Best Space Opera Films
What is a space opera and why do people enjoy this genre?
Space operas are science-fiction films that often take place in outer space. They encompass many different themes, but often focus on the hero’s journey. People enjoy these types of movies because they combine all of the elements we love about sci-fi: aliens, spaceships, futuristic technology and more. Not to mention it’s fun to see what kind of new species we’ll be meeting and how they will interact with the hero.
This list contains some of the most popular space operas and what makes them great.
1) Star Wars (1977)
George Lucas created one of the greatest sci fi films in this fun western-esque adventure film. He also made a franchise that could be seen as a blueprint for successful franchises with its great cast of characters and interesting story lines. Plus, who could forget the “May the force be with you” line?
2) Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Created as a sequel to the original Star Trek series, this film has what sci-fi fans love: cool spaceships and aliens. Also, they created a successful franchise, which is still going strong today.
3) Jupiter Ascending (2015)
This is another great sci-fi story that has a new and exciting plot. It’s about the daughter of a housekeeper who gets sent to space and learns she is not human, but rather an acendent of aliens. She must fight off an evil genetic family and fulfill her destiny as queen of Earth.
4) The Fifth Element (1997)
This is a favorite for many sci-fi fans. This story follows a taxi driver who accidentally saves the world from an evil alien bent on destroying every living thing on Earth. What makes this movie unique is that it combines comedy with adventure and sci-fi, which we don’t see often in this genre.
5) The Martian (2015)
Based on the novel of the same name, this film follows an astronaut who is stranded on Mars for over a year when his crew thinks he died from a dust storm. He must use his knowledge to survive until they can rescue him.
6) Pacific Rim (2013)
This is another favorite for many sci-fi fans. It takes place in the near future where robots are forced to fight off giant monsters that threaten to wipe out humanity. People watch it because they enjoy seeing the robot vs monster battles, of course.
7) Interstellar (2014)
This film is about astronauts who must travel through a wormhole near Saturn in order to find a new home for people on Earth. They must also ensure that humanity continues to survive. This movie has great visuals and is known among sci-fi fans for its interesting plot, especially once they get to their destination.
8) Guardians of The Galaxy (2014)
This film is the first in a series that focuses on superheroes fighting together to save the galaxy. This is different than most space operas because it has little emphasis on the “space” part of its title. Instead, Guardians focuses mainly on the heroes and their story lines. It still meets all of the criteria for this list, though.
9) The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
This is the second installment of George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise. It follows our favorite group of heroes on their journey to save Han Solo from evil Darth Vader. There are epic lightsaber battles, space dogfights and more in this classic sci-fi film.
10) Valerian and The City of A Thousand Planets (2017)
Based on the French comic series, Valerian follows two special operatives who must travel to an intergalactic city in order to stop a dark force that has taken over. Together they journey through space and discover new species and planets. It’s almost like an adult version of Star Wars.
11) The Last Starfighter (1984)
This is a classic for our list. It’s about an arcade champion who gets sucked into outer space in order to fight off aliens by using his video game skills. This is one of the earliest films to show the potential of computerized special effects, which makes it fun to watch.
12) District 9 (2009)
This is another favorite. This movie is about an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum conditions on Earth. A human organization decides to relocate them after years of tension between the two races. District 9 has great special effects, like most modern sci-fi films, and it tells a story that you don’t see much in movies.
13) The Terminator (1984)
This is another classic in the sci-fi genre, which was followed by 5 more films in this franchise. It’s about a robot from the future who comes back to kill the mother of an unborn leader who will later lead humanity against machines. This film has spawned many imitations and was one of the first to use computer graphics.
Space operas are a great way to get lost in an imaginative world where anything is possible. The variety of stories and themes provide something for everyone who enjoys this genre, from comedy to adventure with sci-fi elements thrown into the mix.
These movies show that it’s not just about space exploration or aliens anymore; there’s plenty of room for human drama as well!
Which one was your favorite? Comment down below!