Set largely in the future and in outer space, they require massive effects budgets, huge set pieces, and leaps of imagination almost unlike any genre.
When a filmmaker gets space opera right he becomes a legend, like Stanley Kubrick, Ridley Scott, and George Lucas. More than any other type of science fiction, truly great space opera is deserving of praise.
These are the 13 best space opera movies, of all time, ranked in order.
13. The Fifth Element
12. The Last Starfighter
11. Thor Ragnarok
10. Starship Troopers
9. Galaxy Quest
8. Dune
7. WALL-E
6. Guardians of the Galaxy
5. Interstellar
4. Alien
3. Serenity
2. Star Wars
1. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan