8 Best Movies Like Star Wars
May 5, 2022 | Film Chop
Star Wars is the most recognized space opera franchise of all time. The movies have sci-fi technology, iconic characters, an expansive world, and a classic story. The franchise inspired a huge following of fans over the years, and to this day new generations are getting captured by its originality. Star Wars may be well-known but it is not the only movie series with these qualities. There are many other great space operas and sci-fi movies that have a lot in common with Star Wars. If you’re a Star Wars fanatic that needs more film recommendations, then look no further than this following list of movies like Star Wars.
8 Movies Like The Star Wars Franchise
8. Spaceballs
This film doesn’t tell a serious story but instead parodies the Star Wars franchise. The characters and the story heavily mimic the one told in A New Hope. The film is about a star-pilot for hire and his trusty sidekick who must come to the rescue of a princess and save Planet Druidia from the clutches of the evil Spaceballs. The parody doesn’t have the smartest humor but Star Wars fans might be able to appreciate the humor that pokes fun at their favorite franchise.
Where To Watch Spaceballs
7. The Last Starfighter
The Last Starfighter is a classic 80s sci-fi. It’s straightforward and simple but still a great movie. The film is about a local high school student who finds himself transported to another planet after conquering the Starfighter video game only to find out it was just a test to be recruited to a team of starfighters from another world. The Last Starfighter is a great family film that has many similarities to Luke Skywalker’s pilot arc in A New Hope.
Where To Watch The Last Starfighter For $3.99
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6. Guardians of the Galaxy
James Gunn created a quirky and impressive world with Guardians of the Galaxy. It was the first Marvel film that took place off of Earth and introduced us to the space opera within the universe. The film is about a group of intergalactic criminals who must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe. Guardians of the Galaxy tells a unique origin story that is one of the most entertaining space operas on this list.
Where To Watch Guardians of the Galaxy
5. Avatar
James Cameron revolutionized the film industry by releasing Avatar in 2009. The visual effects are a technical marvel and an achievement in 3D technology. The film started the 3D fad that took up most of the last decade. Avatar is about a paraplegic Marine who is sent to the moon Pandora on a unique mission and becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. While some may believe that Avatar is overrated, the film is a spectacle that should be appreciated for its advances in filmmaking.
Where To Watch Avatar
4. The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element has a lot of flaws, but the entertainment value in the performances, narrative, and world overwhelms any flaws that may be picked out. The film is about a cab driver in the colorful future who unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr. Zorg at bay. The Fifth Element is an extravagant space opera that never takes itself too seriously.
Where To Watch The Fifth Element
3. Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon is a fun bad movie that feels inspired by the Star Wars movie franchise. The film is a classic science fiction film that is full of campiness and is enjoyably retro. The movie is about a football player and his friends who travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to save Earth. Flash Gordon is a standout guilty pleasure and has plenty of memorable moments and lines that are worth watching.
Where To Watch Flash Gordon
2. Star Trek
JJ Abrams is a huge Star Wars fan, and he was also given the chance to reboot the Star Trek franchise in the 21st century. Many viewers would claim that the new films are a great blend of both Star Trek and Star Wars. The Star Trek franchise follows James T. Kirk as he leads the Enterprise crew against threats against The Federation and with Mr. Spock keeping him in check. The Star Trek movies has dynamic storytelling, actors with impressive chemistry, and a contagious energy that keeps you wanting to see more.
Where To Watch Star Trek
Where To Watch Star Trek Into Darkness
Where To Watch Star Trek Beyond
1. Dune
A huge part of the allure to the Star Wars universe is the immersive world that George Lucas created. It’s expansive and full of lore that is worth exploring. Dune, originally written by Frank Herbert, is a sci-fi fantasy epic that paints an intricate and impressive world as well. The story is about a brilliant and gifted young man who is thrown into a conflict between malevolent forces and entrusted to protect the most valuable element in the galaxy. Dune is an epic adventure that deserves recognition as one of the greatest science fiction stories ever written.
