Top 10 Space Adventure Movies

Ever since the very first Star Wars film made its debut, sci-fi cinema has seen its fair share of space adventure or space opera films. Boasting brash heroes, larger-than-life villains, cool spaceships, exotic worlds, strange aliens and grand adventures, these films tried to recapture the magic of Star Wars. Admittedly, many of these were just poorly executed Star Wars knockoffs. But there are many gems that were nifty, exciting and had a lot of heart or were just so goofy that they're fun to watch.

Battle Beyond the Stars10. Battle Beyond The Stars: Despite its bargain-basement production values and other flaws, this film is arguably the best of the early grade-z Star Wars ripoffs. The script (by John Sayles) is an outer space reworking of Seven Samurai with young Shad (Richard Thomas) setting out in a sentient ship (with a front shaped like a woman's breasts!) to search for mercenaries to defend the peaceful planet Akir. The film features special effects done by James Cameron (yes, that James Cameron) and a score by James Horner that predates his work on Star Trek II.

Flash Gordon9. Flash Gordon: This attempt to cash in on the Star Wars craze by dusting off the famous Alex Raymond comic strip character is a campy delight. Football player Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones) is hijacked to the planet Mongo and has to stop the planet's ruler Ming the Merciless (Max Von Sydow) from destroying the Earth. The film doesn't take itself seriously and it shouldn't since its ladled with gaudy sets and costumes, cheesy special effects and a script with lines like "No! Not the bore worms!" Still, Flash Gordon is a great guilty pleasure to watch.

Fifth Element8. The Fifth Element: Bruce Willis is your not-so-average Brooklyn taxicab driver in the 23rd century who is burdened with the responsibility to protect a beautiful but kooky damsel (Mila Jovovich) that is fated to save the Earth. The Fifth Element like so many of these films has a silly but infectious quality while being a thrilling joy ride chock full of weird aliens and a scene-stealing, out-of-left-field comedic performance by Chris Tucker. He plays a flamboyant talk show host that gets caught up in the pyrotechnic mayhem and his screaming adds to the laughs!

Titan AE7. Titan A.E.: There are many animated space adventure films, but Titan A.E. is the best of them. This Don Bluth animated film takes place fifteen years after Earth was destroyed by aliens in the 31st century and humanity now lives as ragtag refugees in space. Salvager Cale Tucker (voiced by Matt Damon) sets out on a quest with his friends to find the Titan, a humongous starship that holds the key to humanity's survival. Titan A.E. is energetic and awe-inspiring with eye-catching galactic visuals, which is why it's an underrated animated classic.  

Last Starfighter6. The Last Starfighter: AlexRogan (Lance Guest) is your typical teenager looking for some excitement in his life. He gets it when he is unexpectedly whisked to the planet Rylos to join its Star League and defend it from enemy aliens. At the time of its release, one of The Last Starfighter's selling points was its then revolutionary CGI effects, which are woefully dated. It resonates to this day because of its heartfelt performances, sincere execution, and a central theme about a nobody filled with wanderlust who makes a difference.

Serenity5. Serenity: Joss Whedon's directorial debut is a sequel to his cult TV show Firefly. Serenity reunites that show's cast and continues the adventures of quick-witted space cowboy Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his quirky crew onboard the space freighter Serenity as they stay one step ahead of the law in the 'verse, the hated Alliance. The film carries on with the same endearing traits from the show such as witty banter, appealing characters with nuanced histories, and a believable and detailed 'verse filled with high-tech and backwards colony worlds.

Avatar4. Avatar: Filmmaker James Cameron's labor of love is a visually stunning and grand space epic with an imaginative and well-conceived alien world populated with exotic aliens, flora and fauna. The planet Pandora looks like what it's supposed to be: an alien world. This impression is sold thanks to its floating mountains, giant six-legged creatures and translucent forests. The story updates the standard sci-fi pulp adventure and follows Jake Scully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic who integrates himself with the planet's Na'vi population via an artificially grown Na'vi body. Over time, he becomes their greatest protector and the stuff of legendary sci-fi space heroes.

John Carter3. John Carter: It's too bad Disney dropped the ball in promoting this terrific adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter books. Taylor Kitsch plays the title character who is a Civil War veteran that is transported to Mars (or Barsoom as the natives call it) and gets entangled in a grand adventure to save a beautiful princess (Lynn Collins) from a rival kingdom. John Carter was the quintessential space adventure film with haunting and wild alien locales, thrilling scenes, great special effects and a dashing hero. It captured the swashbuckling tone of Burroughs' works perfectly, and although it died in the box office, it deservedly has its legions of fans.

Guardians of the Galaxy2. Guardians Of The Galaxy: Marvel Studios' entry into the space adventure sub-genre is an exciting and fun-filled romp with very endearing heroes that captured our hearts. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) a.k.a. Star-Lord, the legendary outlaw (in his mind at least), teams up with a group of misfit alien thugs and killers to prevent an evil alien from using a power-enhancing stone to destroy the peaceful planet Xandar. Guardians Of The Galaxy perfectly balances drama, action and humor while displaying lovingly detailed out-of-this-world places from the pristine and futuristic Xandar to the seedy and raucous criminal outpost Knowhere. But most of all, the film has a sense of wonder and pulp-inspired fun.

