Battle Beyond the Stars

1980
PG
1h 44m

IMDb RATING

5.5/10

11K

YOUR RATING

Sybil Danning, George Peppard, Richard Thomas, Lara Cody, Darlanne Fluegel, Lawrence Steven Meyers, and Morgan Woodward in Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)

A young farmer sets out to recruit mercenaries to defend his peaceful planet, which is under threat of invasion by the evil tyrant Sador and his armada of aggressors.

Play trailer2:41

2 Videos

22 Photos

Alien Invasion Space Sci-Fi Action Adventure Sci-Fi

A farm boy recruits a band of outlaws to save the planet Akir from dark forces that threaten to wipe them out from the face of the universe. A battle stretching beyond the stars begins here.A farm boy recruits a band of outlaws to save the planet Akir from dark forces that threaten to wipe them out from the face of the universe. A battle stretching beyond the stars begins here.A farm boy recruits a band of outlaws to save the planet Akir from dark forces that threaten to wipe them out from the face of the universe. A battle stretching beyond the stars begins here.

Directors
- Jimmy T. Murakami
- Roger Corman
Writers
- John Sayles
- Anne Dyer
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.5/10

11K

YOUR RATING

Directors
- Jimmy T. Murakami
- Roger Corman
Writers
- John Sayles
- Anne Dyer
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations total

Videos2

Trailer 2:41

Blu-ray Trailer

Clip 1:18

Battle Beyond the Stars

Clip 1:18

Battle Beyond the Stars

Photos22

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
A young Bill Paxton worked on the sets as a carpenter and painter in between jobs on the recommendation of good friend, art director and future collaborator James Cameron.

Goofs
During Saint Exmin's final battle against Sador a crewmember can be seen on the left-side of the screen (over Sybil Danning's right shoulder). The crewman is visible during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cut to her during the battle. The crew person appears to be sitting just behind the wall immediately behind Sybil.

Quotes
Saint-Exmin: I am Saint Exmin of the Valkyrie. It's been a very enjoyable fight.
[She explodes her ship]
Shad: [quoting Saint-Exmin, mesmerized by her action] "Live fast, fight well, and have a beautiful ending."

Alternate versions
In the original ending a faction of pacifists leave Akir, feeling that their society has now become part of the violent universe. The sequence was scrapped after the fx shop delivered poor shots of their spaceships departing from the planet.

Connections
Edited into Galaxy of Terror (1981)

User reviews140

Featured review

Star Wars clone? Yes, but cheesy sci-fi fun!

Battle Beyond The Stars was one of the better Star Wars clones. The special effects weren't "great" even back in 1980, but they add to the low budget flavor of the movie. You have to remember that this movie had a substantially lower budget for special effects than an "A" picture like Star Wars. Early detailed models by James Cameron (TERMINATOR/TITANIC) are the high point of the special effects. A lot of people got their career start on this film, and Cameron was only one of many.

The script for Battle Beyond The Stars had a lot of things going for it, from the aliens to the quirky characters. I found the race of Nestor to be the most interesting concept of all. Just the thought of a race of beings that can hear/feel/think together as one conscious entity could be a great movie plot in itself.

The excellent casting of actors and actresses was another strong point in Battle Beyond The Stars. John Saxon, George Peppard, and Sybil Danning especially shine through in their acting performances in my opinion.

Battle Beyond The Stars is, quite simply, one of those movies that's so cheesy that's it's something special. It's a fun movie that never takes itself too seriously, and I don't either. I guess that's why I still enjoy it after all of these years.