The 13 Best Space Opera Movies, In All Sci-Fi

[@larryblou3374]

Admittedly lesser known for it's age, I would have put "The Forbidden Planet" somewhere in this list. The story, casting and special effects for it's day were phenomenal.

[@jamesdavis7857]

Bingo! As the first serious space opera, Forbidden Planet should have been Number One! It gave a glimpse of the vast stretches of space. It was shot in full color, when other space operas were shot in b/w for another decade. It had a music track entirely made on an oscilloscope. It adapted a Shakespeare play, The Tempest, as science fiction. It had the requisite cheesecake for a space opera in the person of leggy, miniskirted Anne Francis. Its robot, Robby, even did its own guest appearances on a variety of shows. I can't believe this video used clips of the saucer-like space ship two or three times, without even mentioning where they got it!

[@ygstuff4898]

I'm a big fan of Forbidden Planet. Given it's release year, the actors, the plot, and the effects...all brilliant. But it's not really a "space opera," based on the criteria of the list...the main story does not take place in space.

[@ScipioAfricanusI]

@@jamesdavis7857 Forbidden Planet is GREAT! That I think is undeniable. However, it all takes place on a planet and he is looking for movies set in space. I would have included Silent Running.

[@vapoet]

@@ygstuff4898 It really needed a mention of the ones that didn't quite fit into the list, mentioned alongside Abyss and the rest. Sadly the images are shown repeatedly and no one learns where the scenes are from.

[@southsidetattoo]

Great movie. It was a retelling of Shakespeare's Tempest BUT... With Robbie the frigging Robot and Leslie Nielsen before he was funny.

[@Trickey_]

How in the world can you, with a straight face, rank Thor Ragnarok above The Fifth Element and Last Starfighter?! If anything, Thor should be at 13, Guardians at 12, then go from there. Personally I think The Fifth Element deserves to be in the top 5

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Fifth Element is great, but not that great!

[@Trickey_]

@@GiantFreakinRobot Same can be said for Thor & Guardians. The Fifth Element was at least close to a space opera. Thor & Guardians aren't even close to qualifying. They're barely scifi

[@don63]

Amen

[@User_Un_Friendly]

And the Last Starfighter is AWESOME!!! 🎉🫡. "Greetings Starfighter!"🚀🛸

[@colinbarnard6512]

As a comparison, this is dandruff placed next to psoriasis, placed next to Shingles.

[@jamesdisalvo814]

The French aren't known for their love of science fiction? Jules Verne, a Frenchman, invented the genre, but we'll just ignore that.

[@Demo-critus]

And AlphaVille.

[@thatjeff7550]

Valarian and Laureline.

[@chuckintexas]

Yeah , but their "history" on the subject _since_ then is non-existent .

[@tricisport8259]

What about The Expanse.

[@Demo-critus]

The Substance

[@Eniral441]

I loved The Last Starfighter. It's not mentioned often. Thank you for including it.

[@brkly99]

I love the Chronicles of Riddick! I don’t think it is is an example of bad space opera, quite the contrary in my view

[@imkluu]

Was going to comment the same. I had no idea anyone thought that it was a bad movie.

[@margarethorrall8621]

Came here to say this. The Chronicles of Riddick and Pitch Black were great, though Pitch Black took place mostly on a planet.

[@dimitarantonov490]

Absolutely agree 💯💯

[@dimitarantonov490]

​@@imkluuMe neither! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@rizzlervontrappe1515]

The directors cut is great

[@tkskagen]

FIREFLY took my heart and reanimated my soul for Sci-Fi films, in my opinion, this was the pinicle of Space Opra! Although the original series was cut short, I still wished for another season or three...

[@chuckintexas]

ABSOLUTELY . Its the ONE on this list (besides ST-OS) that _I_ woud fund a ressurection of , if _I_ could afford it .

[@mikhael00777]

Yes, the T.V. series was great. First Episode was horrible acting, but interesting story, then as the season progressed the acting got better and better, the story too progressed. I am extremely glad they did a big screen movie because it made watching the T.V. series worth it, brought everything together and gave us a great conclusion, they had completely nailed it on the head.

[@fortyseven1832]

I tried to watch it. Was not for me

[@jhe9521]

one of my fave go-to dvd night selections but likely a tad too diverse, character wise, for eurocentric vid host

[@ygstuff4898]

When I saw "The Last Starfighter" in the theatres, I was too young to appreciate how amazing it truly is. I've watched it a number of times as I grew up, and still have the same emotions from when I saw it the first time. This is a movie that needs a sequel or reboot, with modern special effects and story-telling.

[@MrSurguy-fb2hy]

It was actually one of the first movies to use CGI effects to create the space ship. Each shot took months to render on mainframe computers the size of a room.

[@charlesspringer4709]

It is an idea everyone thought about when the arcade games began to appear. Starfighter came out one year before "Ender's Game" was published, which is a ripoff of the concept. Both are variations on a similator-becomes-real-battle-without-knowing from Heinlein's "Citizen of the Galaxy". Where I live they force high schoolers to read Ender as literature, which should be a crime.

[@MistWing]

I would love to see this as a reboot or a sequel, provided it was at least as good as the original. Too many times they fall sort

[@dellawrence4323]

No point, it would be destroyed by DEI, just keep the memory of the original sacred.

[@Boncomics]

LUCKY. I watched it on HBO.

[@erictaylor5462]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="780">13:00</a> Kahn was most angry because Kirk left him not a single scrap of fine Corinthian leather. If you get that, you are old.