Star Wars1. Star Wars films: Starting from the very first film (Episode IV: A New Hope or just plain Star Wars) in 1977 and continuing with the new installments coming our way, the Star Wars films are the epitome of space adventure/space opera epics. Even the flawed entries like Episode I: The Phantom Menace presented audiences with richly detailed and imaginative worlds and characters. Capturing and enhancing the excitement from early sci-fi movie serials, they're a tribute to those blustering sci-fi pulp adventures on film and print. More importantly, the Star Wars film changed the sci-fi film landscape forever thanks to eye-popping special effects, fast-moving, cliffhanger-laced stories and most of all, unforgettable characters like the Skywalker family, Han Solo, Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Lewis T. Grove

Top Ten Space Exploration Films

Science fiction has been noted for its many subgenres, one of the most popular that of exploring space. And why not? Space as Captain Kirk once famously said, is the final frontier. It represents the unknown and humanity's quest to push beyond the horizon has captivated us for ages, it's part of our driving force. Exploring space is dealing with the true unknown which is both frightening and enthralling. These sci-fi films dealing with the space exploration theme are the best ones ever made.

Destination Moon10. Destination Moon: One of legendary filmmaker George Pal's earliest films attempts to portray a credible scenario of how mankind would land on the moon. Even though the film got many aspects of a moon landing incorrect, it still conveys a sense of danger and adventure.

Black Hole9. The Black Hole: First of all, The Black Hole is wildly scientifically inaccurate, but it's very entertaining. A deep-space exploration crew comes across a black hole and a presumed-lost starship orbiting it. Onboard that ship they meet an insane scientist who wants to go into the black hole. Amidst all the laser firefights with robots the film touches upon metaphysical concepts with its final scenes.

First Men in the Moon8. First Men In The Moon: Ray Harryhausen, famous for his fantasy creations, actually produced and did the effects for this adaptation of Jules Verne's classic tale of British explorers landing on the moon at the turn of the century. Imaginative and thrilling, it is also a rare, early example of the steampunk genre on film.

Stargate7. Stargate: Before the long-running TV series and its spinoffs there was the original film that spawned them. Stargate had the novel approach of an expeditionary force using a wormhole-creating machine to travel to another planet in another galaxy. Borrowing elements from Chariots Of The Gods? with its ancient astronauts angle, the film was a rousing adventure.

20106. 2010: This sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey suffers solely because of unfair comparisons to the original classic. Director Peter Hyams wisely chose not to copy the style of the original film and instead used 2010 (adapted from Arthur C. Clarke's book) to explain what happened in the original and move the story further. By going in another direction, 2010 is a grittier, more grounded film that feels scientifically accurate and plausible. This underrated gem is a true sequel.

Contact5. Contact: This Robert Zemeckis film adapts Carl Sagan's novel about what would happen if we received an extraterrestrial radio signal. The full socio-political ramifications are presented when humanity learns that we are not alone and it leads up to the building of a machine (based on alien-sent instructions) for an unknown purpose. Jodi Foster does some of her best acting as a scientist who uses the machine to ultimately travel through a wormhole and initiate first contact with alien life.

Europa Report4. Europa Report: A surprisingly effective found-footage film documents the last days of a doomed manned expedition to Jupiter's moon Europa. Six astronauts embark on a journey to Europa to find signs of life. A series of technical mishaps and hazards impede the mission, but the brave crew refuse to be deterred and carry on even in the face of death. Europa Report is unexpectedly captivating since the archival footage of the astronauts' transmissions create a feeling of intimacy and immediacy.

2001 A Space Odyssey3. 2001: A Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi masterpiece not only rewrote how sci-fi films are made but how they are perceived by the general public. From our distant prehistoric past to the then-future, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a genuine tour de force. Astronaut Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) leads a mission to Jupiter to investigate an alien monolith there. What he ultimately discovers set the standard for mind-blowing and abstract concepts and imagery that still holds up today, though many critics point out the film's dull pace and cold nature.

Interstellar2. Interstellar: In many ways, Interstellar is a spiritual, more emotional cousin to 2001: A Space Odyssey thanks to superb visuals and its adherence to scientific accuracy. Christopher Nolan's film about a team of astronauts using a wormhole to find a new world for colonization explores cutting edge scientific theories with mind-bending results. However, as fanciful as Interstellar gets with weird physics, the film is sincerely heartfelt as it examines notion that compassion and love are the greatest driving forces in the universe in the face of the harshness of space.

Forbidden Planet1. Forbidden Planet: A space age retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest, Forbidden Planet is one of the best sci-fi films ever made and one can see how it influenced Star Trek. In the 23rd century a starship crew journeys to Altair IV to investigate an earlier expedition sent to that planet. What they discover is a long-dead alien city and two remaining human survivors from the expedition, Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter Altaira (Anne Francis). The crew's investigation of the Altair IV and the advanced lost civilization soon becomes threatened by an unleashed evil entity. The core of Forbidden Planet was the exploration of the alien civilization and its surrounding mystery. Adding to its virtue is the film's callback to pulpy, adventurous sci-fi tales and excellent production values.

Lewis T. Grove