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Starcrash

Starcrash

A galactic adventure beyond your wildest dreams!

197892 minPGMidcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Director
Luigi Cozzi
Starring
Marjoe Gortner, Caroline Munro, Christopher Plummer, David Hasselhoff

A pair of smugglers manage to pick up a castaway while running from the authorities, who turns out to be the only survivor from a secret mission to destroy a mysterious superweapon designed by the evil Count Zartharn. The smugglers are soon recruited by the Emperor to complete the mission, as well as to rescue the Emperor's son, who has gone missing.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Starcrash?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Starcrash streaming on Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, Shout! TV via Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Starcrash?

Starcrash earns 3 badges, led by Overhyped and Fun.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Starcrash worth watching?

Starcrash's Midcredits score is the 6th percentile of all films, from 20K ratings across 4 sources. 19% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

6th percentile

Better received than 6% of films

12th percentile among Action5th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)9th
Approval (how many liked it)7th

44 /100

9th percentile of all films

16th percentile among Action5th percentile among 1970s

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

19% liked it

7th percentile of all films

14th percentile among Action8th percentile among 1970s
19% rated it 7–1081% rated it 1–6

Critics 33% · Audience 35%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

83rd percentile

20K ratings across platforms

72nd percentile among Action88th percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 6% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A wildly cheap, derivative, and nonsensical space opera that is nonetheless highly entertaining for those who enjoy campy cinema.

Fans praised

  • Caroline Munro's striking presence and iconic space-bikini costumes
  • John Barry's lush orchestral score elevates the cheap visuals
  • Unintentional hilarity and relentless, colourful camp

Detractors panned

  • Laughable special effects: visible strings, model glue, Christmas-light stars
  • Incoherent, logic-defying plot with deus-ex-machina powers
  • Wooden or over-the-top acting from almost the entire cast

What stands out

Sound and musicDivisive70

John Barry's sweeping score widely praised as film's best asset

HumorDivisive60

unintentional comedy is the main draw; robot's southern accent a highlight

Acting15

universally panned as wooden or hammy; Plummer and Hasselhoff cited as exceptions by fans

Effects and spectacleDivisive15

stop-motion, visible miniatures, plastic models; charming to fans

DialogueDivisive15

so-bad-it's-good quotable lines; fans relish the absurdity

Characters10

paper-thin cardboard archetypes; Akton's unexplained powers derided

Plot and story5

incoherent mishmash of stolen tropes, no internal logic

Originality5

blatant Star Wars/Barbarella/Flash Gordon patchwork

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Starcrash like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a fun ride.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you entertained. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
ThrillingAbsurdTriumphant
Heaviest: late
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsExuberant · 2% of films: Bursting with energy and joy in its own filmmaking.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its absurd premise and cheap effects completely straight, with earnest enthusiasm and no ironic distance.
The rideThe film maintains a fast, pulpy energy with campy absurdity throughout, building to a climactic space battle that resolves triumphantly.
StructureThe film unfolds in a linear, conventional three-act structure: the capture and clemency, the planet-hopping search, and the final space battle.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you with a sense of silly fun and triumphant energy, fired up by the Emperor's victory speech.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe story is driven by Stella and Akton's mission to rescue the Emperor's son and find Count Zarth Arn's secret weapon, traveling to various planets.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% (this title) · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% (this title) · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Power · 2% of filmsLoyalty · 4% of filmsHope · 5% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having. stakesDual lead
How it treats its themeThe film follows outlaw duo Stella and Akton as they are drawn into a galactic power struggle between a tyrant and an emperor, celebrating their loyalty and the hope of a peaceful new era.
StanceThe film celebrates the heroic triumph of good over evil with a straightforward, unironic embrace of its own grandiosity.

The world

Far futureOuter spaceInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · John Barry
SettingA galaxy-spanning space opera with planets including a jungle world, an ice planet, and the Count's secret planet.
MusicA sweeping orchestral score with electronic elements that gives the low-budget space opera an unexpectedly grand feel.

Content guide

Is Starcrash okay for kids?

PG

Starcrash is rated PG. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (37/100), sexual content at mild (19/100), language at mild (20/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (22/100) and frightening material at mild (26/100). Its drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 24% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Germany12
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 7% of all filmsHeavier than 24% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 53%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 40%
Profanity
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 34%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (9 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 53% of PG-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Starcrash have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Starcrash?

Cast

Marjoe Gortner
as Akton
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Caroline Munro
as Stella Star
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Christopher Plummer
as The Emperor
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
David Hasselhoff
as Prince Simon
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Robert Tessier
as Chief Thor
Joe Spinell
as Count Zarth Arn
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Nadia Cassini
as Queen Corelia
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Judd Hamilton
as Elle
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Dirce Funari
as Amazon Woman
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Cindy Leadbetter
as Amazon Woman
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Starcrash?

Movies like Starcrash include Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), Space Mutiny (1988) and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set in the far future, and most are mission stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its world: space opera. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Starcrash?

263 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: space opera. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.