In our previous article of the Best Space Adventures, we looked at the Top 20 adventure films set in space. In this article, we’ll look at some of the Top Space Adventures You Haven’t Seen including some lesser-known films from the last six decades.
To recap from our previous article, Space Adventures are often Space Operas and sometimes include Soft Sci-Fi elements. While Hard Sci-Fi Films Set in Space will feature realistic and technical details about space itself, Space Adventures are usually action-oriented, lean heavily on adventure-themed narratives and feature sci-fi concepts that aren’t technically accurate (nor feasible).
Prior to the 1970’s, there were various films set in space that had adventure elements with Hard Sci-Fi and Space Opera themes. Countdown (1967), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Marooned (1969) were films that incorporated more realistic technical details of space though also included themes of adventure. Forbidden Planet (1956), Barbarella (1968) and Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969) were films that fit more into the mold of Space Adventures as they would come to be known in subsequent decades.
In the 1970’s, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) would become a cultural phenomenon and define the entire subgenre. Star Wars’ impact was so great that it launched arguably the most popular and successful sci-fi franchise to date and continues to influence Space Adventures and Space Operas to this day. Immediately after its release, Star Wars knockoffs appeared including The War in Space (1977), Starcrash (1978), Message From Space (1978) and Battlestar Galactica (1978). Star Wars would also inspire its first parody with Hardware Wars (1978). Other notable Space Adventures of the 1970’s included Dark Star (1974), Moonraker (1979) and The Black Hole (1979).
In the 1980’s, Star Wars-influenced Space Adventures continued with Galaxina (1980), Flash Gordon (1980), Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), Space Raiders (1983), Krull (1983), The Ice Pirates (1984), Sayonara Jupiter (1984) and The Last Starfighter (1984). And like the 1970’s, Star Wars was parodied again in the very funny and popular Spaceballs (1987). Other notable 80’s Space Adventures included Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Lifeforce (1985), Explorers (1985), Enemy Mine (1985) and Aliens (1986).
The 1990’s were dominated by the Star Trek franchise as the Star Wars franchise wouldn’t release another film until The Phantom Menace (1999). Though most Star Trek films focus on Soft Sci-Fi elements, Space Adventure had become a major theme of the franchise with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998). Other notable Space Adventures of the 1990’s included Stargate (1994), The Fifth Element (1997), Lost in Space (1998) and Galaxy Quest (1999).
Though the subgenre in the 2000’s continued to be dominated by Star Wars films Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005) and a reboot of the Star Trek franchise with Star Trek (2009), other Space Adventure film franchises began to emerge. Vin Diesel’s Riddick character would appear in Pitch Black (2002) and The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) and James Cameron’s Avatar (2009) would become a blockbuster hit at the tail end of the decade. Other notable Space Adventures of the decade included Heavy Metal 2000 (2000), Titan A.E. (2000), The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Serenity (2005), Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005) and Pandorum (2009).
The 2010’s ushered in the Golden Age of Space Adventures as the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises continued in the decade and Marvel Entertainment would introduce a slew of Films Based on Superheroes and Comics that often featured adventures in space. Star Wars would continue with its third trilogy of films including The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019) while also branching out with Star Wars Story films Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018). Star Trek would contribute two Space Adventures in the decade with Into Darkness (2013) and Beyond (2016).
Marvel, however, would have the biggest impact on the subgenre during this period of time. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014) and Vol. 2 (2017) would redefine themes of Space Adventures and helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) into space. Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) were all MCU films that incorporated Space Adventure themes as a major part of their narrative. Other notable Space Adventures of the 2010’s included John Carter (2012), Man of Steel (2013), Ender’s Game (2013), Passengers (2016), The Wandering Earth (2019) and Ad Astra (2019).
The 2020’s have shown no sign of slowing down with subgenre blockbusters including Dune (2021), Avatar: Way of the Water (2022) and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 (2023). And in only the first three years of this decade we have already had other notable Space Adventures including Space Sweepers (2021), Voyagers (2021), Oxygen (2021), Moonfall (2022), Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood (2022), 65 (2023), Crater (2023) and The Wandering Earth II (2023).
Our complete list of Films Set in Space features over 216+ films from 1956 – 2023 and we have separate articles for the Top Films Set in Space You Haven’t Seen, Best Films About Space (that features the best Hard Sci-Fi films set in space) and Best Space Adventures. We are planning on additional space-related lists and articles so subscribe to our newsletter to get updated as we release future articles.
