Here are some of my favorite movies about space and space travel. I can (and have) watched these over and over:
- Contact
- Galaxy Quest
- Mission to Mars
- Space Cowboys
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
- Star Trek: First Contact
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture
- Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Episode II
- Star Wars: Episode III
- Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope
- Star Wars: Episode V: Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
- The Fifth Element
- The Last Starfighter
- Total Recall
The StarTrek and Star Wars series top the list. Total Recall (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Contact (Jodie Foster) are both well-done, well-conceived movies that merit special attention, while Galaxy Quest is the best spoof I have ever seen. The Fifth Element (Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker) is the weirdest one on the list and The Last Starfighter is the oldest. As I recall, the special effects for The Last Starfighter were notably done on a Cray supercomputer. Though they seem simple and ordinary by today’s standards, they were quite amazing in 1984.
(Also see my Sci-fi list for more related movies.)
Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD, is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book The Successful Author for insider tips and insights.