Hollywood’s not the only sheriff in space, geeks. With the premiere of South Korean galactical popcorn flick “Space Sweepers,” Asian sci-fi is now shoved into the spotlight—and rightly so.
If you’re over the Guardians, Jedis and Starship Enterprises of the galaxy, we got you. Here are a few flicks set in space, guaranteed Asian-made.
“The Wandering Earth” (2019)
What do you do when the sun’s dying, with Earth’s impending doom on the horizon? Move the planet, of course. In this blockbuster Chinese movie, people around the globe have devised giant planet thrusters to move Earth out of the sun’s orbit and into a new—and safer—star system. But the 2,500-year long journey comes with a few bumps along the way—leaving a group of young folks to defend the dying Earth.
“Space Battleship Yamato” (2010)
It’s 2199 and Earth has become an untouchable, war-ravaged wasteland. Based on the anime series of the same name, the crew members of space battleship Yamato head to the planet Iskandar to find the device that might just be the key to reboot Earth back to its former state.
“Alimuom” (2018)
Set in a not-so-distant and dystopian future, the Philippines’ regions are now enclosed in bio domes due to an uninhabitable world. Farming is now illegal, and a group of OFWs—Outerspace Filipino Works—seek crops that can grow under the harshest conditions, even if the government’s out to get them.
“Islands” (2013)
While navel-gazing, introspective thoughts aren’t always associated with space movies, the Whammy Alcazaren film takes it on anyway, along with a couple of turns. Here, two astronauts enter the Earth’s atmosphere, where everything seems to transform—converging the stories of a grandmother, tribesman and a director that transcend time, space and reality.
“Shanghai Fortress” (2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TXLkU93rqo
Love it, hate it or throw a big “meh” at it, “Shanghai Fortress” might still get anyone the slightest bit curious. The divisive space film fast-forwards to the year 2035, when an elite team of soldiers are left to fight hostile alien forces trying to steal Earth’s main source of energy.
Read more:
5 Pinoy sci-fi films that’ll revive your faith in the genre
The sci-fi beginner’s guide to the genre, featuring books under 300 pages
‘ANi: The Harvest’ might take Filipino sci-fi to the next level
Still from “The Wandering Earth”
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