Classic Space Adventures: Best Space Adventures
Lesser-known Space Adventures that didn’t make our list: Barbarella (1968), Dark Star (1977), The War in Space (1977), Message From Space (1978), Battlestar Galactica (1978), Galaxy of Terror (1981), The Ice Pirates (1984), Lifeforce (1985), SpaceCamp (1986), Moon 44 (1990), Titan A.E. (2000), Red Planet (2000), Dead Space: Downfall (2008), Impact (2009), Space Warriors (2013), Orbiter 9 (2017), The Last Days on Mars (2013), The Titan (2018), The Wandering Earth (2019) and Moon Man (2022).
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Here is our list of the Top Space Adventures You Haven’t Seen:
Plot: The crew of the space battleship Yamato travels to another planet to bring back a device that can heal the ravaged Earth.
KBZ’s Take: You wouldn’t know from watching this Japanese film that it only had a budget of $12M USD. There are some great special effects and space battles in the film and it’s one of the more exciting Space Adventures that’s on our list.
With that said, the film does tend to get melodramatic at times which breaks up the action sequences, but those moments are tolerable for an underrated overachiever of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/44OXgKD
#9
Supernova
Plot: When the Nightingale 229 answers an emergency distress signal from a distant galaxy, the crew soon finds itself in danger from the mysterious young man they rescue. He has smuggled an alien artifact aboard that is affecting the gravitational pull of a giant star about to go supernova – the most massive explosion in the universe.
KBZ’s Take: We know older fans are going to take issue with this film as it had a troubled production, bombed at the box office and was savaged by critics. In fact, some of us saw this film back in 2000 and didn’t think much of it – until we recently watched it again.
It’s not as bad as its reputation and there are some good subgenre elements in the film. Though the beginning of the film does seem like it will be another Alien (1979) knockoff, it goes in a much more action-oriented direction once the crew reaches its destination.
We would recommend the film for fans of the subgenre only if and after they’ve seen all of the films from our Best Space Adventures list. And for older fans, we would recommend giving the film another shot.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/44wdxV1
#8
RocketMan
Plot: Fred Z. Randall is geeky and obnoxious spacecraft designer, who gets the chance to make his dream come true and travel to Mars as a member of the first manned flight there.
KBZ’s Take: We had to include one Space Adventure Comedy on this list. Galaxina (1980) is objectively awful, Spaceballs (1987) is too well-known and Moonshot (2022) is mostly a Romantic Comedy. That left us with Harland Williams’ RocketMan.
The film is a family-oriented Slapstick Comedy with Williams as the well-intentioned idiot that somehow makes it onto the first planned mission to Mars. Some people might not like Williams’ brand of comedy, but it actually works in the film and there are quite a few laugh out loud moments – especially when Fred (Williams) is selected for the mission.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3pYXD6v
#7
Explorers
Plot: Young Ben Crandall (Ethan Hawke) spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result — when he has a vivid dream about technology, his science-loving friend Wolfgang Muller (River Phoenix) manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren Woods (Jason Presson), the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life.
KBZ’s Take: This Joe Dante film unfortunately was released on July 12th, 1985, and had to contend with The Goonies (1985) on June 7th, Back to the Future (1985) on July 3rd, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985) on July 26th and Weird Science (1985) on August 2nd. Needless to say, given the competition, the film bombed at the box office and has become a forgotten film of the 80’s.
While the film is uneven and doesn’t really rise to a ‘Goonies in Space’ adventure, it’s still a fun film that taps into adolescent youth and dreams of going to space to meet aliens. A recommended family friendly sci-fi film to watch with the kids.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/44x7XBZ
#6
Arena
Plot: In a huge space arena, fighters from all over the galaxy come to battle each other in hopes of claiming victory. While most warriors are of various alien species, Steve Armstrong (Paul Satterfield) is a rarity — a human who aspires to compete in the games. Training with his friend Shorty (Hamilton Camp) and encouraged by the lovely promoter Quinn (Claudia Christian), Steve has a shot at the intergalactic championship, but plenty of extraterrestrial brawlers are eager to take him down.
KBZ’s Take: If there’s one film in the subgenre that could define 80’s ‘cheesy sci-fi’, Arena is it. The film is a creation of Charles Band’s Empire Pictures which had some good films in Trancers (1984), Re-Animator (1985) and From Beyond (1986) but is much more well known for 80’s low budget shlock including Ghoulies (1984), Troll (1986) and Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989).
