Battle Beyond the Stars
A young farmer recruits a colorful crew of interstellar mercenaries to protect his peaceful world from a tyrant’s armada.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- playful
- earnest
- adventurous
- classic sci fi night
- cult movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film derivative of contemporary space operas but enjoyed its energetic spirit and admired its ambitious special effects for a low-budget production.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Shad travels through space to recruit mercenaries who will defend Akir, directly echoing a frontier-style defense story.
The film’s praised special effects and elaborate space battles derive their impact from inventive craft within a modest production budget.
Shad assembles Gelt, Cowboy, Saint-Exmin, and other diverse fighters to oppose Sador’s armada.
The inexperienced farmer Shad leaves his peaceful planet and takes responsibility for organizing its protection.
Films like Battle Beyond the Stars, and why
Star Wars
shared space opera adventure, colorful mercenary ensemble, and low-budget genre spectacle
The Magnificent Seven
shared hired-warrior ensemble structure, defensive mission, and action-adventure camaraderie
The Ice Pirates
shared space western atmosphere, pulp science fiction, and eccentric interplanetary characters
Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire
shared ragtag defenders, stylized space battles, and space opera spectacle
Movie Details
- Director
- Jimmy T. Murakami
- Release Date
- 1980-09-08
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 5.4 / 10 (235)
Cast
- Richard Thomas
- Robert Vaughn
- John Saxon
- George Peppard
- Darlanne Fluegel
- Sybil Danning
- Sam Jaffe
- Jeff Corey
- Morgan Woodward
- Marta Kristen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Battle Beyond the Stars about?
- A young farmer recruits a colorful crew of interstellar mercenaries to protect his peaceful world from a tyrant’s armada.
- What is Battle Beyond the Stars like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Battle Beyond the Stars as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Battle Beyond the Stars violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Battle Beyond the Stars as mild.
- What did critics think of Battle Beyond the Stars?
- Critics broadly found the film derivative of contemporary space operas but enjoyed its energetic spirit and admired its ambitious special effects for a low-budget production.
- Which films are like Battle Beyond the Stars?
- Films with a similar feel include Star Wars, The Magnificent Seven, The Ice Pirates, and Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire.
- How long is Battle Beyond the Stars?
- Battle Beyond the Stars runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Battle Beyond the Stars?
- In United States, Battle Beyond the Stars streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
