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Message from Space

Message from Space

Where fantasies are real & reality is fantastic.

1978105 minPGMidcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Director
Kinji Fukasaku
Starring
Vic Morrow, Shin'ichi Chiba, Philip Casnoff, Etsuko Shihomi

The peaceful planet of Jillucia has been nearly wiped out by the Gavanas, whose leader takes orders from his mother rather than the Emperor. King Kaiba sends out eight Liabe holy seeds, each to be received by a chosen one to defend the Gavanas. Each recipient, ranging from hardened General Garuda to Gavana Prince Hans to young Terrans Meia, Kido, and Aaron all have different reactions to being chosen.

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Where can I watch Message from Space?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Message from Space streaming on Tubi (free).

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Highlights

What stands out about Message from Space?

Message from Space earns 1 badge: Award Nominee.

Reception

Is Message from Space worth watching?

Message from Space's Midcredits score is the 22nd percentile of all films, from 4.8K ratings across 4 sources. 27% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

22nd percentile

Better received than 22% of films

35th percentile among Action21st percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)29th
Approval (how many liked it)18th

55 /100

29th percentile of all films

44th percentile among Action24th percentile among 1970s

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

27% liked it

18th percentile of all films

30th percentile among Action19th percentile among 1970s
27% rated it 7–1073% rated it 1–6

Awards

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

Reach

How many have seen it

66th percentile

4.8K ratings across platforms

51st percentile among Action69th percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 18% in 30 days

Box office

Budget¥6M

In Japanese yen, not converted to dollars.

What reviewers say

Common ground

An unrestrained Japanese space opera that borrows heavily from Star Wars and delivers a wildly chaotic mix of cheap spectacle and bizarre ideas.

Fans praised

  • ambitious production design and miniature work for its budget
  • energetic blend of fantasy, samurai, and sci-fi with a sincere tone
  • fun performances from Vic Morrow and Sonny Chiba

Detractors panned

  • glaringly derivative of Star Wars in plot, scenes, and music
  • cheap-looking special effects with visible wires and models
  • incoherent story, cliched script, and confusing dubbing

What stands out

PacingDivisive50

brisk and relentless action; sometimes feels rushed and disjointed

AtmosphereDivisive45

psychedelic and surreal world-building; vivid sets and costumes create a unique tonal mishmash

ActingDivisive40

Vic Morrow and Sonny Chiba deliver committed performances but most of the cast is hampered by poor dubbing and overacting

Effects and spectacleDivisive35

impressive miniature models and explosions marred by visible wires and cheap composites

CharactersDivisive25

broad archetypes with thin motivations; misfit heroes and cartoonish villains

Originality20

blatant Star Wars knockoff; adds bizarre Japanese elements like glowing walnuts but overall derivative

Plot and story20

confusing and incoherent story with borrowed Star Wars structure

Dialogue20

laughably clunky dubbed lines; some unintentionally hilarious moments

Preferred by

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

  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Message from Space 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 has a few laughs 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

Very little.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
ThrillingAbsurdWarm
Heaviest: middle
Register
Campy · 4% of filmsAdventurous · 11% of filmsPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its space-opera material with a straight face but is so campy and cheap that it becomes unintentionally funny.
The rideThe film swings between lively space battles and goofy comic moments, with a generally light and playful tone.
StructureA straightforward assembly of heroes, followed by a mission to liberate the planet, told in order.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayDespite its cheap effects and silly moments, the film's energetic heroics leave a fun, popcorn-movie feeling.
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

with Overcoming the monster underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows chosen heroes who must gather together and liberate a planet from an evil empire, a classic mission quest with monster-overcoming elements.

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 filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% (this title) · 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% (this title): Community 14% (this title) · 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% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Society

Community · 14% of filmsFreedom · 5% of filmsDuty · 2% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on disparate individuals being called to unite as a team to save a peaceful planet from oppression.
StanceThe film celebrates the coming together of a team to defeat evil, playing its heroics earnestly despite the camp.

The world

TimelessOuter spaceUrbanScience fiction
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Ken'ichirō Morioka
SettingA space opera set across fictional planets and a space-faring galleon
MusicA sweeping orchestral score typical of space operas of the era.

Content guide

Is Message from Space okay for kids?

PG

Message from Space is rated PG. As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its sexual content at minimal (0/100). It has too few votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Germany12
Overall
needs 3 or more scored categories
not ranked
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Overall standing needs at least three scored categories; this title has 1.

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 Message from Space have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Message from Space?

Cast

Vic Morrow
as General Garuda
Shin'ichi Chiba
as Prince Hans
Philip Casnoff
as Aaron Solar
Etsuko Shihomi
as Emeralida
Tetsurō Tanba
as Ernest Noguchi
Mikio Narita
as Rockseia XII
Makoto Satô
as Urocco
Seizô Fukumoto
as Guerilla
Hiroyuki Sanada
as Shiro Hongo
Jerry Itô
as Commander

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Message from Space?

Movies like Message from Space include Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), Starcrash (1978) and The Ice Pirates (1984). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set in a fictional world, and most are mission stories.

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

All 12 share its world: space opera. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Message from Space?

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