Where To Watch Dune
Space TV Shows May Be More Enjoyable For Star Wars Fans
Star Wars has a lot of world-building, and that is one of the reasons why it is such a beloved franchise. If you want to watch something that has a lot of depth, then it may make more sense to check out sci-fi TV shows. Shows allow stories to be told in a longer format and can have more time dedicated to developing the characters, their relationships, and the world. If you’re interested in watching some space TV shows, check out our list here.
What Makes a Movie Feel Like Star Wars?
The Star Wars franchise works because it fuses multiple storytelling traditions into one irresistible package: the hero’s journey mythology of Joseph Campbell, the samurai film aesthetics of Akira Kurosawa, classic western archetypes (the rogue gunslinger, the frontier town), and Flash Gordon-style serialized space adventure. A movie “feels like Star Wars” when it combines some subset of these elements: a richly imagined world, a clear moral conflict between good and evil, an ensemble of characters from different backgrounds who form a found family, and genuine spectacle.
The best Star Wars alternatives don’t try to copy the franchise directly (that never works) — they find their own voice within the space opera tradition. Dune, for instance, has the political complexity and messianic narrative that Star Wars simplified. Guardians of the Galaxy has the irreverent ensemble energy. The Fifth Element has the lived-in, chaotic world-building. Each offers something different, but if you’re starved for that specific feeling of galactic adventure, the films below will scratch that itch.
Honorable Mentions: More Movies for Star Wars Fans
Serenity (2005)
The theatrical conclusion to Joss Whedon’s beloved television series Firefly, Serenity is essential viewing for anyone who loves the scrappy, found-family energy of Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon crew. Set in a future where Earth has been abandoned and humanity lives across a solar system of terraformed planets, the film follows captain Mal Reynolds and his ragtag crew as they protect a telepathic young woman from a government assassin. The world feels genuinely inhabited, the characters are immediately lovable, and the film rewards the investment of watching the TV series first — though it also works as a standalone. Serenity is what Star Wars would look like if Joss Whedon had the budget and the galaxy was run by a sinister galactic government.
Where to Watch: Peacock, Prime Video (rental)
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
Luc Besson’s visually spectacular science fiction epic — based on the classic French comic series — is one of the most ambitious world-building exercises in recent blockbuster cinema. The opening sequence alone, depicting humanity’s first contact with alien civilizations and the slow construction of the international space station Alpha over centuries, is worth watching for any science fiction fan. The film is uneven in places (the leads lack chemistry), but the sheer scope of the alien-populated city of Alpha and the inventiveness of the creature design makes it a must-see for fans of immersive sci-fi universes.
Where to Watch: Paramount Plus, Pluto TV
Galaxy Quest (1999)
A loving parody of Star Trek that works as a genuine space adventure in its own right, Galaxy Quest follows the cast of a beloved sci-fi TV show who are recruited by real aliens who believe the show was a historical documentary. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Alan Rickman are all perfect, and the film’s climax achieves genuine emotional heft despite (or because of) its comedic premise. Galaxy Quest understands why people love space adventures — and loves them too. It has achieved enduring cult status that now rivals the franchise it originally parodied.
Where to Watch: Paramount Plus, Pluto TV
Flash Gordon (1980)
George Lucas explicitly cited the Flash Gordon serials as the direct inspiration for Star Wars, so going back to the source is obligatory for any Star Wars fan. The 1980 Mike Hodges film — with its campy Queen soundtrack, over-the-top performances, and gloriously kitsch production design — is pure adventure storytelling. It shouldn’t work, and yet it’s enormously entertaining.
Where to Watch: Prime Video (rental)
Titan A.E. (2000)
Don Bluth and Gary Goldman’s criminally underrated animated film follows the last survivors of humanity after Earth is destroyed by an alien race. The young hero must find a legendary spacecraft capable of creating a new Earth before the aliens can destroy it. Titan A.E. combines traditional animation with early CGI to create a visually striking film that was too dark for young children and too animated for adults — falling through the cracks commercially while remaining a genuine gem.