[@gladeloy3341]

Volare'

[@alieninwhite]

Is it good for stuffing chairs and make shoes?

[@stevenr5534]

Yes, some of us are old enough to get that reference! Corinthian leather or not "Wrath of Khan" was probably the best of the classic Star Trek movies.

[@jackmehoff915]

It's also the inspiration for Star Trek and and at least half of all star trek plots are based on this

[@charlesws7825]

Ryan Reynolds is old enough...just look at the start of the first Deadpool. 😁 Honest, Ricardo would make anyone want to buy a car back in the day!

[@RamZar50]

1982 was the single best year for sci-fi movies: - Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan - Blade Runner - The Thing - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial - Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

[@jamesyoung6379]

The Thing was a remake of a 1950s movie of the same name.

[@RamZar50]

@@jamesyoung6379 Yes but in this case the remake was much better. Both are based on John W. Campbell Jr.’s “Who Goes There?” book from 1938. - The Thing (1982) - The Thing from Another World (1951)

[@nick_merchant]

Can't agree more.

[@simonharris4873]

You think mad max was sci-fi?

[@RamZar50]

@@simonharris4873 The Mad Max franchise is based on a post-apocalyptic and dystopian future.

[@robertcain7630]

it's a TV series rather than a feature film, but if you want the best space opera I have just I thing to say Babylon 5

[@MistWing]

Well, for a B5 movie, I would say "In The Beginning" would be deserving to be on this list

[@brocephas8553]

If you're gonna go there, I'll see your Babylon 5 and raise Andromeda!

[@BraveSirPaul]

@@brocephas8553 and I raise you with The Expanse

[@LadyDath]

@@brocephas8553 Fine TV show, but it didn't have Ivanova. So I think Bab 5 wins that one... barely. No boom today, boom tomorrow, there is always a boom tomorrow.

[@l00k4tstuff]

@@LadyDath The Expanse for the win.

[@Kemulnitestryker]

I have two words for anyone at Giant Freakin' Robot who thinks that The Fifth Element deserves 13th place on the list - "Smoke You!"

[@Bondoz007]

We have a TV channel in Australia that on 5th day of 5th Month (May) it plays 5th element on repeat - 5 times. Brilliant

[@LarryHoth]

I think it should be above Wall-E, but wall-ick was not on my list!

[@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394]

Moolti pahss.

[@chuckintexas]

_I_ might heve put it higer on the list too , _maybe_ , but if you look at the *list* , he _maybe_ has it about right ?

[@paultidwell4118]

The Fifth Element still holds my personal record for the most times I have seen a movie in the theather on its initial release at seven. So, yes, it should be higher than thirteenth.

[@dannythomson5239]

if you havnt watched 'Serenity' i would suggest watching the tv show Firefly that inspired IT,the cast and fans got together to fund the film. Serenity ties up lots of loose ends the tv show never got to because it was canceled too soon. i vote them both EPIC.

[@MrGconstantine1972]

Yes. It was cancelled too soon.

[@paulshort1027]

I watched Serenity first and then Firefly as a prologue. It still worked.

[@downhomesunset]

@@paulshort1027A great show that Fox cancelled and robbed us of a great show!

[@mcamodell]

Agreed, Serenity is just Firefly - episodes 15-20 condensed

[@kenbrown2808]

the whedonverse is definitely the best space opera setting since the star wars galaxy. and it can be argued that it is the best of all time.

[@miltiadispaliouras6501]

The Last Starfighter was the first ever movie we rented for our first VHS player. I am always going to remember that movie!!!

[@chuckintexas]

What a WONDERFUL memory !!

[@jjhpor]

The first movie I rented for our brand new VCR player was 20,000 leagues under the sea, an undersea sci-fi space opera written by a Frenchman!

[@mahatmarandy5977]

I feel like Forbidden Planet deserves a place on here

[@FodrMichalych]

It's the strangest list to think about. F'n LEXX is better then half of it.

[@scene2much]

Forbidden Planet - Space Opera Emeritus... it invented the Genre... the Big Bang of Space Opera.

[@demizer1968]

I'm just gonna throw this out there. It wasn't the greatest movie ever, but "Black Hole" never gets the love it deserves.

[@satweavers1]

I laughed all the way through that awful film.

[@rurallawwildwest9679]

As a kid, I loved that movie, but the astroid bowling ball was a bit much to accept, even as a kid.

[@dellawrence4323]

In Space no one can hear you laugh.

[@derekwhidden9730]

I wholeheartedly agree. Disney took some real risks, made a lot of mistakes and came out with a halfway decent film. It had Star Wars to compete with because that movie set the bar for the time and it was an extremely high bar. Lucas also had a money printing machine with that film and Disney knew it, and wanted a piece of that action.

[@jimbaranski4687]

Black Hole was so bad it was great! Totally Campy!

[@850cathedral]

I was a huge Star Trek fan as a kid. However, I saw a trailer for a smart-looking sci-fi movie the summer of 1975, in the opening to the movie Silver Streak (itself a great movie), and made a mental note to see it when it came out. The movie was called Star Wars, and surprisingly, had little promotion right before the movie launched. Still, I recalled my mental note, and one boring summer day, when I had nothing better to do, I looked in the movie section of the paper and saw that it was playing that day. I saw the original movie, with my brother, on opening day, the first showing, at the Century 22, (a state of the art movie theater in Silicon Valley, before it was known as Silicon Valley), complete with Dolby - back when it had just been invented. My sister drove us to the theater, where we walked up to the ticket window, purchased the last two tickets - which turned out to be smack next to each other in the center of the theater (we couldn't believe our luck). As we sat down, the curtain parted, the movie began, and I've never been the same since...

