10 Failed Space Operas That Bombed With Mainstream Audiences
7. Attack Of The Clone - Starchaser: The Legend Of Orin (1985)
The 1985 animated space opera Starchaser: The Legend of Orin crosses the line from homage into outright theft. Stop us if youve heard this one before: in space, a young man, Orin, living under the oppression of a brutal regime, hooks up with a space bandit, some robots, and a snooty rich girl to bring freedom to the galaxy. Aside from the plot, Starchaser goes even further with its theft; it lifts starship designs, musical cues, and sound effects from the Star Wars trilogy, altering them just enough to avoid a lawsuit. In many ways, Starchaser was ahead of its time: it was a Star Wars clone that boasted 3D special effects as a cheap ruse to peddle a subpar product to unsuspecting film fans. The films poster called it the greatest 3D movie ever made and the special effects utilized cutting edge computer graphics to paper over the clichéd and deadly dull narrative. Despite the best efforts of the unethical filmmakers, Starchaser made a paltry 3 million dollars against a 15 million dollar budget. The ersatz Star Wars has since garnered a cult following, but will forever remain a failed space opera given a chilly reception by the mainstream.