Where to Watch: Disney Plus
Related reading: 10 Greatest Superhero Movies of All Time | 10 Movies Like Harry Potter
Frequently Asked Questions: Movies Like Star Wars
What movies are similar to Star Wars?
Movies with the most Star Wars DNA include Dune (2021) for its epic scale and messianic narrative, Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) for its ensemble space adventure, The Fifth Element (1997) for its inventive sci-fi world-building, and Serenity (2005) for its scrappy crew-of-misfits energy. For animation, Titan A.E. (2000) is an underrated option. Galaxy Quest (1999) is an excellent choice if you’re open to a comedic space adventure.
What inspired George Lucas to create Star Wars?
George Lucas drew from multiple sources: the Flash Gordon serials of the 1930s (he originally wanted to make a Flash Gordon film but couldn’t get the rights), the samurai films of Akira Kurosawa (particularly The Hidden Fortress), Joseph Campbell’s hero mythology framework (The Hero with a Thousand Faces), classic westerns, World War II aviation films, and the Buck Rogers science fiction tradition. The combination of these influences created something that felt simultaneously familiar and entirely new.
Is Dune similar to Star Wars?
Dune (the original Frank Herbert novel and its film adaptations) actually predates Star Wars and was one of Lucas’s key inspirations. Both feature: a desert planet as a central setting, a chosen hero with special abilities on a messianic journey, a struggle against an authoritarian empire, political intrigue between noble houses, and mystical religious elements. Dune is considerably more politically complex and ambiguous about its hero’s destiny. Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 adaptation and its 2024 sequel are the best entry points for modern viewers.
What are the best space opera movies that aren’t Star Wars?
The best non-Star Wars space operas include: Dune (2021/2024), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014/2017), The Fifth Element (1997), Interstellar (2014), Avatar (2009), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), Serenity (2005), and the original Flash Gordon (1980). For classic science fiction, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Forbidden Planet (1956) are foundational texts of the genre.
Are there any good Star Wars alternatives on Disney Plus?
Disney Plus has several excellent Star Wars alternatives. Guardians of the Galaxy and Avatar are both on the platform. Within the Star Wars universe, the Mandalorian series is widely considered the best Star Wars content in years. Andor (2022) is a critically acclaimed political thriller set in the Star Wars universe that works as a standalone spy drama. For animated alternatives, Titan A.E. is available on Disney Plus.
Is Avatar similar to Star Wars?
Avatar (2009) and Star Wars share core DNA: a reluctant outsider hero who crosses over to join a resistance, a struggle between a technologically superior colonial force and a people fighting to protect their home, and spectacular world-building that transports you completely. Where Star Wars draws on space fantasy mythology and samurai films, Avatar leans heavily into ecological themes and biopunk visuals. James Cameron’s film and its sequel Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) offer the same sense of immersive, transportive cinema at an enormous scale.
What animated movies are similar to Star Wars?
For animated Star Wars alternatives, Titan A.E. (2000) is the closest match — a grand space opera from Don Bluth with a scrappy young hero, an apocalyptic stakes narrative, and genuine visual ambition. Treasure Planet (2002) reimagines Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic in a gorgeous sci-fi setting with a father-figure mentor dynamic. For anime, the mobile suit action of Gundam films or the space-opera sweep of Space Battleship Yamato captures similar epic scale. More recently, the animated series Arcane (2021) delivers rebellion-vs-empire stakes in a fantasy world with stunning animation.
What are the best movies like Star Wars for families and kids?
For family-friendly Star Wars alternatives, Treasure Planet (2002) is criminally underrated — it delivers classic adventure storytelling in a dazzling sci-fi setting with strong mentorship themes. Galaxy Quest (1999) is PG and a loving, hilarious send-up of space epics that works for all ages. WALL-E (2008) brings heartfelt sci-fi themes appropriate for everyone. The Iron Giant (1999) taps into the same themes of sacrifice, heroism, and finding your place in the universe. For older kids, Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) carries the same irreverent ensemble spirit as Star Wars with a PG-13 rating that most families can handle.