[@sageoz9886]

Great experience! Mine was similar is that I was at the opening show at Grauman’s Chinese theater because my mom worked there at the time. I was lucky to spend much of my school vacation watching it over and again dozens of times

[@unwatchedspacebum]

I like the Star Wars trilogy(and prequels) but I always thought they were over rated to star trek. I have never watched the original series, just TNG, DS9, and Voyager and I think those do a much better job for Star Trek...but I suppose you have to also remember that you are comparing a television show to a movie. Star Wars is made for the movie screen and was written for that format, Star Trek(in my opinion) does not do as well in movie format, and you could make the case that Star Wars tends not to do so well in television, but it is usually easier to translate action to television as opposed to make a movie out of what Star Trek does in episodic form--lets go spend 2 1/2 hours on a diplomatic mission while our movie makes a whole bunch of social commentary...that'll make 500 million dollars for sure!

[@pault151]

The Century 22 had assigned seating, in 1975? FWIW I saw SW in San Francisco at the Coronet, which I think also had assigned seating, and I was way the heck in the back. First time I'd been at a theater with assigned seating.

[@First_Command]

I think Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan is one of the greatest movies of all time, not just science fiction movies. It deals with the significance of life and death in a unique way, and is just as exciting, surprising, and riveting every time you watch it. That’s not easy to do.

[@ScottiveNatish]

Did you like the JJ Abrams version, Into Darkness?

[@isaacgabrahams]

@@ScottiveNatish I do not believe there are any reasons for Into Darkness and the rest of the Kelvin Timeline to exist?

[@stevealexander8010]

I loved TOS in the day, and Khan was certainly the best movie spinoff, but the crew acting, even in Khan, is pretty 'hammy'. It's actually one of Kirk/Shatner's endearing features is that he "embraces the ham".

[@HariSeldon913]

The movie was bad, but The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy deserves at least a dishonorable mention since the base story is so great. Spaceballs 100% deserves to be on the list because even as a parody the movie is great.

[@STho205]

There were pieces of the movie I liked best. I never liked the BBC visual of Zaphod...but I liked the Elvis crossed with Bill Clinton and the pop up hidden head made the party meeting with Trish work logically. However the radio Zaphod voice was best. Alan Rickman voicing an Apple TM cybernetic worked the comedy better than the sad sack robot costume. A manic depressive AI stuck in a happy looking cute Apple Ipod style robot wirked for me. Slardy was better than the Tele actor. Trish was more believable as an astrophysicist that was cute than the club girl that played Trillian as a rather silly blonde bimb0. Deep Thought was great. Arthur and Ford I liked better in all BBC renditions. However put all together with the new stuff...it was meh....partly because it had to be rushed to hit 90 minutes.

[@geofftottenperthcoys9944]

One of the few movies I did not like (Spaceballs) of his that was just a cash grab.

[@yvettelang1961]

They should remake Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I think the tech is available now. The book was hysterical. 😂

[@HariSeldon913]

@@yvettelang1961 I didn't consider tech to be a problem with the movie they made. The first thing that needs to be done is to make it an exclusively UK production - don't let anyone from the US near it until it's finalized, and I'm saying that as an American. Next, give it a decent run time so you don't have to remove the funny parts of the jokes (like cutting off the display department bit at it being in the cellar). And third, Zaphod has two heads at all times - he met Trillian at a costume party and put a birdcage over his second head to hide it.

[@frederikroux3549]

Oh yes,Spaceballs!What a classic!

[@sergenerli976]

A movie mentioned in previous comments, Forbidden Planet deserves a place on this list. In my humble opinion, it is the first of the modern era space operas, with its wonderful story line and special effects ahead of its time, Forbidden Planet transports us not only into outer space, but also into the future. The characters are easily identifiable with those of its time, and the suspense created by the concept of “Monsters of the Id” makes it border on a horror movie.

[@costiqueR]

I was only six when I saw it on BW TV, and I never forget it...

[@chuckintexas]

Agreed , in _general_ , BUT based on the core criterion that it "HAPPENS iN SPACE" causes Forbidden Planet to NOT qualify . It would be at the very _#1_ position in any list of _like_ examples , but as a "SPACE Opera" , it doesn't qualify .

[@lisawillis8227]

Forbidden Planet is awesome

[@Droppa1]

Based on the criteria it doesn't, it takes place on only one Planet.

[@sergenerli976]

​@@Droppa1 In outer space.

[@billblake9665]

I got into star trek in september of 1980 i was 13 and i only started watching it because there was nothing else on.The episode with kahn cemented my love for the show.......when I talked to my friends in school the next day I swear to god I said if they make a star trek 2 it should feature kahn..... yes, your damn straight I was there opening night in june of 82, and to this day there has never been a movie I anticipated more....the cheers that went up in the theater when kahn took off his mask.......man....the silence when spock dies............what a movie!!!!!!!

[@Lights_Darks]

Star Trek and Star Wars got me to want to explore the stars. Aliens and Event Horizon got me want to stay here on planet Earth. Lol

[@don63]

Eliminate the Marvel movies. They have their own genre. Add Forbidden Planet and I know its long, drawn out & doesnt have modern day effects, to be taken seriously, 2001 HAS to be on the list.

[@chrisoconor9314]

Not a space opera

[@MrGconstantine1972]

You have preached, how can anyone not include the science fiction movie that paved the way for STAR WARS. ALIEN, & THE FIFTH ELEMENT later on.

