An "F" Cinemascore-rated film that's now a cult classic. A satirical experience
that flew over the audience's heads. The one film that influenced the future of
sci-fi space travel. Here are the space operas every sci-fi fan needs to see.
Warning: This video contains fast, flashing images. Viewer discretion is advised,
especially for those with photosensitive epilepsy.
1997's "The Fifth Element" is a truly wild film. The film is set in the 23rd century,
where Earth is ruled by corporate leaders. The wicked Zorg sends his alien assassins to
capture the super-powered warrior Leeloo, who receives unexpected assistance from
the flying taxicab driver Dallas. Once a member of Earth's military forces,
Dallas must return to his former profession to help Leeloo save the universe.
Luc Besson's hyper-stylized, over-the-top vision of the future may not be for everyone. However,
for those who enjoy space operas that are unafraid to get weird, "The Fifth Element"
is a cult classic. It was a passion project for the idiosyncratic filmmaker,
who first conceived of the story when he was a teenager. In Besson's dystopian future,
it's unsurprisingly a motley group of heroes who are tasked with saving the universe.
Speaking of a motley group of heroes, "The Guardians of the Galaxy" are about as motley
as they get. The film's heroes aren't altruistic do-gooders; they're a band of misfits that form a
strange dysfunctional family. The outlaw Peter Quill, the assassin Gamora, the warrior Drax,
and the bounty hunters Rocket Racoon and Groot have been treated like "losers." Surprisingly,
they end up becoming the only heroes that can stand up to the evil Ronan the Accuser.
Director James Gunn's eclectic soundtrack of 1970s hits also made the film feel distinct
from inspirations like "Star Wars" or "Flash Gordon," and helped set
"The Guardians of the Galaxy" apart from both the superhero and space opera genres.
"On my planet there's a legend about people like you. It's called 'Footloose.'"
Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 film "Solaris" is a beloved science fiction classic, but surprisingly,
some fans feel Steven Soderbergh's 2002 remake was able to top the original. This was surprising
because when the film came out, it was met with an intensely negative reaction from most general
audiences. The film bombed at the box office, and earned a rare "F" Cinemascore from audiences.
Why? Well, "Solaris" follows Dr. Chris Kelvin, a psychologist who is approached by the enigmatic
DBA corporation to join the crew of a space station orbiting the distant planet Solaris.
During the interstellar voyage to the planet, Kelvin receives
mysterious visions of his dead wife, and is unable to separate his dreams from reality.
Soderbergh's "Solaris" was intended for crowds that appreciated arthouse cinema,
combining space opera with psycho-sexual elements to create a surrealist nightmare.
Fans expecting a popcorn blockbuster were confused and upset, but viewers watching
it now with realistic expectations are discovering it to be a cult classic.
Debuting in the funny pages in 1934, Flash Gordon was the original space opera hero.
But it wasn't until the success of 1977's "Star Wars" launched a new wave of sci-fi
cinema that "Flash Gordon" finally got the big screen treatment he deserved.
1980's big budget "Flash Gordon" feature film centers on the titular hero,
a New York Jets football star who is transported to the planet Mongo
after Earth is threatened by a series of mysterious attacks. Mongo is under the
control of the ruthless Emperor Ming the Merciless. Flash teams up with
his love interest Dale Arden to unite the citizens of Mongo against the evil empire.
Ironically, it had been George Lucas's failure to secure the rights to "Flash
Gordon" that inspired him to create "Star Wars." However,
"Flash Gordon" didn't feel like it was treading on familiar territory; compared to
its contemporaries, the action-packed film had a refreshingly tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.
1999's "Galaxy Quest" is a hilarious spoof of both science fiction franchises and their fans. The
film focuses on the cast of the titular sci-fi series, think: "Star Trek", who have struggled
since the show's cancellation and now must make their living by attending fan conventions. The
show's leading man, Jason Nesmith, irritates his cast mates with his egocentric behavior.
As Jason grows disillusioned with the decline of his career, he's contacted by the real alien race,
the Thermians. The Thermians' leader asks for Jason's help defeating a vicious alien warlord,
who is searching for a secret weapon called the "Omega 13." The Thermians have watched all of
"Galaxy Quest," but mistakenly believe the show is a real, historical document. Jason and his
castmates must become the heroes that they once played on television to ultimately defeat Sarris.
"Galaxy Quest" isn't just funny, it's also a touching tribute to sci-fi, which has led
many fans to unofficially consider it the best "Star Trek" film ever made.
The sci-fi films of the 1950s proved that space operas could work as long-form stories,
with Fred M. Wilcox's 1956 classic "Forbidden Planet" setting many precedents.
"Forbidden Planet" takes place in the 23rd Century, where the United Planets governmental
body is searching for a spaceship lost on a distant planet. Commander John J. Adams and
his Lieutenants Jerry Farman and Doc Ostrow are dispatched to find the ship's commander,
Dr. Edward Morbius. When Adams' crew reaches the planet's surface,
Morbius warns them that they are in danger. He is studying an ancient race known as the Krell,
and fears that their technology could be stolen.
The story is a loose retelling of William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest," and it
wasn't shy with its ambitions. It was the first film that ever featured faster-than-light space
travel and took place almost entirely on an extraterrestrial planet. These concepts
were heavily influential on future popular franchises like "Star Wars,"
"Star Trek," and "Alien." The film also broke boundaries with the character Robby the Robot.
Unlike robots in older sci-fi stories, Robby was a major character who had a sense of humor.
"Genuine ancient rocket bourbon."
"Quiet please. I am analyzing."
[Burps]
Paul Verhoeven's subversive 1997 science fiction war film "Starship Troopers" was ahead of its
time. The film was based on the pro-militaristic 1959 novel of the same name by Robert A. Heinlein.
