While returning to George Lucas' Star Wars roots. The film draws influence from the classic Akira Kurosawa movie Seven Samurai, which also heavily influenced the 1977 sci-fi fantasy movie.
While fans wait for Rebel Moon to hit Netflix, there are tons of other Star Wars-influenced movies that Redditors recommend. When debating which space opera is best, s have reminded each other of some of the most obscure but totally entertaining '80s popcorn flicks.
The Black Hole (1979)
The Black Hole is the best Star Wars-influenced movie, commenting, "The Black Hole by Disney was solid. Has its flaws but still fun." The movie follows a crew of a spaceship that discovers another spaceship that was assumed missing, which leads to some wholly mysterious events that could even be too much for younger audiences.
Following the seminal fantasy sci-fi movie by two years, The Black Hole is one of the most interesting sci-fi films to come out of the era, as it isn't all that fantastical. The 1979 movie is actually grounded in some kind of reality, as it was clearly well-researched based on how scientifically accurate a lot of it is... until audiences are introduced to the bizarre, faceless army, that is.
The Ice Pirates (1984)
In an ideal world, Solo: A Story Wars Story would have been more like The Ice Pirates than the standard sci-fi action movie that fans got. The 1984 release is an unapologetically campy and endlessly rewatchable sci-fi flick about space bandits that some would class as "so bad it's good."
But Trashcansam82 is unashamed of their love for the film, noting, "Came here to say Ice Pirates." The movie follows the space pirates as they attempt to steal ice from a spaceship, as it has become such a sought-after element in the dystopian future. And just like Star Wars, it's full of inventive designs, princesses, and world-building, and there hasn't been a more entertaining Star Wars knock-off since.
Dune (1984)
Dune is the best Star Wars-influenced movie, noting, "Dune (1984), not exactly like Star Wars but it’s a space opera." While the book the 1984 movie is based on was released years before A New Hope, there's no denying that the David Lynch-directed movie wouldn't exist without the 1977 classic. And though Lynch has outright expressed how disinterested in Star Wars he is, the filmmaker was clearly striving to achieve something as ambitious as the sci-fi fantasy saga (via Far Out).
However, even though the Redditor and other fans will defend it to the grave, Dune isn't all that well-liked amongst general viewers. Even Lynch hates the movie due to the studio meddling, but it was hardly like the studio would have allowed for a four-hour version of the movie to get released.
The Last Starfighter (1984)
1984 was a huge year for spectacular sci-fi movies with unique concepts and influential digital effects. Along with Dune and The Ice Pirates, The Last Starfighter was released in 1984, and this deleted thinks it's the best movie influenced by Star Wars. Interestingly, while the year was filled with so many potentially classic space movies, not one of them has reached that status, but The Last Starfighter comes the closest with its cult following.
The movie is about the titular arcade game, which turns out to be a training simulator for a war against an alien race, and the game's top scorer is recruited as a pilot. The Redditor adds, "Apparently an up-to-date remake is happening focused on today’s gamers." However, it seems like that remake is stuck in development hell, as it has been struggling to get off the ground since 2005 (via Giant Freakin Robot).
Spaceballs (1987)
Naked Gun-like sight gags and Joan Rivers' version of C3PO, Spaceballs still holds up today.
While Star Wars parodies are a dime a dozen now, whether it's a Family Guy special or viral YouTube clips of Darth Vader grocery shopping, Spaceballs was the first to do it, and it arguably hasn't been bested in the 35 years since its release. But fans are still waiting for Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money.
2010: The Year We Make (1984)
A deleted points to a movie sequel most people never knew existed as the best movie inspired by Star Wars. The Redditor simply states, "2010 is pretty solid," referring to the 2001: A Space Odyssey sequel, 2010: The Year We Make . While it's a sequel to one of the most influential sci-fi films ever made, as 2010 was released in 1984, it's impossible to ignore the influence the fantasy saga had on the 2001 sequel.
There's no doubt that 2010 is much faster-paced and more entertaining than its predecessor, though that doesn't necessarily mean it's better. And there are no loose ends unlike the original movie too. Not only that, but though fans speculate over the ambiguous ending of the first film, it's straight-up answered in the sequel, but few people have ever seen it.
Battle Beyond The Stars (1980)
Capthanson thinks that the all-but-forgotten 1980 sci-fi flick Battle Beyond the Stars is the best film that has the most in common with the 1977 sci-fi film. The Redditor notes that not only is it similar to Star Wars, but it also has a lot in common with an blockbuster movie too.
The points out that the film is "eerily similar to the synopsis for Zack Snyder's new Rebel Moon movie he is working on." The 1980 film is about seven space warriors who battle an evil conqueror to save a peaceful planet, and it's almost like a sci-fi version of Seven Samurai. Coincidentally, the premise is almost identical to Rebel Moon too.
Enemy Mine (1985)
In the 1980s, all the studios were playing catch-up, as LucasFilm had released three epic sci-fi movies and set an impossibly high bar. And given that so many of them bombed, it was as if nobody was interested unless the film was related to Star Wars. 1985's Enemy Mine is one of the best examples of those films, as it flopped at the box office, and even today it hasn't reached the cult status that some think it deserves.
X2o6 thinks viewers are missing out, simply stating, "Enemy Mine is crazy." Enemy Mine is a forgotten '80s film that's excellent, as it throws one wild idea at audiences after another. The movie is about a human and a reptilian-like alien, whose races are at war, and they must work together to survive on a planet full of hostile creatures.
Outland (1981)
When considering the best Star Wars-influenced movies, LadySynth quickly refers to the criminally underlooked 1981 space western. The Redditor comments, "It might be less action-focused than you're looking for, but Outland is a good one." The movie is about a corrupt mining colony on Jupiter's third moon, Io, and a criminal drug ring that works within it.
Outland follows a rogueish character similar to Han Solo, only Marshal William O'Neal (Sean Connery) is way more of a badass and pretty terrifying too. Connery plays the character with the stoicism with which he plays most characters, and the film comes off like a Sergio Leone-directed western in space.
The Man Who Saved The World (1982)
A deleted points out a movie that few people will have ever heard of, The Man Who Saved the World, or as the Redditor puts it, "Turkish Star Wars." That's what the movie is commonly referred to as, as it's known in small circles for the way it used footage and music from Star Wars without LucasFilm's permission.
The Man Who Saved the World is generally acknowledged as one of the worst movies ever made, but it's so bad it's good, as the terrible effects mixed with the unauthorized Star Wars footage make it endlessly rewatchable. Plus, what better than a martial arts-infused Star Wars movie?