[@GizmoFromPizmo]

_Forbidden Planet_ is to space genre SciFi movies as Abraham is to Judeo-Christianity. It is the progenitor, the father of all the rest.

[@imkluu]

I agree, Super hero movies may fall under sci fi depending on the setting, but they are a different genre and should not be part of this list.

[@fortnummazeltov]

To be genuine "space opera", a film has to take place in space, in the future, full of bad science and rollicking good fun! 2001 is a great SF film, but definitely it's not space opera. I confess I never thought of Star Trek as space opera, but it most definitely is :)

[@GizmoFromPizmo]

"That guy who played the red shirt" 🤣 That was the GREAT Sam Rockwell (of _Moon_ fame).

[@forrestmiles5788]

“Guy, you have a last name.” “DO I? DO I?”

[@RICHIEV333]

Pretty sure that was a joke.

[@elsie900]

Indeed, but the joke was too good to pass up :-)

[@douglee2438]

I know this will be controversial, but the original space operas were the 1930s Flash Gordon/Buck Rogers. I think the 1980 Flash Gordon deserves a place, for its homage to the originals. It literally looks like a color remake of the original.

[@Bondoz007]

Not controversial at all - that's where space opera came from

[@lisawillis8227]

Truth

[@sleepinggorilla]

You could go even further by mentioning 20,000 Leagues under the Sea or even “From the Earth to the Moon”

[@crazypetec-130fe7]

Hawkmen... DIVE!!!

[@PhoenixNL72-DEGA-]

@@sleepinggorilla In what world would you classify 20,000 Leagues under the Sea as a space opera??? o.O

[@Bondoz007]

Flash Gordon from the 80s. Hell, it was the original Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials that created space opera

[@geofftottenperthcoys9944]

Cringy pile of crap!

[@charlesspringer4709]

It was Doc E.E. Smith and the Skylark books and the Lensman books and Maybe Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Mars books. And the Saturday matinee serials like Radar Men From the Moon. And Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon (He was also Tarzan).

[@jjhpor]

@@charlesspringer4709 I watched Flash Gordon (fighting Ming the Merciless) with Don Winslow of the Coast Guard and the other Saturday morning serials from the 1930s on a 10" television in 1950. They were big as life to me and I still remember scenes from them all.

[@sleepinggorilla]

Aaaaah!

[@JohnJ469]

@@charlesspringer4709 I did read somewhere that Warner Brothers had bought the rights for the Lensmen series and asked JMS about doing the movies. I don't know if it's still on but JMS really understands Space Opera. I've read a lot from the Golden Age and I agree, it was Doc Smith that really gave us Space Opera. The story doesn't get bigger than throwing suns at each other to sterilise a Galaxy.

[@DinoRodriguez]

You forgot about The Expanse on Amazon, what an amazing series, just wow!

[@lynndavis869]

I read my first science fiction novel at age 10, called "Space Egg". That was 66 years ago when science fiction novels were very rare and I managed to read all my public library had in a month or so because it was one rack with about 10 books at the time. My librarian was so thrilled that a 10 year old kid was coming in to read that she worked to expand the one shelf to a whole 6' tall book case in the next year or so.

[@davidbooth7778]

I had a very similar experience, wandered into school library in 4th grade and asked librarian for suggestions to read for fun. She gave me "Who Goes Next?", historical compilation of great prison escapes/attempts. When I brought it back, said it was good but wanted something different. Heinlein's "Red Planet" was next and I was suddenly an avid Scifi/fantasy reader.

[@JamesPolichak]

Maybe rare where you lived. My father bought an SF novel every day from 1955 to 1970 or so. One trick the publishers pulled now and then was to re-issue a novel with a different title.

[@nunyabizness6595]

​@JamesPolichak If you kept them you must have a fantastic library!

[@dhracecars]

Lost my love, lost my land Lost the last place I could stand There's no place I can be Since I've found Serenity

[@chuckintexas]

What a _WONDERFUL_ memory !

[@mikemartini3324]

Shiny.

[@RGreen-rt1fk]

My mind still, without warning nor stimulus, breaks out into... "Jayne.."

[@philoshaughnessy906]

This was good stuff. Almost an opera in itself. Many thanks for posting.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Thanks! Really appreciate it. We put a lot of work in to it, so it means a ton when people notice. Thank you!

[@lorensims4846]

2001: A Space Odyssey was 'science fiction'. Star Wars was 'space opera' and made the world safe for space movies that blatantly disregarded scientific reality. Jupiter Ascending? I would have added it to this list somewhere.

[@bobgabriels8456]

star wars is fantasy

[@Blodhelm]

Jupiter Ascending belongs in the bin, where it has been since it came out and people almost instantly forgot it.

[@FodrMichalych]

@@Blodhelm It has bad cut one plot hole and one miscast. I blame the director.

[@filanfyretracker]

Star Wars and Star Trek are also Scifi. its a broad category. 2001 is an example of Hard Scifi. Though I would argue that 2001 is vital to Star Wars, Because it was a turning point. A point that showed scifi on the big screen did not have to low rent B movie camp.

[@cdeford2]

The Riddick films were fine. They might not have been blockbusters but they were true to themselves with great stories and action. A film making a lot of money isn't automatically better than one that doesn't.

[@chuckintexas]

EXACTLY _RIGHT_ 👍!

[@BadWebDiver]

Pitch Black is still the best, with a really great story.

[@ibast1]

I think if they had a different lead they would be more well considered. Using Vin meant the audience was always going to be limited.

