is obliterated. David and Derek don't seem to think it's the end of Tap, but they're fooling themselves if they think they can survive without Nigel's raw animal magnetism (sarcasm intended).

Reward (Seizing The Sword)

Just when things seem most dire, Nigel pops back up to save the day. The band is reunited. Not only that, but Nigel has come with the news that they are supposedly huge in Japan, which might just be the answer to their touring woes.

The Road Back

As the band performs, one can sense the renewed energy. Their drive and sense of purpose have been revived. This may not be the spinal curtain after all.

Resurrection

Tap is now rocking out in Japan, in front of a full crowd, and they seem to be loving it. They may never again get top billing over a puppet show in the states, but at least overseas there's still hope for artistic redemption.

Return With The Elixir

We don't get too many hints about how their lives continue after their musical career is given new life in Japan, but we can assume that they're basically content with the way things are going. We can't wait to see Nigel in his new tear-away kimono.