Film

Message from Space

Name: Message from Space
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Released: 1978
Cast: Vic Morrow, Sonny Chiba, Philip Casnoff, Peggy Lee Brennan, Etsuko Shihomi

A 1978 Japanese space opera where eight chosen warriors receive mystical seeds to defend against alien invaders. It's gloriously ambitious—massive sets, wild action, rubber suits—with that specific '70s SF sincerity that swings wildly between sublime and silly. For anyone who loves Star Wars but wants something weirder, cheaper, and messier. Pure adventure hokum, made with genuine heart.

TMDb rating

3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love swashbuckling space operas with martial-arts choreography, a sprawling cast of mismatched heroes, and the goofy sincerity of late-seventies genre filmmaking.

Skip it if you need tight plotting or a consistent tone, since the story sprawls across many characters and the dialogue and effects often feel rough and earnest.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a crowded opening, where each newly chosen hero gets a separate introduction, before the fights take over in a brisk 105 minutes.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Star Wars1977

The obvious touchstone: space empires, chosen heroes, mystical forces, and rousing battles. But where Star Wars is mythic and precise, Message from Space is scrappier and stranger—a fascinating mirror.

But If you want the same film again, don't. This is lovably rough where Star Wars is polished.

Battle Beyond the Stars1980

A Seven Samurai riff transplanted to space, with Corman-level budgets and genuine ingenuity. Shares Message from Space's commitment to epic storytelling on a shoestring, and the same earnest charm.

But Special effects that look like they cost $47 to make. If you need technical polish, keep walking.

The Hidden Fortress1958

Kurosawa's swashbuckling adventure in a feudal landscape—the structural ancestor of what Message from Space is trying to do. Both films traffic in that same 'heroes gathering, destiny calling' energy.

But Black and white, 139 minutes, no laser battles. The architecture is similar but the texture is completely different.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Message from Space

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Barbarella1968

Both are unashamed pulp SF that could only exist in their specific moment—different eras, same commitment to beautiful, ridiculous spectacle over logic.

Jane Fonda as a space explorer in a campy, erotic, absurdist SF comedy. Message from Space and Barbarella are both operatic space adventures made from genuine madness, but Barbarella is sexy-weird where Message from Space is action-weird.

But Outrageous and deliberately silly in ways that'll feel ridiculous if you wanted earnest heroism. Some will find it feminist, others exploitative.

Flash Gordon1980

Unironic camp space opera with Ornella Muti and Max von Sydow, designed as pure pulp entertainment. Like Message from Space, it's proudly trashy and secretly quite smart.

But Heavy on the camp—if you don't enjoy that register of fun, it'll feel juvenile rather than joyful.

The Last Starfighter1984

Ordinary kid recruited by space force, discovers he's been chosen for a larger war. Same DNA as Message from Space: earnest, fantastical, unashamed of its own heart.

But Early digital effects that haven't aged brilliantly. Some scenes look less like sci-fi and more like screensavers.

Krull1983

Fantasy-SF hybrid with an assembled team of heroes, mystical weapons, and an alien invasion played straight. Another film that refuses to be cynical about adventure narratives.

But Meandering middle section that loses momentum. Not every sequence earns its place.

The Magnificent Seven1960

The template: seven outcasts and warriors gathered to defend a helpless village. The DNA of every 'assemble the team' story ever made, including Message from Space.

But Western, not SF. If you're hungry specifically for space stuff, this will feel like a detour.

Phase IV1974

Strange, cerebral SF about humanity versus an alien intelligence, made with real visual invention and weirdness. Another film from the '70s SF moment that didn't follow the obvious playbook.

But Slower, quieter, more philosophical. No one gets a mystical seed or fires a laser gun.

Zardoz1974

Sean Connery in a red diaper fighting a god-like AI in a weird future. If you love movies that swing for impossible ideas on questionable budgets, this is required viewing.

But Completely incoherent plot. You might finish it genuinely unsure what you watched, which is either a feature or a bug.