[@cdeford2]

@@ibast1 Perhaps so, though I've only seen him in these and I thought he was fine.

[@geraldherrmann787]

You put up a very nice list here, great. There‘d be more movies to mention, but maybe another time. I only have one complaint: no matter on which list Galaxy Quest appears, it ALWAYS has to be number 1. That is a natural law. 🙃

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Thanks!!!! Sorry, Galaxy Quest is not number 1 to me, but I'm very glad you enjoy it so much and I bet there is a lot of people here that may agree with you. :)

[@Keithedwardsartist]

Surely Forbidden Planet should get a mention!! For everyone watching it when it was released, before we even knew if other planets existed outside our own solar system, it took place in “outer space” as we perceived it then.

[@mikestory2269]

Oh yeah, and little robot huei. Watering the plants drifting through space in the last forest ship from Earth 🌎. Oohhh Rejoice, in the Suuunnnnn... Silent Running.

[@BillCasey-r7c]

Absolutely loved it

[@stevenbentley310]

One of my favorite films of all-time. Saw it for the first time at the drive-in when I was a kid in the '70's. Just a fantastic movie.

[@VolkerGoller]

Multipass.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Leeloo

[@laughingjackaso8163]

@@GiantFreakinRobot i fell in love with Milla because of that film 😉

[@AnthonyTobyEllenor-pi4jq]

Firwfly, Space above and Beyond, 1984 Dune, Pitch Black, Event Horizon, all deserve a mention. The Villeneuve Dune needed a more masculine Paul, a prettier Alia and an older Jessica who could act ( I would have chosen Eva Green as Jessica), the rest of the cast were brilliant but Skarsgard and Monoa were dreadfully underused. When Dune is mentioned the first scene that springs to mind is 1984 version, Piter bringing the Dukes reply, best scene in any sci-fi movie yet made !

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Yeah!!!! Right on!!!

[@fredsimmons6188]

Holy crap! I totally agree with this list (except for Thor). I'm shocked.

[@AltairZielite]

If you can make yourself forget that Rogue One was a prequel of Star Wars... It is one of my favorites if you can imagine it as a stand alone.

[@permalm3481]

Rogue One was the episode VII that I had been hoping for

[@Blodhelm]

Even better with Andor before it.

[@erictaylor5462]

As someone who saw the Last Star Fighter when it came out, I can say, back in the day, the SFX looked amazing. And who has ever been more bad ass than the bad guy on an out of control ship headed to a crash in the moon who, when asked what to do, he looks up and says, "We die." What more bad ass line has there ever been?

[@polarisjq]

You totally skipped by Battlestar Galactica

[@buffhead2004]

Not a movie, but definitely awesome. The one from the 70s was great, but the remake (where Starbuck is a woman)was incredible.

[@thatjeff7550]

@@buffhead2004 (squints at you for a second but does a Google search) Okay, technically Battlestar Galactica was a TV show FIRST but folks edited the pilot into a movie before the TV show aired in the US. I was doubting my memory on that one as I saw the movie first, THEN the TV show.

[@ronlaverdiere]

@@buffhead2004it was a movie first. Then a tv series. It definitely spawned a decent legacy.

[@stevensolomon9512]

_Alien_ is horror, not space opera.

[@DukeWeIIington]

This is a great list, and gutsy. However, 2001 is a masterpiece. Also, that other space opera by Besson, Valerian, is underrated.

[@lukeyznaga7627]

I agree about Star Trek 2 Wrath of Kahn. Migod...what a classic. It really enhance our lives for us Star Trek fans.

[@pamgallina]

As far as I'm concerned, it saved the franchise

[@PeBoVision]

i would say that Star Trek II, III & IV are a single entity, as much as Star Wars IV,V & VI or Dune I & II. While Wrath of Khan borrows heavily from nautical tales (Specifically Horratio Hornblower, the inspiration for James T Kirk), and The Voyage Home, may be disqualified from 'Space Opera' for taking place primarily on earth, that film is the closing installment of a trilogy that runs a continuous narrative thread. To only include Khan because it might be the best example on the list, is tantamount to listing a single act of a III-act play. (and out of the approximate 6-hour runtime of the 'Star-Trek Trilogy', Voyage Home only adds an hour of earth-bound adventure, so including the trilogy as a single story, includes all 3 films in your thesis. Television has now given us Babylon Five (the truest example of Space Opera ever to hit the small screen), Battlestar Galactica's reboot series, Australia's amazing Farscape (where the ship itself is the fat-lady-singing), and the absolutely brilliant "The Expanse", aa the technical advantages of a theatrical release have melted away. (I'd add 'Space, Above and Beyond' as an honourable mention). So perhaps a part two that covers television?? btw, my love of Starship Troopers, is how Paul Verhoeven subverted the overt fascism of Heinlein's novel in a way that mirrors fascist propaganda itself. It is replete with Siss-Boom-Bah patriotism containing the perfect level of blind loyalty. I found it to be so much more that it appears to be on the surface and that it injected more subtle depth to the world-building than Heinlein did. I never wondered if man might be the 'bad guy' reading the novel, and had no doubt that was the message of the film Also read Clarke's novelization of 2001 - A Space Odyssey, it will completely change your next viewing of the film (which I watch at least once a year for the past since the advent of home media playback). (I don't take issue with your including Thor:Ragnarok, but it ranked WAY too high IMO.)

[@SirPaul928]

Terrific comments! Sincerely.

[@mpetrison3799]

The plots may be loosely linked. But Star Trek III is unwatchably bad.