Verhoeven transformed the material into a satire of fascism, intolerance, and media consumerism.
The brilliance of "Starship Troopers" is that the characters were written to be as generic
as possible; they easily buy into the propaganda material they are fed by their extremely patriotic
government. The film takes place in the 23rd Century, where humans have conquered other planets
and wage war against a monstrous alien race known as "the Bugs." In the United Citizen Federation,
citizenship is only granted to those that have served in the military.
Not every viewer seemed to pick up on the film's satirical themes: "Starship Troopers" received
some critical blowback that accused it of being the exact type of brainless studio action film
that it was satirizing. But the film has since earned its due acclaim as a sci-fi classic.
The plot of Frank Herbert's science fiction novel "Dune" is well known.
Central protagonist Paul Atreides is overwhelmed by the responsibilities of his heritage,
torn between the mystical powers of his mother's mysterious sect and the worldly
might of his father's position as ruler of House Atreides. When the Emperor assigns
House Atreides to take control of the desert planet Arrakis, it sparks a conflict with the
rival clan House Harkonnen, forcing Paul to grow into his birthright as a leader.
Director Denis Villeneuve's 2021 adaptation of "Dune" - or, at least,
the first half of it - may be the best and most faithful interpretation of Herbert's epic yet.
More than one great director has been defeated by "Dune's" scope before,
though. In the 1970s, the Chilean surrealist filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky began working
on an ambitious version of "Dune" that never saw the light of day.
David Lynch finally brought "Dune" to the big screen in 1984, but Lynch himself was
not satisfied with the version that audiences saw. The filmmaker was not granted final cut
on the film, and it became the rare critical and financial failure of his acclaimed career.
Villeneuve was able to avoid these issues and create a new space opera classic. Villeneuve's
"Dune" does a great job at explaining the complex political mythology of the source material,
but it does not forget that the characters are just as important as the world-building.
Gene Roddenberry's 1966 science fiction series "Star Trek" changed science fiction forever,
despite only being on the air for three seasons. A decade after the series was canceled,
the original creative team began developing the follow up series "Star Trek: Phase II,"
but instead decided to bring the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise to the big screen.
1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" wasn't the film that fans had in mind.
Compared to the adventurous tone of the series, "The Motion Picture" was a slow,
philosophical film that had more in common with the cold science fiction of "2001: A Space
Odyssey." Fans, though, wanted action, romance, and drama. They wanted "The Wrath of Khan."
The 1982 sequel "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" was superior on every level. "Wrath of
Khan" didn't just capture the original series' mix of humor, action, and suspense, it also brought
back the show's strongest villain, the space warlord Khan. Although the franchise continues
to this day, four decades later "Wrath of Khan" remains the best official "Star Trek" film yet.
"Khaaaaan!"
Although there had been sci-fi horror films before 1979's "Alien," Ridley Scott's terrifying classic
was a straight-up slasher movie set in outer space. The beauty of the original "Alien" is
its simplicity. While later installments in the franchise got caught up in complex mythology
that explained the origins of the Xenomorph creatures, the first film is focused on suspense.
Scott created a claustrophobic nightmare that embodied the fear of the unknown.
"Alien" was distinct from the space operas that came before because its
heroes were working-class people. The crew of the commercial spaceship "Nostromo" are simply
blue-collar laborers on a routine ship. To them, space travel isn't wondrous; it's just a job.
"Alien" also introduced one of the greatest science fiction heroines of all time: Ellen
Ripley. In many ways, Ripley is similar to a "final girl" from a slasher film,
and ultimately proves herself to be the smartest and bravest member of the crew.
Decades after the release of the original film, the "Star Wars" franchise is still growing. And,
indeed, there are very few franchises as instantly recognizable as George Lucas'
science fiction fantasy saga. Even if you've never seen a "Star Wars" movie
all the way through, you probably know who Han Solo, Chewbacca and Darth Vader are.
Fans continue to debate what the best film in the series is,
and there are many worthy contenders. However, it's still hard to top the original 1977 classic.
"Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope" sparked the imaginations of generations
of moviegoers. There are many genius things that Lucas did with the first installment,
but the most important was introducing compelling characters. The farm boy Luke Skywalker wasn't a
larger-than-life superhero like Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers; he was a relatable teenager,
who just wanted to leave home in search of adventure. Luke wasn't all that different
from the adolescent heroes of Lucas's 1973 coming-of-age film "American Graffiti."
Even if their quest was flooded in mythology, the characters in "Star Wars" felt grounded and real.
There are few films in cinematic history that have been as influential as 1968's "2001:
A Space Odyssey." Stanley Kubrick's game-changing sci-fi epic is a
beautiful adventure that continues to fascinate cinephiles to this day,
inspiring numerous interpretations of the film's famously ambiguous ending.
"2001: A Space Odyssey" begins during the dawn of evolution. The film opens with a prehistoric
sequence, in which a tribe of apes encounters a mysterious object. This monolith inspires them
to create their first tools and weapons. Millions of years later, the monolith is rediscovered near
a U.S. base on the lunar surface. Astronauts are dispatched to investigate it, but the
ship's navigator, the artificial intelligence HAL 9000, begins to develop his own consciousness.
HAL rebels against the ship's human crew… and what happens after that is up to you to decide.
"Open the pod bay doors, Hal." "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."
"2001: A Space Odyssey" is among the most visually stunning movies ever made. A full year before the
"Apollo 11" mission took flight, Kubrick and his visual effects team created a realistic depiction
of space travel that was unlike anything audiences had ever seen before - or have seen since.
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