Arena falls somewhere in the middle of these films. It has a very low budget, some of the acting is horrible and the alien creatures are obviously rubber suits. But overall it’s a fun film that’s enjoyable enough that you won’t even notice many of the film’s faults.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://tubitv.com/movies/560178/arena
Plot: A young farmer assembles a band of diverse mercenaries to defend his peaceful planet from an evil tyrant.
KBZ’s Take: Roger Corman’s B-film answer to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977). Like Star Wars, this film uses Western themes in its futuristic space setting – in this case using The Magnificent Seven (1960) narrative. The film itself is quite entertaining if you don’t go in expecting Star Wars level of acting, special effects or anything else.
The film was written by John Sayles, uses a score by James Horner (of Titanic fame) and has special effects designed by James Cameron. So, despite some questionable acting, the technical aspects of the film are commanded by some of the future best in the industry.
Additional Lists: Top Sci-Fi Westerns You Haven’t Seen #7
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3YaGRNu
Plot: Crew of a space junk collector ship discover a humanoid robot – who also happens to be a weapon of mass destruction.
KBZ’s Take: This Korean film plays more like a Sci-Fi Western in space and was a blockbuster in South Korea. It was also available on Netflix that allowed the film to reach a much greater audience.
It’s a fun film that has adventure and humor and is reminiscent of some of the better Star Wars films (though this film won’t make you forget Star Wars anytime soon). There’s also a multi-national cast in the film with Korean star Song Joong-ki in the lead role and Richard Armitage (from The Hobbit fame) playing the villain.
Additional Lists: Top Films Set in Space You Haven’t Seen #8
Where to Stream / Buy: https://www.netflix.com/title/81094067
#3
Prospect
Plot: A teenage girl and her father travel to a remote alien moon, aiming to strike it rich. They’ve secured a contract to harvest a large deposit of the elusive gems hidden in the depths of the moon’s toxic forest. But there are others roving the wilderness and the job quickly devolves into a fight to survive.
KBZ’s Take: Prospect is a great film that meshes the best aspects of Space Adventures and Sci-Fi Westerns.
The Space Adventure elements don’t include aliens or laser battles in space, but rather the adventure of exploring a new planet in the hopes of striking it rich. The Sci-Fi Western elements come into play as the father (Pedro Pascal) and daughter (Sophie Thatcher) encounter all the different elements in this alien frontier.
We highly recommend the film for fans of the subgenre as long as you don’t go into it expecting a Star Wars-like experience.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/44RNCH6
Plot: Adventurer Wolff and earthling left from a medical expedition try to save three women captured by an evil dictator.
KBZ’s Take: Spacehunter was on our Top Post-Apocalypse Films You Haven’t Seen (Part 1) list and it’s one of the better hybrid films featuring space adventure set against a post-apocalyptic environment.
Where this film succeeds over other B-movie failures of the era, such as 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983) and Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared Syn (1983), is with its action-based set pieces and villain. There are some great futuristic set pieces in this film and who can pass up Michael Ironside as the evil OverDog? Recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Top Post-Apocalypse Films You Haven’t Seen (Part 1) #4, Top Films Set in Space You Haven’t Seen #9
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3HIKXH6
Plot: Starship C57D travels to planet Altair 4 in search of the crew of spaceship Bellerophon, a scientific expedition that has been missing for 20 years, only to find themselves unwelcome by the expedition’s lone survivor and warned of destruction by an invisible force if they don’t turn back immediately.
KBZ’s Take: We couldn’t have a list of Space Adventures without including the film that birthed the entire subgenre. While Star Wars redefined the Space Opera, Forbidden Planet established many of the Space Adventure themes found in films over the last six decades.
Though the film was released in 1956, the special effects don’t look as dated as films from the same time period. It’s an intelligent sci-fi film with an intriguing story, mysterious world and some suspenseful action pieces. If we could compare it to one film it would be The War of the Worlds (1953) and how that film also remains a timeless classic and helped shaped major themes of Alien Invasion films.
While we know quite a few older generations grew up on this film and they already consider it a classic film, we wanted to highlight the film here for younger generations so they don’t miss out on one of the most influential and best Space Adventures of all time.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Q47MJV