[@RossTrusler]

@@mpetrison3799 While no match for Khan, I find The Search for Spock quite watchable. In that film, as the Enterprise burns up in atmosphere, Bones gets the best line in all of Star Trek.

[@Eniral441]

I love Star Trek IV, but most people say it's the worst. I thought of Babylon 5 too, but it was a TV Series.

[@PeBoVision]

@@mpetrison3799 Loosely linked? It brings Spock back from the dead. I would say that makes it inextricably linked.

[@ancientbuilds3764]

Dark Star for the funniest argument with a bomb.

[@alieninwhite]

fiat lux

[@robote7679]

Fun and comprehensive. May not have agreed with all your thoughtful choices this was entertaining and well done. Thanks.

[@JamesStripling]

Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets absolutely belongs on this list.

[@Rocksite1]

A victim of probably the worst casting in sci-fi. He's supposed to be a grizzled, old Harrison Ford type, and many of the lines have him talking that way, but it's unconvincing coming from a kid.

[@JamesStripling]

@@Rocksite1 So what? I never read the book. Frodo Baggins was an old man, too, but that doesn't take away from LOTR being a great.

[@jamesanderson5268]

I tried to watch that movie. Stopped about 20 minutes into it. Dead boring.

[@JamesStripling]

@@jamesanderson5268 I felt the same way about Dune.

[@TubeNotMe]

I can see it replacing Last Starfighter at the bottom of the list.

[@sandybottom6623]

2001 is fabulous. Have watched it several times. Certainly don't tire of it. It was one of the first of the new generation of scifi movies. It was very prescient.

[@Baby_Valentine]

2001 isn't Space Opera. Spaceballs is, and should be on your list at Ludicrous Speed.

[@darrenmclaughlin1362]

For me, the thing that really made "The Fifth Element" fun and entertaining was the music and the action being so in sync.

[@ecogent]

Thank you for recommending Serenity! What a gem!

[@ronaldshank8665]

The movie Dune should not be on any list except "How to Destroy an Author's Story". The movie "Dune" is so far removed from the story in Frank Herbert's book "Dune" the movie should not be allowed to even reference Frank Herbert nor Dune. The movie should be renamed "Sand" or something of that nature. "Dune Pt 2" was even more far removed from the book that it should have to be called something like "More Sand".

[@markbloom2105]

That is, talking 'bout that 'New" version of Dune.

[@jaredharris1940]

You're right but I still like the first Dune!

[@gr3yh4wk1]

Books dont always translate well to film. I remember watching LoTR : Fellowship and thanking the maker it was delivered as a movie and not a conversion of the book. There were some ropey as hell bits in the book such as the bonkers faffing about with Tom Bombadil.

[@drizzleprism5826]

K dude

[@zephyrbiscuit6487]

Many might call it a goofy cartoon, but I think Treasure Planet deserved at least an honorable mention.

[@Insightfill]

Fantastic reimagining of "Treasure Island." Although set on Earth, "Atlantis" was also good.

[@sleepinggorilla]

I LOVE Treasure Planet. One of Disney’s best.

[@FodrMichalych]

Furry gel

[@alieninwhite]

@@Insightfill funny enough, Anthony Quinn had his own Italian low budget version years before

[@mayshusalmighty7858]

The fact that you have put The Wrath of Khan at number one in your list, makes this the best list of Sci-Fi movies ever created... Bravo, Sir! Bravo...!

[@mikewatts1533]

3 Things. Hell Yeah! Wraith of Khan is number 1 all the way! Don't disrespect Fifth Element. It should be higher. Why wasn't Farscape even mentioned?!?! Thanks.

[@fanofc-adecoulomb8477]

At least "Farscape: The peacekeeper wars"...most people aren't familiar with it, but it was a great Sci-Fi TV series capped off by a movie-like capstone, like Battlestar Galactica.

[@artiemedley9369]

Excellent! The Wrath Of Khan is my favorite space movie of all time.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

You have excellent tastes.

[@chuckintexas]

One of _MY_ two - with Serenity a *very* CLOSE _second_ !

[@DC-Aust]

Space opera requires more than just space.

[@grene1955]

No question, these are all great pics for this list. I can't argue with any of them. Very happy to see Serenity rated high!

[@raymondgrose9118]

The Last Starfighter was a favourite.

[@drfirechief8958]

You nailed it. The wide variety but utterly similar movies is a fantastic list. It reminds me that even with good directors, all stories start out with good writers. Most good directors have a writing core. Without imagination, there is no story. That's what's missing in Hollywood right now.

[@bwtv147]

You should have given an honorable mention to Roger Corman's fun, trashy "Battle Beyond The Stars". One of the many remakes of "Seven Samurai". John Boy in the lead. Robert Vaughn repeating his role from "The Magnificent Seven". A space ship designed to suggest Sybil Danning's physique. A good, low budget popcorn movie.

[@thatjeff7550]

And George Peppard in his role of "Not Han Solo"! LOL

[@christiangibbs8534]

I never thought of "Wrath of Khan" as being a submarine movie, but that is exactly what it is like. Great observation. Thanks for making and posting the video.

[@bettersteps]

Playing Khan was Ricardo Montalban's best role. I watch 2001 all the time. I watch Kubrick all the time though.

[@NosePrint]

This list gave me reason to subscribe. Nice work

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Welcome aboard!

[@dave.s62]

Perfect list (even #14 - Event Horizon, the best creepiest movie). Well done GFR!! Don’t change a thing.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Thanks!!!

