Star Wars isn’t your typical sci-fi story, which often focuses on alien invasions or the rise of AI. Instead, the film is what’s known as a space opera. Space operas offer up grand, epic stories, often about galactic warfare and power struggles, while also focusing on romance and adventure. It’s a unique subgenre that separates it from the rest of sci-fi.
Fortunately for Star Wars fans, there are some other great space operas out there, as well as some other sci-fi movies with elements similar to George Lucas’ famous franchise. If you can’t wait for the next Star Wars installment to come out, check out our guide below to find out where you can stream more great movies like Star Wars online right now!
Star Trek
Star Wars and Star Trek have been rivals for decades, but oftentimes fans of one franchise are also fans of the other – and it’s clear to see why. Star Trek also follows a group (in this case, Starfleet) who traverse the universe defending it from evil and working to restore peace and order. The main difference is that Star Wars is more centered on an epic war, whereas Star Trek is more about preventing a widespread war.
Guardians of the Galaxy
In Guardians of the Galaxy, a ragtag group of misfits are brought together by chance and try to save the galaxy in a clunky old ship. If that isn’t 50 Shades of Star Wars, then I don’t know what is. The movie has since spawned two sequels, a holiday special, two Disney rides, and is known for its great soundtrack and fun action.
Spaceballs
If you’re a Star Wars fan, it’s basically a sin to not watch Spaceballs. Written and directed by Mel Brooks (he also has a few roles in the film), Spaceballs is the ultimate Star Wars spoof. Why have Jabba the Hutt when you can have Pizza the Hutt? And why have Yoda when you can have Yogurt? Spaceballs also has a fantastic comedic cast including John Candy, Joan Rivers, and Rick Moranis.
Hardware Wars
If Spaceballs is a little too high-budget for your tastes and you want some seriously niche fan-made hilarity, you need to watch Hardware Wars. Han Solo is now “Ham Salad” and the Millennium Falcon is replaced by a flying iron. Hardware Wars is a wildly hilarious no-budget ‘70s spoof of Star Wars that I promise will make you laugh (especially if you’re watching with a few friends and a few drinks).
Titan A.E.
In Titan A.E., Earth has been destroyed by aliens, forcing what’s left of humanity to live as refugees in whatever dingy galactic outposts they can find. But the secret to human survival is hidden out in the cosmos and it’s up to an eclectic team of characters to find it. Titan A.E. is a great animated alternative to Star Wars and has a kickin’ soundtrack that includes Lit, Powerman 5000, and Luscious Jackson.
Treasure Planet
Another great animated sci-fi epic is Treasure Planet. The movie is a galactic remake of the classic Treasure Island tale and follows Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who joins a motley crew to search the universe for treasure. The plot stays mostly the same as Treasure Island, but its new space setting makes it fun and unique.
Wing Commander
Based on the ‘90s video game series that eventually starred Mark Hamill (see, there’s already a Star Wars connection), Wing Commander centers around the intergalactic war between humans and a feline-like alien race known as the Kilrathi. Upon its premiere, the movie was a total bomb, but in recent years viewers have come to love its campy oddity – very much in the same style as Star Wars’ own kitschy charm.
Starship Troopers
Robert Heinlein’s original 1959 novel Starship Troopers was a swampy mess of pro-fascism and pro-war philosophy… but all told from a pro-America viewpoint. Unlike Heinlein, who never actually saw war, director Paul Verhoeven was born in Nazi-occupied Netherlands and set out to make his film version of Starship Troopers a complete rebuke of Heinlein’s worldview. The film is a total mockery of the pro-war crowd and shows that with war, there’s only one result: death and destruction, there is no winner. For a great space opera that has one hell of an underlying message, this is a must-watch.
Serenity
Picking up after the events of the cult-favorite TV series Firefly, Serenity brought back much of the original cast like Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, and Summer Glau. The film follows the crew of the Serenity as they navigate the galaxy, trying to defeat the evil Reavers. It kind of feels like one giant episode of Firefly, which if you’re a Star Wars fan, is a great thing.
Blue Harvest
Blue Harvest (Season 6) was a double episode-length Family Guy special that parodied Star Wars. Peter took the role of Solo, while Lois played Leia. Other iconic characters joined in too, with Quagmire playing C-3PO. Two more Star Wars specials followed with Something, Something, Something Darkside (Season 8) and It’s a Trap! (Season 9). Even if you’re not a Family Guy fan, the Star Wars specials are still really enjoyable.
Where to watch movies like Star Wars online
Check out the list below to find out where to watch movies like Star Wars online streaming in the United States right now!