[@chuckintexas]

i _especially_ approve of your #1 pick 👍!

[@paparazziphotography6712]

This was very,very FUN! Thanks & I'm waiting for the next installment.. Mr. Hop....

[@fionarras4736]

Babylon 5 - In the Beginning, was always a movie I liked for its tying up loose ends of the aeries and it's deliberations on humanity.

[@jongoff7829]

I think yours is the first list I've ever agreed with 100% Good job!

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Thanks!

[@chuckintexas]

... _ESPECIALLY_ with ST-II at the #1 spot !

[@kevinlampen2364]

I own every movie you have on your list including all the mentions ... I collect 3000 dvds/blu rays ... my favourite space movie is .... ICE PIRATES... straight to TV b rate sci fi ... but I love it ...

[@fuzzipariah]

Guilty pleasure of mine. Unfortunately it's quite dated.

[@alieninwhite]

@@fuzzipariah it is not, water is still a rare commodity

[@jonathanking456]

I LOVE Ice Pirates! Mary Crosby. Hubba hubba.😂

[@JonathonPawelko]

I remember in university, a group of us went to see Ice Pirates, we loved it. All of this group of student engineers were cheering and clapping, people thought that we were nuts. A friend of mine just asked me about watching Ice Pirates, he has it on DVD. I will be cheering away when we see it over Christmas. Yahhh!

[@Xogroroth666]

Kirk, a tearjerker? Nah. As for favourite quotes: Roy Batty: "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe... . Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time ... like tears ... in rain. Time ... to die." **Goes a bit "ded".** (Spawn 1992 movie reference; Violator (The Clown from Naughty Land, red.) telling Albert Francis Tyrone Simmons he had a tad of bad luck: "You're dead. D-E-D. Dead."

[@MrSurguy-fb2hy]

Robotech - not for this list, but Space Opera- Yeah!! And I know, Macross, but for me….Robotech!!!

[@jeremiahjohnson9908]

The original 1977 Star Wars (without the later added cgi) is FAR and away the best Science Fiction film ever created, followed by Alien and Blade Runner...these three films revolutionized the genre.

[@seanjoseph8637]

2001 A Space Odessey deserves a place.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

When was the last time you watched it?

[@Hogtownboy1]

@@GiantFreakinRobotlast week. Still fantastic

[@seanjoseph8637]

@@GiantFreakinRobot About two weeks ago, I watch it at least once a month, you also missed the sequel off your list.

[@chrisoconor9314]

2001 is one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made, and (depending on your tastes) is arguably a better sci-fi movie than anything on this list. But it's NOT a space opera.

[@Hogtownboy1]

@@chrisoconor9314 in North America i think we call them Space Western

[@TheChroniclesOfKull]

The Chronicles of Riddick should be near the top of this list

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

In my opinion, I liked the other movies better so I put it lower, but I'm glad you like the movie so much.

[@TheChroniclesOfKull]

@@GiantFreakinRobot For sure. 👍To each their own, just seemed like a bit of an odd take.

[@carrickrichards2457]

2001, Dune, Foundation, 5th Element, Silent running, Aliens, Avatar, Inception, Oblivion, Matrix, Minority Report, Bladerunner, Ghost in the Shell, Interstellar, Terminator, Arrival, Star Wars, Independance day, Total Recall, Ender's Game, Wing Commander, Firefly/Serenity, Titan AE, Riddick, Altered Carbon, Star Trek, Alita, Hitchikers guide, John Carter, Jupiter Ascending, Valerian, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, other TV and anime.

[@bjb7587]

Agree with a lot of your suggestions, but some of them don't conform to the stated criteria of *space* opera.

[@Marine450x]

​@@bjb7587Totally agree with you, and "this" vids list was limited to "movies". I feel like there should be 15 to 20 movie list, AND 15 to 20 series list.

[@chuckintexas]

ALL great Sc-Fi , but remember , this is a list of Space Opera Sci-Fi . SPACE Opera .

[@DavidTSmith-jn5bs]

If you're including TV series, I'd definitely include Babylon5, Farscape, Space:Above and Beyond. and Stargate 1.

[@iceworkers]

+ hitchhiking through the galaxy + john carter + jupiter ascending + Valerian + prometheus + ad Astra + space balls

[@VideosthatSoteriosMade-bz4pg]

You were dead on in nearly every call. Good job!

[@craigme3014]

"Blakes 7" "Logans Run" "The Expanse"

[@dareese6778]

Blake's 7 & Tripods.

[@chuckintexas]

Expanse _ABSOLUTELY_ SPACE Opera , more SCIENCE Fiction than "Sci-Fi" , and TRULY _EXCELLENT . A MOVIE, maybe a FRANCHISED _Trilogy_ and yes it would CERTAINLY - _IMO_ qualify ! The others ? No . EXCELLENT _yes_ , but they miss the premise definition .

[@basharalnasser]

Blake's 7! The brilliance of that show is that had a mediocre, even primitive, set and sfx, but still managed to be a show that you actually sat through till the end without being bored or put off by said set and sfx. Brilliant.

[@alieninwhite]

@@basharalnasser queen bitch of the universe is evil as Darth Vader and wears Prada

[@Xemis5]

Yes! No. 1 👍👍👍 Gotta watch it tonight 😊

[@gregamen9640]

Shouldn't Dune be excluded for much the same reason as Avatar? That is, it doesn't really take place in space but on a planet instead.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

It’s not all on that one planet.

[@txCreativeLLC]

An overall thoughtful and compelling list. I totally agree with your honorable mentions, additions of Wall-E, GOTG and Thor. Could have done without Interstellar and Dune but I get it. Totally support your choices for 1 and 2!

[@margarethorrall8621]

I think Outland should have gotten a mention.

[@darania1]

Outland is just High Noon in space...

[@margarethorrall8621]

@@darania1 Know what else I thought of long after I posted that? Silent Running. That was a great space opera.

[@darania1]

@margarethorrall8621 I'm not sure Silent Running qualifies as Space Opera. Maybe a deep space suspense thriller...? But I agree it's a great SF movie featuring three of the most adorable little robots in cinema!

[@rurallawwildwest9679]

I'll add Saturn 3 for consideration.

[@alieninwhite]

@@darania1 and Star Wars is a Space-Medieval-Western-War movie

[@chrislenz6634]

What a fantastic list. I loved almost all of these.

[@johnnyjet3.1412]

The original Flash Gordon from the ‘30s - when you wear a leather jacket, you have to wear a tie!

[@Zephol]

You forgot Sunshine(2007) and Event Horizon. These 2 movies are so underrated. I really recomend to anyone to watch it right now. And i think i will rewatch Serenity

[@tedthesailor172]

He mentioned them both...

[@RabidWombatz]

Me and a mate went to see Event Horizon whilst the wives saw a girlie movie. We thought it would be about space exploration, not a nightmarishly scary, can’t get the flash scenes out of your head horror movie!!! We came out white as ghosts and traumatised. A decade later, we happened to watch it on a home theatre and it wasn’t scary. The big screen, and peripheral vision, that’s what made it so scary!

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Alien is that way too.

[@chuckintexas]

My same reaction !

[@ashleyobrien4937]

The Chronicles of Riddick was no disaster, it was bloody good actually.Could have done with a sequel or two or three.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Hey!!! this is all opinion based. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@rurallawwildwest9679]

Saturn 3 (Kirk Douglas and Farrah Fawcett), Outland (Sean Connery), and Enders Game. Battle Beyond the Stars is also memorable. Silly, but since you included Star Ship Troopers, it's fair game.

[@alias1719]

Good on ya! I thought everyone but me had forgotten "Outland."

[@chuckintexas]

*_NAILED_* it !!

[@Eniral441]

I keep expecting to see Battle Beyond the Stars on these lists, but never do.

[@alias1719]

@@Eniral441 Was a favorite of mine as well, back in the day.

[@rurallawwildwest9679]

@@alias1719 I think it's more of a generational thing. It is about a PBS level by today's standards, but I like stories more than Michael Bay explosions.

[@lanszoominternet]

Fifth Element is #1!!!

[@UnimatrixOne]

2010 was great too!

[@alieninwhite]

as a russkie I never though I would be sad by watching Helen wearing a Soviet uniform, I was expecting something more like The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu

[@nick_merchant]

Exquisitely done. Thank you.

[@erictaylor5462]

You're not wrong, as this entire video is your opinion. I really hate when people say "It's just your opinion." An opinion may be ignorant, ill informed, or narrow minded, but it can't be wrong. For example, I disagree with how you feel about the movie 2001. Granted most people think 2001 is what you think it is, but as I said in another comment, you have to understand what is going on to properly enjoy the movie. Don't take this as a negative, everyone is ignorant about most things, but I think your opinion of 2001 is rather ignorant. Read the book, it's not that long, and it really helps you to understand the movie better.

[@DarqIce]

@<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="674">11:14</a> I couldn't care less about the Operative.. But River's "My turn." taken within its FULL context (movie and series) is hands down GOAT quote!

[@thomasboese3793]

Everybody has a list... Some higher, some lower, and others off/or on. For me, Serenity will always be my number one... Somewhere out there, there is a Firefly with my name on it, waiting to be rebuilt...

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

I can’t fault anyone for loving Serenity.

[@chuckintexas]

*ABSOLUTELY* !!

[@davidpax]

You completely forgot Valerian by Luc Besson. That's true space opera with planets, strange aliens and space ships. Based on the most space opera comic books Valerian and Laureline.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

I thought everyone hates that movie

[@therealoldnewb1716]

A great SF movie! Once you got yourself into the MASS ammount of CGI, Valerian is indeed a great movie.

[@nghicks42]

Plus, it’s the only movie to feature the Orz

[@ThoughtReset-rn1vi]

Excellent work. Thank you.

[@UnimatrixOne]

David Lynch's Dune is still best!

[@JamesPolichak]

I saw Lynch's Dune the day it opened with my two sons 8 & 10. They gave us a glossary to read in the dark. We were some of the only people there who understood it because we'd read the books. Remember Muad'Dib, St. Alia of the Knife and that "Fear is the mind-killer."

[@UnimatrixOne]

@@JamesPolichak I didn't read the book until years after the movie; of course a lot was left out and some things were changed, but both stand on their own and both are great!

[@JamesPolichak]

@@UnimatrixOne BOOKS! As of October 2024 there are 23 novels, dozens of collected and uncollected short stories, several comics and Graphic Novels. Etc. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(franchise)#Development_and_publication

[@zkeletonz001]

When Star Wars wasn't #1 I knew what had to be there. No way this channel was going to leave Wrath of Khan off the list.

[@terrysaxton3011]

I think you got it right for the most part. Your pick for 1 is Right!

[@dareese6778]

Not even close.

[@chuckintexas]

ABSOLUTELY 👍!

[@tedntricia]

Terrific list, Bravo.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Thanks!

[@karlostj4683]

I think "2001: A Space Odyssey" should have made the list...